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Created 8 gameplay-focused LORE fragments organized by what players can DO with the information, not just narrative content. Each fragment enables specific mission objectives, player choices, and success metrics. **Organization by Gameplay Function:** 📋 Evidence Prosecution (1 fragment): - ALPHA_07 criminal conspiracy communication - Enables: Federal prosecution, arrest warrants, 95% conviction rate - Unlocks: Protection for Sarah Martinez, tactical arrests 🎯 Tactical Intelligence (1 fragment): - 48-hour countdown to power grid attack - Enables: Time-pressure mission, 3 tactical approaches - Unlocks: Grid defense, prevents Phase 3 backdoor installation - Branching: Hard takedown / Insider flip / Extended surveillance 💰 Financial Forensics (1 fragment): - Complete crypto trail from Sarah's payment to master wallet - Enables: $8.2M asset seizure, funding disruption - Unlocks: The Architect identity clues, shell company network - Impact: -60% ENTROPY operational capacity if successful 🎣 Recruitment Vectors (1 fragment): - ENTROPY's internal asset recruitment playbook - Enables: Prevention programs, counter-recruitment, sting ops - Unlocks: At-risk employee identification, pipeline disruption - Impact: -30% to -50% future insider threats 🔓 Technical Vulnerabilities (1 fragment): - SCADA zero-day Equilibrium.dll complete analysis - Enables: Detection scripts, patch deployment, infrastructure hardening - Unlocks: Grid protection before Phase 3, honeypot strategies - Success metric: 100% patched = no Phase 3 grid failures 📍 Asset Identification (1 fragment): - Complete surveillance package on 3 CELL_DELTA_09 subjects - Enables: Coordinated arrests, tactical planning, insider cooperation - Unlocks: Robert Chen flip opportunity, optimized approach - Success: 85-95% based on intel collected 👥 Victim Testimony (1 fragment): - Hospital administrator emotional testimony (patient death from ransomware) - Enables: Emotional investment, motivation, dialog options - Unlocks: Moral context, interrogation appeals, "Remember Why We Fight" - Impact: Player engagement, meaningful success/failure consequences 🔄 Leverage Materials (1 fragment): - Cascade's mother cancer treatment leverage analysis - Enables: Operative turning, 4 distinct ethical approaches - Unlocks: CELL_BETA complete intelligence, redemption arc - Choices: Compassionate (85% success) / Manipulative (45%) / Ethical refusal / Anonymous help **Key Integration Features:** Mission-Critical Intel: - TACTICAL_001 triggers 48-hour countdown mission - ASSET_ID_001 required for optimal tactical planning - TECHNICAL_001 enables infrastructure protection - All fragments improve success probability measurably Branching Player Choices: - Evidence: Prosecution vs. plea deals - Tactical: 3 arrest strategies with different risk/reward - Financial: Seizure priorities and timing - Recruitment: Prevention vs. counter-recruitment vs. sting - Technical: Patch race vs. honeypot vs. shutdown - Leverage: Compassion vs. manipulation vs. ethical stance Cross-Fragment Integration: - Operation Glass House appears across 5 functions - Power Grid Attack requires 3 fragments for optimal success - The Architect identity clues scattered across all functions - Success metrics compound (more intel = better outcomes) Educational Value: - All fragments teach CyBOK-aligned security concepts - Real-world attack methodologies and defenses - Legal, technical, financial, and human factors - Ethical considerations in security operations **Gameplay Catalog:** Complete cross-reference system showing: - Fragment interconnections and mission integration - Success probability calculations - Branching path outcomes - Player progression through game - Design principles for future fragments Each fragment answers "What can I DO with this?" rather than just "What does this tell me?" - making LORE collection functionally valuable, not just completionist. See story_design/lore_fragments/by_gameplay_function/GAMEPLAY_CATALOG.md for complete integration guide and mission design examples.
Break Escape: Cyber-Physical Security Learning Framework
Break Escape is an escape room-inspired games-based learning framework that simulates cyber-physical security challenges. Break Escape creates immersive experiences where learners engage with both physical and digital security mechanisms within narrative-driven scenarios explicitly mapped to the Cyber Security Body of Knowledge (CyBOK). The game is inspired by retro top-down games, dungeon crawlers, escape rooms, and cyber security challenges.
Note: Break Escape is currently in development. Please report any issues or feedback via GitHub.
Live Demo -- Early Beta Playtesting
You can try Break Escape directly from your browser by visiting: https://hacktivity.co.uk/break-escape-beta/scenario_select.html
You’ll choose from scenarios, each offering its own set of puzzles and challenges, ranging from cryptography to physical security.
After playing, please fill out a short survey. Your insights will be instrumental in improving the game and understanding the benefits. https://forms.gle/kiVgNUBSHu2KjcJt8
Features
- Immersive Learning Environment: Top-down 2D game environment accessible through web browsers
- Cyber-Physical Security Challenges: Simulations of various security mechanisms:
- Key-based locks (with physical keys and lockpicking mini-game)
- PIN code systems
- Password-protected interfaces
- Biometric authentication (fingerprints that can be dusted and spoofed)
- Bluetooth proximity detection
- CyberChef Integration: Embedded cryptographic tools for encryption and data analysis
- CyBOK Mapping: Each scenario is explicitly mapped to relevant Cyber Security Body of Knowledge areas
- Multiple Scenarios: Various pre-built scenarios focusing on different security aspects:
- "CEO Exfil Investigation" - Corporate espionage and data exfiltration
- "Captain Meow's Disappearance" - Encoding and cryptography
- "Encoding and Encryption Lab" - Basic cryptographic principles
- "Asymmetric Encryption with RSA" - Public key cryptography
- "Symmetric Encryption with AES" - Block ciphers and encryption modes
- "Biometric Security Breach" - Fingerprint authentication
Technical Implementation
Break Escape is implemented using:
- Phaser.js: Core game engine
- JavaScript/HTML5: Front-end implementation
- JSON: Scenario specification format
Installation
Break Escape is a web-based application and requires a web server to run. You can:
Option 1: Use the hosted version
Visit the live demo at https://hacktivity.co.uk/break-escape-beta/scenario_select.html
Option 2: Use Python's built-in HTTP server
-
Clone the repository:
git clone https://github.com/yourusername/break-escape.git cd break-escape -
Start a local web server:
python3 -m http.server -
Open your web browser and navigate to:
http://localhost:8000
Option 3: Deploy to a web server
- Upload all files to your web server directory
- Access through your domain
Usage
Start Break Escape:
- Open Break Escape in your web browser
- Choose a scenario based on your learning objectives or difficulty preference
Play the game:
- When you start a scenario, you will be given a brief of the scenario.
- You can navigate through the virtual environment using mouse clicks.
- Interact with objects by clicking on them.
- Collect items into your inventory to use later.
- Solve puzzles and progress through rooms to complete the scenario.
After playing, please fill out a short survey. https://forms.gle/kiVgNUBSHu2KjcJt8
Game Controls
- Mouse Click: Move character, interact with objects
- Inventory: Click collected items to use them
- Notes Panel: Access important information you've discovered
- Bluetooth Scanner: Detect nearby Bluetooth devices (when available)
- Biometrics Panel: View collected fingerprint samples (when available)
Scenario Design
Break Escape features a flexible JSON-based scenario specification format that enables educators to create custom scenarios without programming knowledge. The scenario structure includes:
- Rooms with connections, objects, and optional locks
- Objects with properties like takeable, readable, observations, and lock requirements
- Special object types for fingerprint collection, cryptographic analysis, and more
For detailed information on creating your own scenarios, refer to README_scenario_design.md.
License
Break Escape is dual licensed:
- AGPL (GNU Affero General Public License)
- Open Government Licence
Acknowledgements
Break Escape was developed as an educational tool to address the "reflection gap" identified in many existing cyber security games by requiring players to actively apply security knowledge rather than merely encountering security terminology during gameplay.
The project integrates CyberChef, an open-source web application for encryption and data analysis, allowing learners to interact with genuine cryptographic tools within the game environment.
Special thanks to the Cyber Security Body of Knowledge (CyBOK) for providing the knowledge framework that Break Escape scenarios are mapped to.
This project is supported by a Cyber Security Body of Knowledge (CyBOK) resources around CyBOK 1.1 grant (2024-2025).
For questions, contributions, or more information, please open an issue on the project repository.