A fast-paced, cyber security themed whack-a-mole game built with Python and Pygame. Defeat hackers, avoid phishing traps, collect power-ups, and climb the leaderboard.
git clone https://github.com/commputethis/Whack-a-Hacker.git
cd whack-a-hacker
python3 main.py- Diverse Enemy Types: Regular hackers, APT threats, social engineers, powerful boss hackers, and phishing emails
- Power-Ups: Freeze time, double points, add time to the clock, and slow motion
- Boss Battles: Boss hackers appear every ~30 seconds and require 3 hits to defeat
- Combo System: Chain consecutive hits for bonus points starting at 3 hits in a row
- Procedural Assets: All sprites and sound effects are generated in code — no external files required
- Persistent Leaderboard: Tracks high scores with stats like accuracy and bosses defeated
- Customizable Themes: Easy to re-theme by changing image paths, colors, and text
- Mouse Support: Click to whack with a custom hammer cursor that animates on click
- Installation Guide — Setup instructions for Linux, Windows, and macOS
- Controls & Gamepad — Keyboard controls and DIY hardware gamepad build
- Customization — Themes, custom sprites, and configuration
- Troubleshooting — Common issues and solutions
- Building from Source — Build your own AppImage and development tools
| Enemy | Base Points | Hits Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hacker | +2 | 1 | Standard threat |
| APT | +3 | 1 | Faster spawn/despawn |
| Social Engineer | +3 | 1 | Looks like friendly |
| Phishing Email | +2 | 1 | Block the attack |
| Boss Hacker | +8 | 3 | Spawns every ~30 seconds |
| Target | Penalty | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Shield | -1 | Don't hit defenses! |
| IT Admin | -1 | Protect your allies |
| Lock | -1 | Security is friend, not food |
| Combo Level | Bonus Multiplier | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| x3+ | +1 points per hit | Resets after miss or whacking a friendly |
- Freeze (❄️): Freezes all active moles for 3 seconds
- Double Points (2X): Doubles all points for 5 seconds
- Time Bonus (+5s): Adds 5 seconds to the game clock
- Slow Motion (🐌): Moles stay visible 50% longer for 4 seconds
- Game starts with 2 simultaneous moles max
- Every 15 seconds, spawn rate increases and max active moles increases
- Moles appear for shorter durations as difficulty ramps up
- Boss hackers appear at 25 seconds, then every 30 seconds
High scores are saved to ~/.local/share/whack-a-hacker/leaderboard.json on your system. The leaderboard tracks:
- Score
- Player name
- Maximum combo achieved
- Accuracy percentage
- Bosses defeated
- Date of achievement
- MIT License — See LICENSE for details.
- Built with Pygame
- Sound effects generated using mathematical waveforms
- Sprites generated procedurally using Pygame drawing functions