Screenshots
Watch trailer on Steam ↗System Overload
24 achievements
Last updated 28 Sept 2026
System Overload is a Win95/98 Task Manager simulation game. Accept contracts, kill processes, tune hardware, dodge scams, keep the CPU under 100C and make your choice through the story. >DO_NOT_CRASH
£4.29
Lowest price we've ever recorded
View on SteamPrices can lag the live Steam store — always confirm before buying.
Price history
Indie, Simulation · 2026 · More under £5 games
Take on the role of a system admin in System Overload, a 2026 indie sim where you balance contracts with CPU temps. Navigate through tasks to keep your systems running smoothly without crashing.
About this game
> SYSTEM_BOOT
Accept contracts. Spawn processes. Keep the rig alive.
> TASK_MANAGER_IS_THE_GAME
Every process eats CPU, RAM, disk, and heat budget.
Kill the wrong thing and the work dies with it.
> CONTRACT_ACCEPTED
Money comes through email.
So do scams, malware, and choices you cannot unclick.
> THREE_SIGNALS_DETECTED
Chip wants to help.
DataDyne wants compliance.
Ghost wants proof.
> THERMAL_LIMIT_REACHED
Above 90C, the machine fights back.
At 100C, it crashes.
> BAD_VOLTAGE_BAD_END
Tune clocks. Touch voltage. Push harder.
The BIOS will remember what you did.
> KEEP_WORKING
> KEEP_COOL
> DO_NOT_CRASH
System Requirements
Will my PC run this? →Minimum
- OS: Windows 10 64-bit
- Processor: Dual Core 2.0 GHz
- Memory: 2 GB RAM
- Graphics: OpenGL 3.0+ (Intel HD 4000 era)
- Storage: 500 MB available space
Recommended
- OS: Windows 11 64-bit
- Processor: Quad-core 3.0 GHz
- Memory: 4 GB RAM
- Graphics: OpenGL 4.5+ (GTX 1050+)
- Storage: 1 MB available space
Supported Languages
Latest news
Patch NotesOfficial
[1.1.0] Massive Update
Hello guys!Story & NarrativeGhost is now a real reveal. The resistance contact stays anonymous (masked as "Ghost") in every email until you earn her trust — complete 2 of her contracts or read her backstory — then her real name, Dr. Elena Vasquez, comes through.Ghost reaches out based on what you do, not your level — after 3 DataDyne acceptances, 2 refusals, or discovering PANOPTICON in the BIOS yourself.New decision email "You saw it too, didn't you" — the single gateway into the investigation / FBI / pick-a-side arc.New paid Ghost job — "Off-the-books work, if you want it," a reverse-engineering gig.New FBI / Liberation storyline — evidence-request emails plus a low-risk evidence-packaging contract that locks in the Liberation ending (overriding a prior corporate commitment).New Phoenix path — Ghost's "Deploy FREEDOM.EXE" capstone contract locks in the Phoenix ending, with a full email thread ("This is the one. Deploy it.", "It's spreading", "Still holding the match?", "You cracked it").New Elena reactions — she responds when you refuse the DataDyne job ("You said no. Good.") and when you spend $900 to help the freelancer Marcus.DataDyne stops courting you once you commit to digging, and a committed employee no longer gets an "accept or walk away" ultimatum.Ghost goes quiet after you take the DataDyne job (one intentional farewell aside), fixing a spoiler leak where she kept mailing a committed corporate player.Reading the PANOPTICON logs now registers — marks them discovered, clears the objective, and backfills older saves that already read them.Chip stops gaslighting after the reveal, and now reacts properly to accepting the DataDyne job and its first contract.Stall nudges — low-spoiler pointer emails if you get stuck ("you opened it. now read the right ones", "that key won't stay good forever"), firing once after ~5 min or 6 contracts.Trajectory hints fire once per path instead of nagging every ~2 hours.Inbox de-cluttered — mid-campaign checkpoint emails trimme...Read full article on Community Announcements (Jabran)AnnouncementsOfficial
SYSTEM_OVERLOAD_v1.0 — NOW_LIVE
> SYSTEM_OVERLOAD_v1.0 — NOW_LIVEIt's FINALLY done. The full game is here.it started as a weird little experiment and somehow it grew into a actual game. > LAUNCH_PROMO20% off for the first 10 days from launch.The discount runs out. The endings don't. > TASK_MANAGER_IS_THE_GAME > CONTRACTS_AND_THE_EMAILS> THANKSthank you. v1.0. If you find something weird-annoying, write on my emails jabranali721@gmail.com you can find other contant information in the credits. If you find an ending I didn't tell you existed, even better.Read full article on Community Announcements (Jabran)AnnouncementsOfficial
Where is System Overload?!!
Is officially coming in June—which is close! Yay! Right now, my workflow is a constant loop: Play the game Implement minor changes and improvements Restart the playtest and repeat This is the best approach for where the project is at. The product is largely finished and I'm focused on polishing, even though there are still several components that need to be reworked or removed entirely. Cleaning up the "Spaghetti Code"To be honest, the current state of the code is a bit of a "playable cluster-f***." Because I started development back in December when I was still a total newbie, I was obsessed with "perfection and realism." That decision is coming back to bite me now. I over-engineered things that didn't need to be so complex. For example: Too many different types of RAM and CPU archetypes. Complex WiFi provider systems. An oversaturated shop. All these items made the gameplay feel more like "PC Management Simulator" rather than the story-driven experience I actually want to create. The GoalI am currently "rescuing" the project by stripping away the useless, over-engineered "bullshit" that doesn't add value. I'm refocusing on making the game more about player decisions and narrative. Thanks for sticking with me while I clean up the mess and make this game what it’s truly meant to be!Read full article on Community Announcements (Jabran)
