A 90s-Style Puzzle Hunt Returns with GitHub Twists
.Tech Domains has launched Break The Code 2, the sequel to its 2020 developer community challenge. Backed again by GitHub Education, this year's edition drops players into a Windows 98-themed virtual environment set in 1999, complete with a full retro OS interface and a new set of puzzles designed around Git and GitHub workflows.
The original Break The Code brought together more than 100,000 tech enthusiasts in 2020, offering over $15,000 in prizes alongside a mix of ciphers and code-breaking challenges. The new version scales that concept into a structured campaign: players work through 11 missions spread across four chapters. Each chapter introduces its own set of ciphers and rewards unique prizes.
More Than Just Decoding
Besides the puzzle-solving itself, Break The Code 2 leans heavily into developer tooling as part of the gameplay. Participants can use GitHub repositories and Git commands to unlock bonus content, including in-game wallpapers and leaderboard advantages. GitHub Education has also seeded the experience with hidden easter eggs, cheat codes, and additional enigmas for players who dig beneath the surface.
The competition is live now and runs through April 15. For those who get stuck along the way, GitHub Education is hosting a Community Cooperative Secret Solving Livestream on April 1, where ciphers will be tackled together in real time.
