Hacker (card game)

"Hacker" is a card game (not a trading card game) made by Steve Jackson Games (SJG). Published in 1992, the players impersonate hackers fighting for the control of computer networks. It is based primarily on interlocking access to different computer systems in the web. Players are not set directly towards each other, and several players can share access to a system. It is superficially similar (modulo terminology) to the game "Illuminati".

History

In 1990, SJG was raided by the United States Secret Service as part of a nationwide investigation of data piracy. [http://www.sjgames.com/SS/ SJ Games vs. the Secret Service ] ] The agents took computers, printers, hard drives, at least one pocket calculator, over 300 floppy disks, and an entire BBS server. [ [http://www.sjgames.com/hacker/stat_1.html Steve Jackson Games: Hacker ] ] It turns out that another game in development by SJG, "GURPS Cyberpunk" was considered by investigating agents of the Secret Service to be "a handbook for computer crime" and that justified their actions against SJG. In 1992, SJG made a game out of this fiasco, and "Hacker" was born.

Expansions

In 1993 "Hacker II: The Dark Side" was released. "Hacker II" is a supplement to "Hacker" adding new rules, and new cards to the gameplay.

Awards

"Hacker" won the 1992 Origins Award for "Best Modern-Day Boardgame" [cite web
url=http://www.originsgamefair.com/awards/1992/list-of-winners
title=Origins Award Winners (1992)
publisher=Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts & Design
accessdate=2008-03-24] and "Hacker II" won the 1993 Origins Award for "Best Modern-Day Boardgame". [cite web
url=http://www.originsgamefair.com/awards/1993/list-of-winners
title=Origins Award Winners (1993)
publisher=Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts & Design
accessdate=2008-03-24]

References

External links

* [http://www.sjgames.com/hacker/ The official "Hacker" home page]
*