From the lab

Background

Capture the Flag (CTF) is a popular way to educate and encourage developers to test their skills in cyber security. The challenge is to find hidden “flags”, or text strings, in programs or on websites.

During the Prototyp Week, Katja and Timmy chose to explore how they could create their own web-based CTF game for their colleagues. They initially relied upon existing templates, but soon realized that they wanted more control over their different puzzles, creating a unique narrative for the challenge. They chose to build their own world, inspired by internet lore and horror movie aesthetics.

The Process & Challenges

A large part of the research process was conducted prior to the hackathon, so Katja and Timmy could hit the ground running by writing code. The toolbox mainly consisted of software that could enable a more efficient process. They created to do-lists with “must-haves” and “nice-to-haves” in Notion, and started a board in Linear that was connected to Github so they could keep track of all the different elements and story branches of the game. A flowchart enabled them to work on different puzzles simultaneously on their own.

The biggest challenge was to craft a strong story. They hired a writer for this purpose, but she couldn’t make it to the hackathon. The developers had to rely on their own imagination, and found inspiration from books, movies, games and internet memes. They were free to explore and nurture their own creativity and playfulness to produce new clues and puzzles.

Results & Key Takeaways

The time limit made Dead but Dreaming simple and minimalistic, which in retrospect is regarded as a strength by the team. There was also a sense of relief in not having to submit to established conventions regarding aesthetics or commercialization.

Mixing text, images, animations and music in the same project proved to be both challenging and interesting. The experience could prove useful for more complex client projects in the future.

Future Actions

The story ends with a shopping list for components needed to build a hardware product. In there, another CTF will be hidden, intended as a starting point for the next chapter in the evolution of the game. To be continued.

Play the game in it's current state: https://deadbutdreaming.web.app/