--- title: "Announcing Hack ‘n’ Slash: It’s real, and it has algorithms" date: 2013-12-10T13:39:00-08:00 author: Chris Remo canonical_url: "https://www.doublefine.com/news/announcing-hack-n-slash-its-real-and-it-has-algorithms" section: News --- # Announcing Hack ‘n’ Slash: It’s real, and it has algorithms December 10th 2013 `—-TRACE BEGIN—-

> CONNECT host:www.hacknslashthegame.com port:80

> SEND ApplicationData

>> GET /download/hacknslashannouncement.txt HTTP/1.1

>> Host: hacknslashthegame.com

>>

HTTP/1.1 200 OK

Server: Apache/2.2.15 (CentOS)

Connection: close

Content-Type: application/octet-stream



DOUBLE FINE ANNOUNCES PUZZLE ACTION GAME HACK ’N’ SLASH

Former Amnesia Fortnight Prototype to Launch in First Half 2014, Supported by Indie Fund and friends of Double Fine



SAN FRANCISCO–December 10, 2013–Double Fine Productions today announced that Hack ‘n’ Slash, a hacking themed puzzle action game for Windows, Mac, and Linux, will release in the first half of 2014. A version of the game debuted during Double Fine’s Amnesia Fortnight 2012 internal game jam. It was selected by the gaming public to be turned into a two-week prototype, after garnering more votes than any other Amnesia Fortnight pitch.



In Hack ‘n’ Slash, a young elf uses her computer hacking skills to cheat her way through a classic action/adventure game. The game was funded by Indie Fund, Humble Bundle, Hemisphere Games, make all, AppAbove Games, Adam Saltsman, The Behemoth, Morgan Webb, and Rob Reid as part of a two-game deal that also includes Spacebase DF-9, which released in Early Access Alpha and recouped its investment within two weeks.



“I’ve always loved games with lots of secrets in them,” said Hack ‘n’ Slash project lead Brandon Dillon, “and when I first discovered a hex editor in an emulator, it dawned on me that I could be a kind of digital treasure hunter—no game could keep even its deepest secrets from me if I adventured long enough in its code and memory.”



By subverting old-school gaming tropes with unique hacking mechanics, Hack ‘n’ Slash allows non-programmer players to experience that same sense of mystery and discovery.



“Look, I’m going to be honest with you here: I don’t really understand what’s going on inside this game’s code,” said Double Fine president and CEO Tim Schafer, who claims to possess a degree in computer science. “I believe it contains ‘algorithms.’ But I know what’s going on inside my heart when I play it. And that is joy.”



“We’re psyched to be helping with Hack’n'Slash because Amnesia Fortnight projects are about empowering individual creators,” said Indie Fund partner Ron Carmel, who definitely possesses a degree in computer science. “And I can confirm that this game’s code does contain algorithms.”



Hack ‘n’ Slash will be released for Windows, Mac, and Linux on Steam and DRM-free in the first half of 2014. It will include algorithms.



> CONNECT host:hacknslashthegame.com port:443

> SEND ClientHello suites:TLS_RSA_WITH_AES_256_CBC_SHA certs:x509 random:xIl3HWupPdsvwY94XV3UHtW04aE/wT4X8p7FmdSxW5w=

RECV ServerHello random:Up2+Rmzxa4CFywMpfAMCBn7wJHaiBnwEGslWPq4QaTQ=

RECV Certificate [verified]

RECV ServerHelloDone

> SEND ClientKeyExchange premaster:AwKV0UmxkA/iXZ4Y4NDn0P1Ju/m6GNL10FR7PuJae/83Ghy3Eo+6qDiJwQsNzjyB

... [encrypting provided premaster]

> ENCRYPT

... [computing master key]

... [sending ChangeCypherSpec]

> VERIFY

... [computing verify_data:Tcz7sewhNdF70Xmd]

... [sending Finished]

>SEND ApplicationData

>> ******************************************

>> ***************************

>>

... [sending ApplicationData encrypted_payload:9Uxik4wGjQEoga0gznSZM7H+x4gnbdG9iqVwCOucgvE=]

... [sending ApplicationData encrypted_payload:Z41sWWPE2pPTxXnfbb/ju+g9NGrE/7gMltSvCW2J5aLCjH0R5k8E1iHJydJ1OuguAyZqKPlUDOxVZ6I1dnIJkPBXre5y2wcZU5misdX8Hk+exdqsbpjeDRwQKxwxcOTm]

wqbzvEF9EWuIshMxNfrvhg75TbHD5/WY4dA8m73GW6kX6S7lszdMKCKr3QWz0/2EAwdkU51tyAqEMB1DR87/9PnAXnECqvbVZLWL8MBNgcyd4ri+YzRDF/R+XbJ3qXbRIfuaiJGqjB8AQSYTHdmBIqdcamc6404t5cw0Gx7oRyYmudXx4CZ1D2fpD801jKNOm/Zv0saw3XwF7j0gPvvKZBWmUzwGc9L8PNFkKzsliozmBUxyE3hdRu0L7G5fqviPejgjau3VBC3LI64nvNz8yQ27yoZKpaqAlAV69tnPkwqTGeXgFM6ev4w6CTFUYPHucogo5OJ3V0G0n69k8+aljaeeNTuVzmRML9bHJdzVB4s252NF2PrgPlzGQIgbih7P4unwshrtCLeg8zLF0AApCA==

—-TRACE END—-` --- ## Tags [hack n slash](https://www.doublefine.com/search/tag/hack-n-slash) --- ## Associated games [Hack 'n' Slash](https://www.doublefine.com/games/hack-n-slash "Hack 'n' Slash") --- ## Related news [Hack ‘n’ Slash now 1.0 and Extra Hackable! September 9th 2014 ](https://www.doublefine.com/news/hack-n-slash-now-1-0-and-extra-hackable) [Hack ‘n’ Slash now on Steam Early Access! May 6th 2014 ](https://www.doublefine.com/news/hack-n-slash-now-on-steam-early-access) [New Hack N Slash Website launched! March 24th 2014 ](https://www.doublefine.com/news/new-hack-n-slash-website-launched)