Packet Panic
> Design a LAN. Watch packets route. Survive the traffic.
Packet Panic is a real-time network-design simulation. You lay down routers, access points, and cables, then watch packets route through your topology under growing demand. When a queue fills it drops — so your job is to re-architect before the network collapses.
The sim leans on real networking behaviour: weighted shortest-path routing, topology-change recomputation, congestion-by-drop, failover as a routing event. Tiered components (Wi-Fi 5 / Cat5e / home router in this build) give each piece of gear a distinct degradation profile, not just bigger numbers.
Tension comes from demand, not from dishonest simulation: traffic scales, priorities mix, and the uplink is the only exit.
Every packet is a signal trying to reach the uplink. You don't control the signals themselves — you shape the network they travel through. Congestion, drops, and failover are all signals losing their way; the game is won or lost on whether your topology lets each one get through.
You're designing a local area network under pressure. Pick a component from the left-side inventory, click the map to place it, then connect nodes to route traffic toward the uplink. As demand scales, queues fill — if they overflow, packets drop. Your job is to re-architect before the network collapses: add capacity, lay faster links, or reshape the topology to relieve pressure. Between rounds, a draft deck offers new nodes and cables — pick what your network needs next. Deliver enough packets to hit the level target and you win; drop too many and the run ends.
- Left-click — select inventory item, then click map to place; click a node/link to inspect
- Drag between nodes — lay a link
- Hover — packet path, queue depth, link stats
- Space — pause / resume (time-control panel)
- 1 / 2 — playback speed
- Del — delete selected node or link
- Esc — cancel placement / back to level select
- H — reopen the in-game how-to-play overlay
The middle mouse button can be used to pan the screen. However, this does not work reliably on web.
Long description
Packet Panic is a real-time network-design simulation. You lay down routers, access points, and cables, then watch packets route through your topology under growing demand. When a queue fills it drops — so your job is to re-architect before the network collapses.
The sim leans on real networking behaviour: weighted shortest-path routing, topology-change recomputation, congestion-by-drop, failover as a routing event. Tiered components (Wi-Fi 5 / Cat5e / home router in this build) give each piece of gear a distinct degradation profile, not just bigger numbers.
Tension comes from demand, not from dishonest simulation: traffic scales, priorities mix, and the uplink is the only exit.
Theme interpretation — SIGNAL
Every packet is a signal trying to reach the uplink. You don't control the signals themselves — you shape the network they travel through. Congestion, drops, and failover are all signals losing their way; the game is won or lost on whether your topology lets each one get through.
How to play
You're designing a local area network under pressure. Pick a component from the left-side inventory, click the map to place it, then connect nodes to route traffic toward the uplink. As demand scales, queues fill — if they overflow, packets drop. Your job is to re-architect before the network collapses: add capacity, lay faster links, or reshape the topology to relieve pressure. Between rounds, a draft deck offers new nodes and cables — pick what your network needs next. Deliver enough packets to hit the level target and you win; drop too many and the run ends.
Controls
- Left-click — select inventory item, then click map to place; click a node/link to inspect
- Drag between nodes — lay a link
- Hover — packet path, queue depth, link stats
- Space — pause / resume (time-control panel)
- 1 / 2 — playback speed
- Del — delete selected node or link
- Esc — cancel placement / back to level select
- H — reopen the in-game how-to-play overlay
The middle mouse button can be used to pan the screen. However, this does not work reliably on web.
Comments13
4farandbeyond21 Apr 2026, 05:02
This is a fun optimization puzzle. I kinda want to see this go full Zachtronics games just to see how each network can be done for cheap, throughput, and minimal packet loss. I could see myself getting lost in a full version of this.
kayrum21 Apr 2026, 14:22
Fun enough to out weigh my cisco packet tracer trauma XD. Also nice Ui.
NullMoxy21 Apr 2026, 14:24
Interesting concept. Could see how it could become quite complex.
New item rewards sometimes make you decide between 4 cables or 5 cables which is redundant.
Could have a bit more "hand held" tutorial instead of just text.
Also game breaks if press esc when you receive new items
New item rewards sometimes make you decide between 4 cables or 5 cables which is redundant.
Could have a bit more "hand held" tutorial instead of just text.
Also game breaks if press esc when you receive new items
OnlinE_Play21 Apr 2026, 14:24
Cool game. It reminds me mini metro. Really enjoyable experience
wsmyyzcry21 Apr 2026, 14:38
Good work! This game is quite similiar with Factorio, player need to optimise the datas on each line and computer. I love this mechanism and complete all the levels. I think the guidance can be better, especially for the players havent touched this type of game before.
BruceZoom21 Apr 2026, 14:44
Nice implementation of the idea! I also made a network design game this time. Welcome to try it out!
I also agree that the guidance could be clearer. I find it quite puzzling that the uplinks in initial levels only have one port and it says you need to upgrade or place a new one but I can't find where to do that.
I also agree that the guidance could be clearer. I find it quite puzzling that the uplinks in initial levels only have one port and it says you need to upgrade or place a new one but I can't find where to do that.
William Capon21 Apr 2026, 14:49
Very satisfying! I would definitely be interested to see this built into a full game.
LDJam user 26893424 Apr 2026, 12:53
This is a good concept on the theme , way better than my brain could come up with. A bit more polish and content and you have a great to realease :)
Senso24 Apr 2026, 12:53
This is a good concept on the theme , way better than my brain could come up with. A bit more polish and content and you have a great to realease :)
lloydlobo8 May 2026, 07:40
You brought the whole kitchen sink to this jam 😄 Enjoyed this a lot. Honestly got so absorbed figuring things out that I completely forgot I could switch levels.
I eventually had to stop as I kept obsessing over optimizing the throughput and making the system “cleaner” every run. This feels super replay-able and like one of those games you can casually lose hours into while experimenting with combinations and strategies.
A little guide/encyclopedia of good combo synergies or discovered interactions would be sooo helpful too, especially for newer players trying to understand the deeper mechanics.
I eventually had to stop as I kept obsessing over optimizing the throughput and making the system “cleaner” every run. This feels super replay-able and like one of those games you can casually lose hours into while experimenting with combinations and strategies.
A little guide/encyclopedia of good combo synergies or discovered interactions would be sooo helpful too, especially for newer players trying to understand the deeper mechanics.
zhangzhimu8 May 2026, 09:48
This influence was not in a decisive way. They thought the design was quite novel, the game concept was great, and they were looking forward to seeing more works from the creator in the future.
RubixNoob138 May 2026, 23:46
Fun little game! I was trying to figure out a way to optimize so I didn't have ANY dropped packets, but I think that's impossible lol
Would have liked some music or sounds to add some atmosphere but otherwise a great entry!
Would have liked some music or sounds to add some atmosphere but otherwise a great entry!
Fits the theme well! Goodjob