HOW TO PLAY

Everything you need to defend your server — v3.0 Edition

Objective

You are the sysadmin. Your server sits at the center of the grid, and waves of cyber threats are closing in from all directions. Place defense towers, use special abilities, and click enemies to destroy them before they reach your server. Clear every wave to complete a level and advance. There are 100 levels to conquer, plus Endless Mode and Daily Challenges.

Controls

ActionMouseKeyboard
Place towerClick empty grid cellSelect type with 10, then click
Attack enemyClick on enemy (sudo kill)
Select placed towerClick on a tower
Sell towerRight-click on towerSell button in panel
Pause / ResumePAUSE buttonP or ESC
Speed control1x/2x/3x buttons
Mute / UnmuteMute button in HUDM
Heal serverAbility buttonR (Reboot) / B (Backup)
Overclock towersAbility buttonO
Kill all enemiesAbility buttonSPACE

Resources

CPU (Computing Power)

CPU is your primary resource. You spend CPU to place towers, upgrade towers, and activate abilities. You earn CPU by killing enemies, clicking enemies manually (+2 CPU per click), passive generation (1 CPU/sec base, scales with level), and level completion bonuses.

Server HP

Your server's health. When it reaches 0, the game is over (KERNEL PANIC). Enemies deal damage when they reach the server. Restore HP with System Reboot and Backup Restore abilities, or place Firewall+ towers that heal 2 HP/sec.

Towers

Select a tower type from the side panel (or press 10), then click an empty grid cell to place it. Each tower targets the nearest enemy within range and fires automatically. Towers unlock as your Player Level increases.

TowerCostRangeDamageFire RateSpecialUnlock
iptables20 CPU15015MediumBalancedLv 1
fail2ban30 CPU1208Very FastSuppressive fireLv 3
Snort IDS40 CPU22025SlowLong-range sniperLv 5
ClamAV50 CPU13010MediumSlows enemies 60%Lv 8
SELinux60 CPU14040SlowHeavy hitterLv 12
Firewall+70 CPU1005SlowHeals server 2 HP/secLv 16
Honeypot40 CPU90Attracts & destroys (single use)Lv 20
CrowdSec80 CPU16030MediumChain lightning hits 3 nearbyLv 25
AppArmor90 CPU11020MediumReflects 30% damage in auraLv 30
KernelGuard150 CPU20080SlowUltimate defenseLv 40

Tower Upgrades & Selling

Click on a placed tower to select it. The side panel will show the tower's details along with UPGRADE and SELL buttons. You can also right-click a tower to sell it instantly.

Tower Synergies

When certain tower types are placed within 2 cells of each other, they activate powerful synergy bonuses. Active synergies are displayed in the side panel and shown on affected towers with a pink glow.

Tower ComboSynergy NameBonus
iptables + fail2banLayer 7 Defense+15% fire rate
ClamAV + CrowdSecThreat IntelligenceChain also slows enemies
Snort IDS + SELinuxDeep Inspection+20% damage
Firewall+ + AppArmorZero Trust+2 HP/sec heal
Honeypot + CrowdSecHoney Net+40 honeypot range
iptables + Snort IDSIDS Pipeline+20 range both
SELinux + KernelGuardKernel Hardening+30% damage
fail2ban + ClamAVRapid Quarantine+20% slow effect

Enemies

Enemies spawn from the edges and move toward your server. Different types have unique behaviors that require different strategies. Beware of disguised enemies (Trojans and Phishers) — they appear green like friendlies until they get close!

EnemyHPSpeedDMGSpecial Behavior
Script KiddieLowMedium5Basic threat
DDoS BotHighSlow8Tanky — absorbs damage
MalwareMediumFast7Fast and dangerous
RansomwareMediumMedium15Heavy damage on contact
TrojanLowV. Fast6Disguised as friendly until near
RootkitMediumSlow10Heals nearby enemies every second
BotnetV. LowFast3Swarm — appears in large numbers
WormMediumMedium8Splits into 2 smaller enemies on death
Zero-DayMediumV. Fast20Extremely fast and lethal
CryptojackerMediumMedium5Drains your CPU passively while alive
PhisherLowFast12Disguised as friendly until revealed
APT (Boss)V. HighSlow25Boss — huge HP, massive damage
Priority targets: Always kill Rootkits first (they heal other enemies), then Cryptojackers (they drain your CPU), then Zero-Days (they move fastest). When you see a disguised threat warning, look for enemies that look green but shouldn't be there!

Abilities

AbilityKeyCostCooldownUnlockEffect
sudo killClickFreeNoneLv 1Click enemies to deal damage (scales with Player Level)
System RebootR30 CPU10sLv 5Restore 30 server HP
Kill AllSPACE80 CPU30sLv 10Destroy all enemies on screen
OverclockO50 CPU20sLv 15Double all tower fire rate for 10 seconds
Backup RestoreB100 CPU40sLv 25Fully restore server HP to maximum

Speed Control & Sound

Use the 1x / 2x / 3x speed buttons in the top-right of the HUD to accelerate gameplay. Speed affects enemy movement, tower firing, ability cooldowns, and passive CPU generation — but not the rendering quality. Press M or click the speaker icon to mute/unmute sound effects.

Maps & Walls

As you progress through levels, different maps introduce wall obstacles that block tower placement and force enemies to navigate around them. Walls create strategic choke points where towers are more effective. There are 6 map layouts that rotate based on the level tier, from open fields to complex spiral patterns.

Wave Preview

The side panel shows a preview of the next wave's enemy composition, displayed as colored dots. Each color represents a different enemy type. A diamond shape indicates a boss. Use this information to prepare your defenses before the wave starts!

Combo System

Killing enemies in quick succession (within 3 seconds of each other) builds a combo counter. The combo counter appears in the HUD and multiplies your score. Reach high combos for bonus points and achievements!

Daily Challenge

Every day, a new challenge is generated with fixed parameters (same for all players). Click the DAILY button in the controls panel to start it. Your best score is submitted to the daily leaderboard. Complete daily challenges for achievements and bonus XP!

Endless Mode

After reaching game level 100 or player level 50, the ENDLESS button becomes available. Endless mode features infinite waves with ever-escalating difficulty. Your best wave is tracked on your profile and the leaderboard. How long can you survive?

Achievements

The game tracks 25 achievements across combat, tower building, progression, and special challenges. Achievements award XP bonuses and are displayed on your profile page. Some achievements are hidden until you discover them. Examples include:

Progression

Player Level & XP

Killing enemies earns XP. Accumulate enough XP to level up your Player Level (max 100). Each level automatically improves your stats through upgrades:

UpgradeScaling
Click Damage+2 every 2 levels
Tower Damage Bonus+5 every 5 levels (applies to all towers)
Tower Range Bonus+5 every 4 levels (applies to all towers)
CPU per Kill+1 every 3 levels
Passive CPU/sec+1 every 10 levels
Server HP Bonus+5 every 2 levels
Starting CPU Bonus+5 every 3 levels
Critical Hit Chance+1% every 5 levels (max 30%)

Critical Hits

Your attacks have a chance to deal double damage. Critical hits are shown in yellow floating text. The crit chance increases with your Player Level, up to 30%.

Tips & Strategies

Pro tip: Hover over tower buttons in the side panel to see detailed stats including DPS calculation and synergy info. Plan your tower placement around synergies for maximum effectiveness!

Ranking & Profile

The leaderboard ranks all players by four metrics: Total Score, Highest Wave, Game Level, and Player Level. Visit your profile page to see detailed statistics, achievement progress, and play history. Your progress is saved automatically every 30 seconds and whenever you complete or fail a level.