Darknet
Released Jun 2017
Darknet is a strategy/puzzle game in which you play as an elite hacker in the Net. Plug into cyberspace, using viruses, worms, and exploits to steal the data before your signal gets traced. Includes both VR and non-VR versions.
89% positive · 127 reviews
Done
All announced content has been released
High confidence
Done
All announced content has been released
High confidence
Where to buy
Steam $14.99
Can't confirm — worth a look
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Evaluation
Darknet launched on June 8, 2017 as a complete strategy/puzzle game, including both VR and non-VR versions. Its only DLC is a soundtrack that was released on the same day as the game itself. Post-launch activity was limited: a patch on July 13, 2017 added VR comfort options and fixed bugs, and in June 2018 the game received a dedicated Oculus Rift version with Touch controller support. There have been no developer communications of any kind since June 2018 — nearly eight years of silence as of today. No expansions, additional content, roadmaps, or future plans have ever been announced. The game was clearly shipped as a finished product, and all post-launch work consisted of platform compatibility updates rather than new content. With no content cadence, no outstanding commitments, and close to a decade of silence from the developer, the game is complete as originally released.
Evidence
Dedicated Oculus Rift version with Touch controller support added; game included in a VR Strategy Bundle on Steam. This is the last known developer communication.
The only DLC is a soundtrack released on launch day. No additional DLC has ever been listed.
Content
1 of 1 released · no outstanding content
Media
Details
Developer
Publisher
E McNeill
Achievements
—
Platform
Windows
Controller
—
Steam Deck
Playable
Players
Single-player
About this game
Darknet is a strategy/puzzle game in which you play as an elite hacker in the Net. Plug into cyberspace, using viruses, worms, and exploits to steal the data before your signal gets traced!
After winning awards on PSVR, Oculus Rift, and Gear VR, Darknet is now available for the HTC Vive and also INCLUDES A NON-VR VERSION for those without a headset!
DEEP GAMEPLAY: “Darknet is the closest thing to a killer app for the system... It seems simple at first, but Darknet quickly grows to require a lot of second- and third-order logical thinking, under what can be a strict time limit. More than anything else, Darknet was what I was excited to play every time.” - Ars Technica
CYBERPUNK HACKING: “Darknet is the hacking VR game we’ve all been waiting for since our first viewing of HACKERS, Johnny Mnemonic, or Tron… Everything I wanted out of a hacking game since 1995. The future is finally here and I’m cracking nodes, dropping viruses, staying one-step ahead of security.” - BigSushi.fm
GREAT FOR VR: “When I dove into the cyberspace simulation, I lost myself in the illusion. My relationship to meat space was momentarily forgotten. And that’s precisely what a virtual reality game ought to do for the player… It is the best Oculus Rift game I’ve ever played.” - DailyDot
AWARD-WINNING:
CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED:
After winning awards on PSVR, Oculus Rift, and Gear VR, Darknet is now available for the HTC Vive and also INCLUDES A NON-VR VERSION for those without a headset!
Features
DEEP GAMEPLAY: “Darknet is the closest thing to a killer app for the system... It seems simple at first, but Darknet quickly grows to require a lot of second- and third-order logical thinking, under what can be a strict time limit. More than anything else, Darknet was what I was excited to play every time.” - Ars Technica
CYBERPUNK HACKING: “Darknet is the hacking VR game we’ve all been waiting for since our first viewing of HACKERS, Johnny Mnemonic, or Tron… Everything I wanted out of a hacking game since 1995. The future is finally here and I’m cracking nodes, dropping viruses, staying one-step ahead of security.” - BigSushi.fm
GREAT FOR VR: “When I dove into the cyberspace simulation, I lost myself in the illusion. My relationship to meat space was momentarily forgotten. And that’s precisely what a virtual reality game ought to do for the player… It is the best Oculus Rift game I’ve ever played.” - DailyDot
AWARD-WINNING:
- BEST GAMEPLAY - Proto Awards 2014
- FINALIST - IndieCade 2015
- GRAND PRIZE- Oculus VR Jam
CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED:
- "Darknet is one of the oldest VR games around, and still one of the best.” - The Verge
- “Enjoy solving puzzles? Strategizing? Does the description ‘cyberpunk hacking in virtual reality’ light up your eyes like Christmas morning? Darknet is reminiscent of Hollywood's appalling movie interpretation of "hacking" from the '90s, but it's fun and engaging.” - CNET
- “Completely worth your time. An interesting puzzle game where you have to hack into different computer system using an array of tools, it also winkingly makes fun of the 90s-era version of VR. If you ever wanted to pretend you were a hacker from the 1995 film Hackers, this is a pretty good place to start.” - Polygon
- "And therein lies the beauty of Darknet. The game is simple on its surface, yet it's filled with challenges that keep you pressing on to beat the next one. I thought I was going to play Darknet for 20 minutes or so to get a feel for the game. Little did I know, three hours would pass before I gazed upon (actual) reality again." - Tom's Hardware
Are these done yet?
Last evaluated Jun 14, 2026
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