After months of development, testing, polishing, debugging, and squeezing as much as possible into a real retro handheld platform, I am very happy to say that Hackerman is now available on itch.io.

Hackerman is a cyberpunk action platformer for the Game Boy Advance. You play as Hackerman, one of the few people still able to resist after the evil C-Loud Myth AI takes control of modern computers, drones, and electronics. The world has been overrun by hostile machines, and the only way forward is to do what Hackerman does best:

Hack the planet.

The game takes place across 23 levels. In each level, your goal is to hack all the computers and open the gate to continue. That sounds simple, but of course the machines are not going to make it easy. Enemies, traps, and other dangers are waiting for you.

This project is very personal to me.

Hackerman combines many things that have shaped my life: game development, media design, embedded systems, security research, retro hardware, and a lot of nerdiness. I have wanted to create and release my own console or handheld game for a very long time. For me, the Game Boy Advance became the perfect platform for that dream. It is limited, but that is exactly what makes it interesting. You cannot just throw resources at every problem. You have to understand the hardware, work with its limits, and find creative solutions.

That is one of the things I love most about retro development.

I also wanted Hackerman to include something special for people who enjoy real hardware hacking.

That is why the game contains a built-in UART hacking mode. When you start the game in this mode and connect a suitable USB-serial interface to the Game Boy Advance link port, you can interact with Hackerman through a terminal. You can use commands, inspect parts of the game, change values, and experiment. It is not required to enjoy the game, but for curious hackers, makers, and embedded people, it adds another layer.

There is also a free three-level browser demo available on the official website. You can try the game directly in your browser before downloading the full version.

I want to say thank you to everyone who helped during development and testing. External feedback was incredibly valuable. Testers found issues, rough edges, and details that I would not have found on my own. My kids were also among the first playtesters and critics, and their feedback was as direct as expected. A very special thank you goes to my wife for her patience while this project took over far too many evenings and weekends.

Hackerman is now out.

I hope players enjoy the platforming, the cyberpunk atmosphere, the retro hardware feeling, and the small hardware-hacking surprise hidden inside the game. This project means a lot to me, and I am very happy to finally share it with everyone.

Be Hackerman. Hack the planet. Save mankind from the machines.

Hackerman is available now on itch.io including a free demo.