World

The World page is a compilation of the worldbuilding aspects of MINDHACK; as the game continues to develop, separate pages may be created and linked from this page, depending on how large the documentation goes.

General worldbuilding

Through the events of Chapter 5 it is revealed that the world of the game is not set on Earth, but on a different habitable planet.

The planet is inhabited by many different species, like sea creatures and humanoid animals, all of which are treated like "humans". Additionally, it is unknown if the gray-skinned humanoids that closely resemble humans (such as the HOTFIX team members) are actually the same as Earth's humans.

Many factors - but mainly various developer commentary - hint at the game's world being a dystopia. First of all, the world was inspired by old science fiction stories, such as 1984. The public order was said to be in a bad state as well, and this can be further inferred from the protagonist meeting various criminals of different backgrounds.

Personalities and BUGs

In the world of MINDHACK, research confirmed that people's souls have systematic structures and can be laid out in code akin to computer programs. There exists a societal belief that one's code cannot be altered, thus a person's destiny, such as whether they will become 'an evildoer', is predetermined at birth.

Continuing with the theme of programming, the most peculiar element of worldbuilding has to be the existence of BUGs. They are described as "errors inside the personality" and can seemingly take root after traumatic events. If a BUG is not treated, it can manifest and cause a freeze, killing the BUG-bearer and inflicting great damage to the surrounding area. It is impossible to tell a BUG-bearer apart from a normal person, which is why BUGs are seen as a great danger to society.

BUGs can be categorized based on the level of danger they would pose in the event of their manifestation. So far, some known classifications of BUGs are:

• Class 1 Critical-level: as described by FORMAT in Chapter 1, a volatile type of BUG that leads to mass destruction if left unchecked. The reformation target seen in the beginning of the game is a holder of such a BUG, which damages the interior of the Debug Room and kills a HOTFIX guard upon manifesting. Captain Rebecca was able to subdue this BUG by slashing the holder’s throat, killing them instantly. A similar method is used by COM_Z in Noetic Zoetic, when they beheaded SINO to stop the variant from spreading their destruction further. While still dangerous, the extent of their destruction seems to be exclusive to the area in which they manifest, making them only less dangerous than a Class 0 BUG.
• Class 0 Catastrophe-level: described in numerous documents in Chapter 3, Class 0 BUGs are the single most dangerous class of BUG there is. While currently only one known Class 0 BUG exists, colloquially dubbed the “FATAL ERROR”, the events theorized to follow in its manifestation are said to be so destructive it would instantly bring about the end of the world. In Chapter 4, Captain states the sheer destructive energy exuded by this BUG upon manifesting would be so powerful, it would warp reality and permanently freeze time across the globe.
• Variant: Another known classification of BUG is what’s referred to as a BUG variant (バグ変異体, bagu hen'itai). Typically, upon manifesting in a holder, BUGs destroy their owners bodies and cause them to lose their sense of self. However, in extremely rare instances, some BUG owners are able to continue existing as themselves after a manifestation, retaining their personality and memories and their original bodies somewhat. SINO is one such case of this occurrence, fueled by a strong desire to torture and maim any humans they happened across as a variant due to their pre-existing contempt for humanity. Class 0 BUGs have also been known to cause the existence of variants, with a temporary manifestation of the FATAL ERROR resulting in SINO’s transformation during the sweep operation.
  • Interestingly enough, although Hugo does not have what can be easily ascertained as a BUG, his continued survival driven by memories of his past bares similarities to SINO's extended lifespan upon becoming a variant.

Mindhacking

Mindhacking is a technology exclusive to the game's world. It is seen as therapy that allows quick and effective removal of BUGs for the toughest of criminals. It involves directly interacting with a person's source code and rewriting the malignant parts into something else.

Although not stated in game, one of the reasons why the technology is so revered by the public is the fact that other forms of therapy are either ineffective or lethal - like burn therapy or shock therapy. This is why Mindhacking is primarily viewed as a good development, even though it has its downsides. The biggest downsides is that the technology is still new and requires trained specialists, called Mindhackers, to perform it. While generally being perceived as a positive development, Mindhacking is a controversial practice in broad society. One extra file states that numerous scholars and scientists feel the practice to be immoral and violating, claiming “There are more people who’ve had their minds destroyed by Mindhacking than there are those who have been reformed.” The most acclaimed Mindhacking facility has also dealt with intruders and attempted attacks on it before, on one instance having to dispose of a bomb.

Mindhackers

For information about the game's protagonist, see Doctor.

Mindhackers are those who wield the Mindhack technology. The easiest way to become a Mindhacker is to participate in the Kids Mindhacking Championship, as training to be one since childhood is more effective and puts you at better odds against other participants. Children who excel at the championship are then selected as Mindhackers to serve in the facilities all around the world. Each facility has one Mindhacker in it.

One complaint from a staff member of The Mindhack Conference talks in great detail about the nature of Mindhackers. While the credibility of this account is unclear, it potentially reveals a lot about Mindhackers from an outsider's perspective.

The person describes Mindhackers as acting like adults since childhood: seeming clever and always looking coldly at others. At the same time, they don't grow out of childlike traits when they get older: for example, they retain their youthful curiosity and fondness for playing pranks. In the staff member's opinion, child and adult Mindhackers are "the same".

Additionally, according to them, all Mindhackers struggle with everyday tasks, such as turning in reports or documents on time, with the facility staff nudging them to do their work diligently. They don't like attending social gatherings, like the aforementioned Mindhack Conference, seeing this as too bothersome; although they can get along with other Mindhackers.

Mindhackers have low empathy, which is useful for their profession as they have to directly interact with other people's minds; but this makes social interaction with them difficult. Moreover, they rarely show their feelings and are hard to read.

While the complaint could have been written with a negative bias, the information in it tracks with how Doctor, the main protagonist of the story, acts and also with the reality of young Mindhackers being separated from the rest of the world after being taken to Mindhacking facilities. As they never participate in the wider society, they don't learn the same set of social behaviors most people do and grow up emotionally stunted.

Mindhacking Facilities

Mindhacking facilities are special institutions for rehabilitation of the toughest of criminals deemed to be BUG owners.

Criminals, caught by the police and determined to have a BUG through scanning, are brought there labeled as reformation targets (更生対象, kōsei taishō). They then spend some time in solitary cells before being escorted into the debug room to receive a hack.

For more information about the facility seen in the game, see Mindhacking facility.

HOTFIX

For more information, see HOTFIX.

HOTFIX is the special security force employed in Mindhacking facilities. Its main objective is to protect the Mindhacker who directly confronts reformation targets.

Bloody Paella

For more information, see Bloody Paella.

Bloody Paella is a street gang made up of sea creatures. Its members are hoodlum youths who commit mild crimes such as gambling, drug trafficking or motorcycle runaways. The gang is notable for its boss, Unid, who appears in game as a reformation target.

Death Bouillon

Death Bouillon is a rival to Bloody Paella, not mentioned in the game and only featured in the spin-off series. As the name suggests, the members of this organization are associated with bouillon in one way or another.

LAGOM

For more information, see LAGOM.

LAGOM is a cult organization worshipping a god of storage by the same name. Its notable for one of its former members, Ivrig, who appears in game as a reformation target.