· Adventure · Original
Password Fortress: free cybersecurity game to learn strong passwords
Hackers are knocking. Build passwords and settings strong enough to hold the gate, wave after wave.
What is Password Fortress?
Hackers attack in ten waves: brute force, leaked passwords, fake login pages, SIM swaps. Pick the strongest password or the setting that holds the gate, and learn why it works.
Password Fortress is a free cybersecurity game. Hackers attack your fortress in ten waves, and each wave names a real attack: password guessing, brute force, credential stuffing with leaked passwords, fake login pages, a caller asking for your code, a SIM swap. Pick the strongest password or the setting that stops it before the clock runs out.
Password waves reveal how long each option would hold against a fast offline attack, from "instantly" to "centuries". Defence waves explain why two-step verification, unique passwords, passkeys, updates and encryption work.
At a glance
- Category
- Adventure
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Play time
- 2–3 min
- Price
- Free, in your browser, sign-up optional
How to play
- Read the attack
- Each wave names the attack: guessing, brute force, credential stuffing, phishing, social engineering…
- Hold the gate
- Pick the strongest password, or the setting that stops that attack.
- Beat the clock
- 16 seconds for the first wave, a little less each time. A wrong pick or a timeout costs a life.
- Learn
- Every wave explains the defence; password waves show how long each option would last.
Strategy and tips
- Length wins
- A long passphrase of random words beats a short password full of symbols.
- One site, one password
- Leaked passwords get tried everywhere. A password manager keeps them unique.
- Turn on two-step
- An authenticator app or passkey stops most account takeovers, even with a stolen password.
- Never share a code
- Banks never ask for a one-time code. The caller asking for it is the attacker.
- A padlock isn't proof
- Fake sites have padlocks too. Check the domain, or let a password manager do it.
Why play Password Fortress?
Most hacks don't need genius: they reuse leaked passwords, guess weak ones or trick people into sharing codes. A handful of habits blocks almost all of them, and a quick game makes them stick.
Frequently asked questions
Is Password Fortress free?
Yes. It is free and runs in your browser, with no download. Signing up is optional.
Are the crack times exact?
No. They're rough orders of magnitude for a fast offline attack, meant to show the gap between options.
What's a passkey?
A login that uses your device (fingerprint, face or PIN) instead of a password. It can't be phished or reused.
Do I need to type real passwords?
No. You only pick between examples; nothing you do in the game is stored.