We Love It's Guide to…
Take freelance hacking contracts, infiltrate computer systems, erase evidence, and upgrade your rig while avoiding detection.
Released 23 Aug 2006
Steal Corporate Data
Erase Hacking Logs
Upgrade Your Gateway
Uplink lets you play as a freelance hacker tackling risky contracts for corporations. Break into systems, steal data, sabotage rivals, and upgrade your gear. Support factions or go rogue in this immersive, strategy-driven hacking simulation game where your choices shape the outcome.
Developed by Introversion Software · Published by Introversion Software
You play as a freelance hacker taking paid contracts in a world of corporate espionage. Jobs include breaking into secure systems, stealing data, sabotaging rivals, and manipulating records.
Each job calls for choosing tools and a route into the target system, then working quickly to avoid detection and cover your tracks. You earn credits from contracts and spend them on faster hardware and more advanced hacking software.
The game unfolds through a simulated computer desktop, with missions and story choices that let you work with rival corporations, stay neutral, or pursue your own career. Getting caught can end a run, so learning how to protect your identity is part of progressing to riskier work.
Players who enjoy Uplink often praise its tense hacking jobs, strategic problem-solving, and distinctive computer-desktop presentation, with several also calling out the soundtrack and the freedom to pursue different careers. Some find the dated interface difficult to read, the mission guidance unclear, or the risk of losing progress after detection frustrating; others feel the mission types become repetitive.
In Uplink, play as a freelance hacker taking on high-stakes contracts. Hack into secure systems, steal data, sabotage rivals, and manipulate evidence. Choose to support factions or go rogue, upgrading your tools and skills with each mission. As you navigate this world of cyber espionage, your choices have lasting consequences, influencing the direction of the story and your place within it.
As a freelance hacker, you'll infiltrate high-security systems, steal corporate data, sabotage rivals, and frame others for cybercrimes. Success hinges on mastering tools like password crackers and log modifiers while evading detection by bouncing connections and erasing tracks.
In Uplink, progression and upgrades drive your rise from rookie hacker to cyber-espionage expert. Earn credits by completing contracts, then invest in faster CPUs, advanced software, and powerful tools to take on tougher missions. As your skills grow, so do the stakes, creating a thrilling loop of challenge and reward that keeps the gameplay endlessly engaging.
Your choices shape the story and the world around you. You can align with rival corporations, support one side, or remain neutral, each path influencing your missions and alliances. Alternatively, you can focus entirely on freelance hacking, building your reputation and wealth. Your decisions lead to different outcomes, making every playthrough unique and ensuring a dynamic, replayable experience.
Introversion Software has been developing games since 2001, and stands behind acclaimed titles like Uplink, Defcon, Darwinia, Multiwinia, Prison Architect, Scanner Sombre, and their latest release, The Last Starship. Introversion has garnered both critical and commercial success being recognised with multiple awards including the IGF grand prize for Darwinia and BAFTA for best persistent game (Prison Architect). They have sold more than 4M copies of their games worldwide.
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux |
|---|---|
| Age ratings |
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| Controller required | No |
| Metacritic | 75/100 View on Metacritic |
| Website | Official website |
