Read between the lines.
Trace a route. Query DNS. Read a forgotten file. Hundreds of servers hold clues in their services, mail, and configuration.
traceroute / nslookup / finger
Windows · macOS · Linux In development
↓October 1996
Your terminal.
Their secrets.
Somewhere behind a corporate login, there's a file nobody was supposed to leave there. Find your way in. Follow the evidence. Get out before the trace finds you.
Intercepted footage
See what you're getting into.
Inside the desktop. Across the network.
Actual gameplay and the cinematic trailer.
General gameplay mechanicsAlso on Steam ↗
Couldn't load the video. Watch it on Steam ↗
A whole life on disk
Welcome back to the 90s internet.
Desktop windows. Underground forums.
A new modem you can't quite afford.
Know your system
The network is the puzzle.
Real UNIX commands inside a simulated world.
Your curiosity is the most useful tool you have.
Find the weak link.
Match your tools to the target's software. Work through credentials, permissions, and vulnerable services. A stopped daemon means a closed port.
versions / permissions / exploitsWatch your back.
ShadowWatch follows the intrusion. Build relay routes with datapipe, watch the trace, and clean up the logs before you lose your way back in.
relay / transfer / cover your tracks
There is someone on the other end
They have memories.
You'll make an impression.
Talk to characters through IRC and email. Loreguard brings AI dialogue together with character knowledge and persistent memory, so your conversations have a history.
Explore the technology behind the characters ↗Black IceBehind the handles
zeroThe contact who brings you in.
phantomOperational security. Watch your exposure.
razorThe tools behind the intrusion.
cipherSome history stays out of the channel.
Every handle belongs to a person with something to protect.
Readme
Before you connect.
Do I need to know UNIX?
No. The opening introduces the terminal and its commands through your work and the people around you. If you already know UNIX, you'll feel at home.
When can I play?
Netshell is in active development. The demo is being prepared; the full release date has not been announced. Wishlist on Steam and follow the community for availability updates.
Which platforms are supported?
Netshell is being developed for Windows, macOS, and Linux. The AI characters run locally and need an NVIDIA GPU with 6 GB or more of VRAM; with them turned off, the game runs on modest hardware. See the Steam page for current requirements.
Is this a real operating system?
It's a simulated computer and network built for the game. The commands, files, services, and desktop applications interact inside that world.
How does the AI work?
Character dialogue uses Loreguard to draw on character knowledge, the game context, and memory. The single-player campaign is designed for offline play with local AI; online features and peer-to-peer compute are also in development.
NETSHELL ON STEAMView store page ↗
Your next connection
The terminal
is waiting.
Keep a place for Netshell in your library.
We'll see you on the other side.
Windows · macOS · Linux