Anyone can play it
Anyone who has played whack-a-mole knows what to do. Tap or click a threat before it ducks back down, and a first-time player is in the game within seconds.
Whack A Threat: a branded whack-a-mole game
Whack A Threat is a 30-second browser game where players smash cloud threats, dodge the bombs and climb a leaderboard. Every player signs up before they play, so each round gives your team a name, a business email and something to talk about.
- Collects name, business email and three qualifying answers
- Plays in any browser, with nothing to install
- 30-second rounds keep your line moving
The video plays muted. Use the player controls to turn the sound on. Watch on YouTube
A whack-a-mole game built around cloud threats
Whack A Threat takes the classic whack-a-mole idea and swaps the moles for cloud threats. They pop up out of six holes on an underwater, neon-grid sea floor. Players have 30 seconds to smash as many as they can, steer clear of the bombs and climb the leaderboard.
It is a branded game for Sysdig, so the subject matter is the thing the team talks about all day. Each threat is a character named after a real threat-actor campaign, which turns research into something a visitor can play in a minute and remember afterward.
It runs in any web browser on a phone, tablet, kiosk touchscreen or desktop, with nothing to install. It is built to load quickly, even on slow event Wi-Fi.
Meet the threats
Each character is named after a real threat-actor campaign uncovered by Sysdig's Threat Research Team.
- CrystalRayThe cyan manta ray
- EmeraldWhaleThe green whale
- AmberSquidThe orange squid
- RubyCarpThe school of red fish
- PurpleUrchinThe purple sea urchin
- ScarletEelThe red eel
- The bombThe one thing not to hit. It costs 10 points.
Why a whack-a-mole game works at events
A familiar idea, a short round and a built-in sign-up give you a game that draws a crowd and leaves you with people to follow up with.
Bombs reward accuracy
Hitting a bomb costs 10 points, so button-mashing does not win. Players have to spot the threat, act fast and not hit the wrong thing, which is close to how real security work goes.
The leaderboard keeps people competing
Each player's best score goes on the Threat Defenders board. People come back to beat their friends, and after 10 seconds the game resets for the next player so the line keeps moving.
Every round starts with a lead
Players enter their first name, last name and business email, then answer three one-tap questions about their use case, level and project. That is context your team can use to start a conversation.
How Whack A Threat plays in three steps
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Sign up and answer three questions
Tap Play Now on the home screen, enter your name and business email, then answer three one-tap questions. A progress bar shows how far along you are.
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Smash threats for 30 seconds
After a 3-2-1-GO countdown, threats rise out of six holes. Each one you smash scores 5 points, a bomb costs 10, and the pace picks up as the clock runs down.
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Check the leaderboard
Your score goes onto the Threat Defenders board and your row is highlighted. After 10 seconds the game returns to the home screen for the next player.
Planning an event? Put your date in your request so we can plan around it.
Get a quoteRebrand Whack A Threat for your company
The Sysdig version shows how far the branding can go. Your version can carry your own look, characters and message, while the way it plays stays the same.
Your logo and message
Your logo, game title and wording go on the home screen, the sign-up screens and the leaderboard.
Your characters and products
Swap the threats for your mascot, your product range or characters that tell your story, and choose what players should avoid hitting.
Your colors and scene
The Sysdig version uses an underwater neon grid and a lime-green palette. We restyle the scene and colors to match your brand guide.
The sign-up questions can change too. The Sysdig version asks about cloud-native security use case, decision-making level and project status. Tell us what you want to know about your own leads and we'll confirm what's possible.
What changes depends on the design, so describe what you need in your quote request.
Whack A Threat game specs
The settings below are from the Sysdig version. Round length, scoring and the sign-up questions can be discussed for yours.
- Round length
- 30 seconds, after a 3-2-1-GO countdown.
- Controls
- Tap or click a threat before it ducks back down.
- Playing field
- Six holes on an underwater, neon-grid sea floor.
- Threats
- Six characters, each named after a real threat-actor campaign.
- Scoring
- +5 points for each threat smashed. -10 points for a bomb. Your score never drops below 0.
- Difficulty
- Threats appear more often, stay up for less time and show up more at once as the clock runs down.
- Sign-up
- First name, last name and business email. The name appears on the leaderboard.
- Qualifying questions
- Three one-tap questions: cloud-native security use case, level (decision maker or influencer) and whether a project is in play.
- Leaderboard
- Threat Defenders. The top six are shown, each player keeps their best score, and the game resets after 10 seconds.
- Sound
- Sound effects for hits, bombs, the countdown and the final whistle. The clock also pulses and ticks in the last 5 seconds.
- Devices
- Any browser on a phone, tablet, kiosk touchscreen or desktop. Nothing to install.
- Layout and speed
- Portrait layout for phones and kiosk screens. Loads quickly on slow event Wi-Fi.
Where Whack A Threat works best
It suits events where you want a crowd at your stand and a conversation with each person who plays.
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Trade show and conference booths
A 30-second round keeps the line moving, and the leaderboard gives people watching a reason to wait for their turn.
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Kiosk and touchscreen stations
The portrait layout is designed for phones and kiosk screens, so it fits a standing screen at your booth or in a lounge.
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B2B lead generation
Players give a business email and three qualifying answers before they play, which suits campaigns where the quality of the lead matters.
Play Whack A Threat now
Try the same flow your players get: sign up, answer three quick questions, smash threats for 30 seconds and find your name on the leaderboard.
Press play and the game opens on this page.
Tap play and the game opens in a full window, so it fits your screen.
Trouble playing? Open the game in a new tab
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Whack A Threat: your questions answered
What is Whack A Threat?
Whack A Threat is a 30-second arcade game based on whack-a-mole. Cloud threats pop up out of six holes on an underwater sea floor, and players tap or click them before they duck back down. It runs in any phone, tablet, kiosk or desktop browser, with nothing to install.
How does scoring work, and how long is a round?
A round lasts 30 seconds, and about a minute including sign-up. Each threat you smash scores 5 points. Each bomb you hit costs 10 points, though your score never drops below 0. The game speeds up as the clock runs down.
What details does Whack A Threat collect from players?
Players enter their first name, last name and business email, then answer three one-tap questions about their use case, their level and whether they have a project in play. Their name appears on the leaderboard. For your version, tell us what you want to know and how you want entries delivered, and we'll confirm what's possible.
Can I rebrand Whack A Threat for my company?
Yes. We can put your logo, colors and wording on the game and swap the threats for your own characters or products. What changes depends on the design, so describe what you need in your quote request and we'll confirm what's possible.
Get a quote for your branded games
Tell us about your event, your audience and your budget. We'll come back with games that fit.
- Share your event date so we can plan the timeline.
- Give us a budget range and we'll work within it.
- Send your logo when we reply, then approve a proof.