This game is rated ESRB: Mature 17+ for Strong Language.
Set in an alternate 1997, Exapunks is a programming puzzle game from Zachtronics, released for Windows, Mac, and Linux in 2018. The player takes on the role of a hacker afflicted with a degenerative illness called the phage, exchanging hacking work for doses of the medicine keeping them alive. Gameplay centers on writing programs for EXAs — small execution agents — that navigate digital networks to manipulate files, replicate, destroy rival processes, and cover their tracks. Targets range from banks and government systems to television stations, factories, and even the protagonist's own body. An in-game underground zine, TRASH WORLD NEWS, serves as the primary tutorial and lore delivery mechanism. Beyond the main campaign, players can access several minigames by hacking in-world systems, design and share custom puzzle networks through Steam Workshop, and compete directly against others by pitting their programs head-to-head in adversarial hacking matches.
