10X

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          10X (pronounced “10 times”) is a video game inspired by the privacy protection found on Apple iPhones that automatically erases all of its data after 10 failed passcode attempts. The game’s purpose is to raise awareness about how crucial it is to protect and stand by encryption (digital privacy) that allows us to freely and privately store personal information on technological devices without comprising our security. 

          While the topic on encryption has never had any particular attention, things changed on February 16th 2016 when the FBI requested (ordered) Apple to write a piece of software that would allow them to hack the personal iPhone of one of the terrorists responsible of the Bernardino shooting back in December, 2015. Apple CEO Tim Cook opposed the order stating that writing such piece of software could threat the security of Apple’s customers and that its implications would be beyond the legal case. From that point, opinions started to diverge as a lack of information and misunderstanding started to get into the mix. In the verge of the elections later during the year, the Apple vs. FBI case even made its way into politics to further divide the nation. Republican Candidate Donald Trump even proposed a boycott on Apple products until they give the FBI access to the terrorist’s iPhone.

          As a programmer myself who had worked with encryption in the past, I have realized that supporting privacy while at the same be willing to do everything to avoid further terrorist attacks can be difficult. For that reason, I have created a game that simulate the experience of breaking into an iPhone. 10X gives us the option to break into a safe by attempting to open it by typing the right passcode. After 10 unsuccessful attempts, the safe auto-destructs itself and it is game over. The game focuses on giving the player a thinking experience. He or she must think and try everything to open the safe although the player is completely unaware of what really resides inside of it. Although the game’s purpose is to open a safe, the player is given the option to quit the game at any given time. After 5 unsuccessful attempt, the game proposes to help the player. The latter is offered a “hacking” feature that can modify the game by getting rid of the 10-try limitation. The player is specifically warned that such feature could potentially comprise all the other safes in the game. In the end, if the player chooses to unlock the “hacking” feature, the safe unlocks after a few try of any passcode. The player is shown then a picture of a Fawkes mask that represents the famous hacker group Anonymous. 

          At this point, the game makes its point that unlocking such powerful feature means that it is also available to anyone, even the people that you wouldn’t want to have access to it. The player is informed then that the safe has already been emptied. Anonymous wins and the player looses. The player can only win by walking away and resist to the desire of hacking the safe. 

          As pointed by Chimamanda Adiche, when telling a story it is important to reach as many people as possible. 10X tries to do so putting itself in the shoes of people that perhaps do not understand encryption. For the people that do, they will simply walk away and not try to break into the safe. For the others, the game invites them to think and let them find out by themselves that it wasn’t a good idea. This is important to avoid the danger of a “single story” that ultimately will fail to reach everyone.