escape · shell
node hestia-04 · online

$ learn_the_terminal
by escaping one

A browser-based UNIX escape-room for total beginners. Solve 20 handcrafted missions inside a simulated shell — no setup, no sign-up required, and you can never get permanently stuck.

Start mission 01 →Browse missions
player@hestia-04 — live demo
player@hestia-04:~$

20

missions

5

chapters

6

players

0s

setup

/ features

Production-grade learning, disguised as a heist.

Real terminal feel

Blinking block caret, tab autocomplete, ghost previews, command history, Ctrl+L/U/C shortcuts. xterm vibe, no xterm dependency.

Can't get stuck

Three-tier hints, a solve walker, and contextual `nextstep` command. Every mission is solvable even if you've never seen a shell.

20 handcrafted missions

Five chapters. File systems, logs, permissions, symlinks, grep, forensics — each concept taught inside a story, not a tutorial.

Email-verified accounts

Register with email + username, verify, and every grade syncs. Forgot your password? One-click reset to your inbox.

Scores & leaderboard

Each mission grades S/A/B/C based on time, hints used, and solve reveals. Public board shows the top shells.

Simulated, 100% safe

Everything runs in the browser against a fake filesystem. No real shell, no real hacking, nothing on your machine is touched.

Play as guest

No sign-up required to try. Progress saves locally. Upgrade to an account any time to sync across devices.

Accessibility-first

Reduced-motion toggle, compact-HUD mode, screen-reader friendly terminal, full keyboard navigation, visible focus rings.

Built to expand

Level engine accepts JSON definitions, Prisma-backed progress, Zod validation. Community missions planned for v1.

/ how it works

Four steps from the first key press to verified shell literacy.

  1. ·01

    Open the terminal

    Click Play. Your prompt is waiting on node HESTIA-04 — no install, no sign-up unless you want to sync.

  2. ·02

    Read the mission

    A short briefing tells you the story and the goals. Objectives update live as you work.

  3. ·03

    Type. Learn. Iterate.

    Every command is real UNIX syntax. Tab to complete. Arrow keys for history. Type `hint` if you stall.

  4. ·04

    Climb the board

    Finish, get a grade, move on. Register to bank your scores and appear on the leaderboard.

/ curriculum

5 chapters · 20 missions

Progressive difficulty — gentle at first, forensic by the end. Every new command is introduced in its own mission with a full man page and a solve walker.

ch 01First Breath

3 missions

Open a shell, list files, read, navigate. Dot-files.

ch 02Footprints

5 missions

Permissions, find, cross-file grep, symlinks, scaffolding.

ch 03Breadcrumbs

4 missions

Archives, multi-user perms, renames, typo hunts.

ch 04Evidence Chain

5 missions

Multi-log forensics, cascading perms, needle-in-haystack grep.

ch 05Aftermath

3 missions

Empty server setup, timed bonus, capstone run.

Browse the full mission list →

/ faq

Obvious questions, answered.

Do I need to install anything?+
No. Everything runs in the browser against a fake file system. You never touch a real terminal, real files, or real commands.
What if I've never seen a terminal before?+
That's who this is built for. The first level assumes zero knowledge. Three-tier hints, a solve walker, and a nextstep command mean you can always move forward.
Do I have to register?+
No — you can play as a guest and progress saves in your browser. Register to sync across devices, appear on the leaderboard, and get your grades on file.
Why does it ask me to verify my email?+
To keep the leaderboard clean (one account per real inbox) and so password reset actually works. Verification takes one click.
Is any of this real hacking?+
No. It's a simulator designed to teach UNIX fundamentals through a story. Every command is safely simulated in-browser.
Can I contribute a mission?+
Community levels are planned for v1. The engine already accepts JSON mission definitions with Zod validation.

The door is open.

Twenty missions. Zero setup. Your first UNIX command is one click away.

Enter the shell →