Nightfall Hacker

About

In Nightfall Hacker, you’re a freelance “white hat” hacker - accepting jobs, winning hacking battles against rogue software, and using your earnings to buy upgraded programs to face even stronger enemies! Along the way, you discover that some companies are struggling against an adversary - AKA black hat hackers. On a 2D grid, you’ll need to plan your programs’ actions strategically. One wrong move…

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

95%

Audience ScoreBased on 40 reviews

music5 positive mentions

story3 negative mentions

The game is a faithful recreation of 'Spybotics: The Nightfall Incident' with added new maps and unique units, enhancing the overall experience.
The core gameplay is well-designed, offering a fun and engaging turn-based tactical puzzle experience with a variety of strategies and units.
The inclusion of a custom level editor allows for creative gameplay and extends the game's replayability.

The story lacks depth and coherence, with walls of text that do not provide an engaging narrative, leading to a less compelling experience.
The art style is bland and uninspired, with repetitive music that detracts from the overall enjoyment of the game.
Some gameplay mechanics, such as the overpowering programs and AI, can lead to an unbalanced experience, making certain encounters feel too easy or 'cheesy.'

story
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
9%
77%
14%
The new campaign introduces a story with some elements of choice, but many players find it less compelling than the original, expressing disappointment over the absence of the original story and its charm. While the gameplay is praised for its intuitive design and fun mechanics, the narrative aspect seems to fall short, leaving some players feeling unsatisfied. Overall, the remake offers innovative features but lacks the depth and engagement of its predecessor's storytelling.
- “The original campaign (without story elements) is archived within, and there's a completely new campaign with innovative new programs to use, including a story that actually has a couple of elements of choice mixed in.”
- “Now while I prefer the original for music, sound, story, and aesthetics, there are things that Nightfall Hacker adds that more than make up for it.”
- “I only made it about 20-30 missions in and well, there really isn't much to say about any story.”
- “I'm sad that the remake of the original campaign doesn't have the original story included, but I understand that including the original story would probably be a big copyright no-no despite the original game being two decades old and only available on archive sites to those willing to figure out a flash emulator.”
- “It's lacking the story charm from the original, but I'm fine with the gameplay.”
music
21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
24%
62%
14%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it less polished and memorable compared to the original. Critics noted that the short loops can become grating, leading some to lower the volume significantly. While some appreciated the charm and calming nature of the soundtrack, others expressed disappointment over the absence of the trailer music and the overall sound design, suggesting it could use more refinement.
- “While the original's style is much more polished and memorable, that's not to say this game's music and style doesn't have charm.”
- “I'm not saying Nightfall Incident had a great soundtrack by comparison, but the little jingles before each level were nice.”
- “Fantastic turn-based strategy, and a really chill soundtrack to help keep you calm and stop you from rage quitting if you get frustrated.”
- “I wasn't really happy with the music.”
- “Just 20-30 second basic loops and two of those just seemed to be grating after a while, and I had to turn the music to almost nothing.”
- “The only thing that feels like it could use more work is the music/sound design, in my opinion.”
gameplay
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
61%
17%
The gameplay is well-executed, closely resembling the original while introducing new mechanics and features that enhance the experience. Although it lacks the original's story charm and cyberpunk aesthetic, the inclusion of a level editor and extended gameplay options are significant positives. Minor mechanical differences may surprise some players, but overall, the gameplay is recommended for fans of the genre.
- “Most importantly, the core gameplay is very well done.”
- “Overall, it's got the same gameplay but enough new and extra things to make it shine above the original.”
- “All the programs are there plus there are some new ones too which add their own interesting mechanics and twists.”
- “It's lacking the story charm from the original, but I'm fine with the gameplay.”
- “There are a few minor differences mechanically; they're not necessarily bad, but they did surprise me a little bit.”
- “The gameplay itself seems to resemble the original 100%.”
graphics
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
33%
33%
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the focus on gameplay over visual flair, while others note that it lacks the cyberpunk aesthetic and overall quality of the original. Although the art style is acknowledged, many feel that the graphics are limited, particularly in battle and menus, making it inferior to its predecessor. Overall, while the visuals may not impress, the gameplay remains a strong point for fans.
- “The art style is captivating and adds a unique charm to the game.”
- “While it may lack the cyberpunk aesthetic of the original, the graphics still deliver a visually appealing experience.”
- “The graphics may be limited in certain areas, but they contribute to the overall atmosphere of the game.”
- “I do have to admit this game is inferior in many ways to the original - graphics are limited both in battle/menu/no cutscenes, the game doesn't have as cool music as the original.”
- “The art style.”
- “Now while I prefer the original for music, sound, story, and aesthetics, there are things that Nightfall Hacker adds that more than make up for it.”