cybersecurity and biomedical research
Table Top
Exercises
This year at DEF CON 33, the Biohacking Village is leveling up with three immersive tabletop experiences that blend cybersecurity, public health, and real-time decision-making. These aren’t your typical board games, they are high-stakes simulations where every choice you make could mean survival or system collapse.
Featured Simulations:
🗓️Friday, August 8th 1000 - 1800 PDT
🗓️Saturday, August 9th 1000 - 1200 and 1500 - 1800 PDT
📍Biohacking Village Device Lab
Developed by the team at Rochester Institute of Technology’s School of Interactive Games and Media, these two fast-paced, card-based simulations pit defenders and attackers in high-stakes scenarios.
Ready to jump in?
Scroll down to explore each of the tabletop challenges available at Biohacking Village during DEF CON 33. Learn what to expect, discover your role, and choose the scenario that calls you.
accessDenied:
A Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Card Game
Step Into the Scenario. Deal the Consequences.
Welcome to accessDenied, a high-stakes, hands-on tabletop experience where you're not just playing cards… you're protecting critical infrastructure. Imagine trying to secure your facilities, water, power, communication, while your so-called “allies” across the table spot every vulnerability you missed. And you? You're doing the same to them. In this game, you'll simulate cyber attacks, defend your systems, and learn how breaches ripple through networks, all through fast-paced, strategic play based on real-world incidents like the Maroochy Water hack and the Kyiv power grid attack.
🔍 Who Should Play?
-
Newcomers curious about cybersecurity
-
Security pros who like strategy games
-
Engineers, students, and defenders looking to sharpen their threat modeling skills
-
DEF CON attendees who want a break from screens and a seat at the table
🎯 What You’ll Learn
-
How attacks link to defenses
-
Why mitigation doesn’t always come fast enough
-
How weak points in one system compromise others
-
What “lateral movement” actually looks like
🧠 More Than a Game
accessDenied isn't just for fun, it’s designed to educate non-cybersecurity players and create smarter conversations about digital threats to critical infrastructure. Whether you're a hacker, a healthcare nerd, or just want to try something new, this tabletop challenge belongs in your DEF CON lineup.
Sector Down is a high-stakes, immersive multiplayer card game where critical infrastructure and cybersecurity collide. Designed for teams of 5, 10, 15, or 20 players, this simulation pits defenders and attackers against each other in a race against the inevitable: The Doom Clock.
🛡️Defend or Disrupt
Players are divided into two sides:
-
Blue Team – Critical infrastructure defenders. Each Blue player manages a sector with three vital facilities: Physical, Network, and Financial. Their mission? Keep the systems alive and online while working together to run out the clock.
-
Red Team – Offensive disruptors. Red players attempt to take down facilities using calculated cyberattacks and chaos tactics. Their goal: force sector collapses and trigger the Doom Clock.
⏱️ Time-Based Tactics
The game progresses in strategic phases where players draw cards, take action using worker tokens, and discard based on hand limits. Watch out for unpredictable “White Plays”—random game events that add surprise twists every few rounds.
🔥 The Doom Clock
When half of all sectors or any core sectors go down, the Doom Clock starts ticking. Teams must respond fast: Blue must recover systems before the countdown hits zero, or Red claims victory.
🤝 Team Dynamics
-
Worker Sharing: Blue teammates can lend each other resources in bonus phases.
-
Overtime Mechanics: When the pressure’s on, Blue players can double down on effort—with the tradeoff of worker exhaustion in future turns.
🎮 Why You Should Play
-
Dive into a realistic cybersecurity crisis.
-
Learn how interdependent systems behave under attack.
-
Collaborate and compete with hackers, healthcare defenders, and critical infrastructure enthusiasts.
-
Engage with a visually rich map interface and fast-paced card dynamics.
Whether you're a strategist, a chaos agent, or just love competitive simulation, Sector Down challenges your mind and your teamwork. Can your team hold the line or will your sector go dark? Come play during DEF CON 33.