LeechWire 2003

LeechWire 2003 is an idle game set inside an early-2000s file-sharing program. The modem screams when it connects, every download takes forever, and the internet is full of pop-ups that want something from you.

You start with a 56k modem and a stack of floppy disks. You download ringtones, funny videos and albums from LeechNet, and every finished file goes into your shared folder, where it earns credits for as long as it seeds. Credits buy a faster connection, a bigger disk and eventually an AdBlocker. Bigger files pay more, so much of the game is deciding what to keep and what to delete.

The pop-ups are the problem. Fake virus warnings, prize banners and miracle toolbars open while you download, and each one takes a piece of your bandwidth. Close them with the small x in the corner. The big button in the middle only opens more of them. Every now and then a whole cascade of error windows lands at once.

On LeechMessenger, five friends ask you for music, movies, anime and games. Send them what they want and they pay you back in credits and friendship. Once you are friends they start chatting, and the replies you pick matter. Earn their trust and they send you blurry webcam photos. Get close enough and one of them might become your girlfriend, as long as she never finds out where Home_Work.mp4 went.

When a run slows down, you can format your hard drive. You lose your files and upgrades, but you earn Elite Uploader points for permanent perks. Your internet provider notices, though, and every level on its watchlist brings more pop-ups and higher prices.

The game includes Steam Cloud saves.