300 baud

       _..._
     .~(|||)~.
    ((//'~`\\))
    (!       !)
    (. O   O .)
     !   L   !
      \  -  /
      !\._./!
     /       \
_.-~'         `~-._
'                  `

IN$IDE J0B

CORPORATE DEFECTOR

CRACK ████████░░

PHREAK █████░░░░░

Former sysadmin. Knows where the bodies are buried. Starts with inside knowledge of C0rpNet topology.

        _._
       (\!/)
     (((|||)))
    ((//'~`\\))
   ((!_______!))
   (((  /-\  )))
    ))`' w `'((
    ( \ ·-· / )
      !`._.'!
     /.     .\
_.-~'  `. .'  `~-._
'         V        `

PH3DUP

PHONE PHREAK

CRACK █████░░░░░

PHREAK ████████░░

Grew up on a modem and a dream. Turns line trace events into tactical advantages. The quiet type.

       _.---._
     .(((|||))).
    (((//'~`\\)))
    ))! `   ' !((
   (((. o   o .)))
   i)))   v   (((i
  ((((!   -   !))))
   ))))       ((((
  ((((/`~---~'\))))
 _i))))  \ /  ((((i_
'((((( `-...-' )))))`

KR1BN NBRS

BLACK HAT

CRACK ██████░░░░

PHREAK ██████░░░░

No affiliations. No allegiances. Balanced loadout, extra ascension perks, maximum chaos potential.

        _._
      .'...`.
     {·~'!`~·}
     i`-----'i
     !_______!
    (\__/-\__/)
     /   c   \
     \  )-(  /
      !.___.!
     /.     .\
_.-~'  `. .'  `~-._
'  \      V      / `

M0MS BA$EMENT

SCRIPT KIDDIE

CRACK ██████░░░░

PHREAK ████░░░░░░

Underestimated. Unlockable via ascension. Has more free time than all of them. Surprisingly dangerous.

300 Baud is a hacking roguelite for any ANSI terminal. Inspired by the aesthetics of late-80s phreaking culture, wargames, and the tactile menace of a 300-baud modem negotiating a handshake at 2 AM.

Each run drops you into a procedurally-generated network. Navigate three sectors of escalating resistance: Dialup, C0rpNet, TheC0re. Every node you hit is a combat encounter. Every combat encounter is a dice-allocation puzzle under time pressure. Fail to crack a box before the line trace closes — and it's game over.

No graphics. No music. Just ANSI color, CP437 box-drawing characters, and the sound of a carrier tone that knows you're there.

Dice Allocation Combat

Roll, then place. Crack dice must meet targets to breach; Phreak dice cover social-engineering boxes. Any-type dice flex into either slot. Short-circuits and virus infect your loadout mid-fight.

Roguelite Ascension

Each run you ascend one level. Enemies get harder, scanners get smarter, and the Line Trace accelerates. Win 20 times with a character to mark them complete. No run is the same.

Three-Sector Progression

D1@lup unlocks at asc 0. C0rpNet opens at asc 7. TheC0re — hardest sector, D10 enemies — at asc 13. The Line Trace carries between sectors at half power.

Port Scanner Evasion

A patrol bot sweeps the top of every map. Lazy scanners charge a turn before firing; the Intelligent Probe hunts your column with no warning. Frozen turns let the Trace advance.

Merchant Economy

Spend credits to swap dice, unlock locked slots, repair virus-damaged dice, or stock up on Diversions. Free dice per visit vary by character — In$ide J0b gets warez; M0ms Ba$ement gets nothing.

Map Fog of War

Each character sees a different number of map layers ahead — 3 to 10. Nodes beyond your sight range are hidden. At asc 5+ a percentage of nodes show only [*] until you step on them.

Embedded Assets

All text and ANSI art is baked into the binary. No external data files. Download, run, play. Works in iTerm2, Windows Terminal, any SSH client, or any ANSI-capable terminal emulator.

00:00:01 [SYS] Run begins. Six dice. Six slots. Allocate to Crack and Phreak boxes.

00:00:04 [DICE] AutoAllocate assigns dice by box size — D1 first, then D2, then D4.

00:00:09 [ALERT] Short-circuit event: one slot disabled. Crack D2 box now underfilled.

00:00:12 [CRACK] Node bypassed. Line trace holds at 03. Sector advance authorized.

00:00:31 [VIRUS] Enemy carried a payload. M@lfunction loaded into dice pool.

00:01:17 [TRACE] Line trace: 07. Three more failures and they lock your node.

00:03:44 [BOSS] C0rpNet mainframe cracked. Ascending to TheC0re. No guarantees.

00:07:12 [SYS] Ascension 17 unlocked. New character available. The basement calls.