Hardcoded

About

Hardcoded is a sci-fi dating sim where you play a self-aware droid navigating a chaotic cyberpunk city. After fleeing your corporate creators, you build a life in Pira City, balancing survival tasks like scavenging credits, customizing your look, and upgrading your body. The story revolves around uncovering a corporate conspiracy poisoning the populace, while pursuing relationships with a cast of trans and nonbinary characters. Choices shape both your investigation and personal connections, with adult content integrated into romantic interactions. The game stands out for its explicit representation of trans and queer relationships, paired with a tongue-in-cheek take on cyberpunk tropes. Player decisions influence multiple story paths, and the world blends grindy resource management with dialogue-driven intrigue. Early access feedback from 2023 builds highlighted its bold approach to blending body-positive themes with erotic roleplay, though some noted pacing issues in side quests. With a full release set for late 2024, it offers a niche mix of dating sim mechanics and social critique.

Storyline

In Hardcoded, the player controls a droid, who goes by "Hard Coded" or HC for short, because her factory-made male deadname is "hardcoded" into her and she is not able to change it. HC ran away from her owners and joins the local trans community in Pira City at the beginning of the game. GelCorp, a massive corporation, is infecting everyone with pollution that makes everyone horny, and HC and her friends resolve to solve the mystery.