A Strange Game: The wargames Easter Egg

Run the terminal homage to the film WarGames and its famous quote.

LinuxTerminalTerminal gamesLow risk
Run wargames, respond to the prompts, and it prints the classic quote.

01Command

Command
$ wargames

02What it does

wargames is a small bsdgames program that recreates the film's scene: it asks which game to play and then answers with the iconic line about the only winning move being not to play. It is pure terminal nostalgia and interacts in seconds.

03Risk

RiskLow risk
Requirementssudo apt install bsdgames
!Warning: It is a novelty program, not an actual game; it exits after printing the quote.

04Undo

✓No undo needed — this command does not change persistent state.

05Sources

  • Debian package: bsdgames
    Debian · vendor-doc · 2026-09-20
    Evidence: Installs bsdgames, which includes the wargames joke program.
  • wargames(6) — Debian manpage
    Debian · technical · 2026-09-20
    Evidence: Documents wargames, which prints the movie quote and prompts for a game choice.

Last verified: 2026-09-20 · Category: Developer

06Related solutions