Cheaters Prosper in Screencheat

It’s hard not to snoop on your friend’s screen when you’re playing a little local deathmatch, isn’t it?

It’s hard not to snoop on your friend’s screen when you’re playing a little local deathmatch, isn’t it? Maybe just a little peek to see if he grabbed the rocket launcher? Maybe see if she’s in that little hidey hole you know about? It’s just another smart tactic when you’re playing a shooter, right? Still, doing so is punishable in most gaming circles, and shame on you for doing it. Screen peeking has been a scourge in my house since Goldeneye on the N64, one that has never really gone away since. Still, what if you could help those filthy, filthy cheaters by turning their snooping into a gameplay mechanic? Samurai Punk and Surprise Attack Games have done just that in Screencheat .

Screencheat seems like a typical four-player shooter, but the catch is that each of the players is invisible in the game. You can’t see the other players on the map, so the only way to know where they are is to peek at their screen and look for known rooms and landmarks. The developers have gone out of their way to make the rooms with different bright colors and little touches to help tell each place apart, letting players know where the others are through sinful, delicious screen peeking. The only way to find your enemy is by giving in to this instinct, and it feels pretty good to finally be rewarded with something other than blows to the head for a successful screen peek.

The game is currently in Beta on Steam, and the best part is, getting in on the Beta is free if you sign up on the game’s site! The developers only have a limited amount of codes at any given time, so you’re going to want to hit up their page and apply for one as soon as possible if you want to feel the blissful sensation of knowing that you’re supposed to be looking at your friends’ screens. For those of us who’ve been cheating like this for years, Screencheat just feels like coming home.