The Password Game is an unhinged uphill battle against rules

Is it secure enough?

Last night, I clicked on a link I saw floating around social media for something called The Password Game. It seemed a little neat; make a secure password against an ever-increasing set of rules. What I thought would be a momentary distraction ended up with me, and my Discord call, furiously searching Google and calculating math to try and outsmart an expanding, seemingly malicious ruleset. Our password, ultimately, failed.

The Password Game is a new overnight web game sensation from developer Neal Agarwal. They’ve made a number of fun, unique games with quirky problems to solve, like Absurd Trolley Problems. With The Password Game, it starts simple: make a password.

Of course, good web games are never so simple. Gradually, Agarwal introduces rules. Rules that, as they describe it, “ensure [they] will never see the pearly gates.”

The password game is out now! Good luck 👹

> https://t.co/kXhmbHqYTK pic.twitter.com/d6lbnfHrbx

— Neal Agarwal (@nealagarwal) June 27, 2023

Rules, rules, rules

I don’t really want to spoil any of the big rule surprises for you, as that’s a big part of the fun: discovering what The Password Game will throw at you. It was actually a joy to do this in a Discord call, and I highly, highly recommend doing the same if you can. Making The Password Game a social situation is great, not just because you can all collaborate, but you can share in the confusion. (My one hint? Maybe grab a Periodic Table of Elements.)

Either way, go in sight unseen and just see how far you go. Maybe even share your first-time experiences here? I’m fascinated to see how far people get. Apparently, some folks are even beating it. I don’t know if I can fully figure that out, but part of me—a deep-seated, unwell aspect of myself—does want to try. At the very least, I can end up with a very, very secure password.

Try your hand at The Password Game here.