These simulators are often used as pedagogical tools to increase awareness for both technical and non-technical audiences.

Outside of gamified cybersecurity, "escaping a network" can refer to technical simulations in physics or computer science, such as traversing discrete elastic networks or molecular dynamics where chains attempt to escape interchain grips during stretching. In each case, the "simulator" provides a controlled environment to study the transition from a constrained state to a "network-free" state. ] gameplay mechanics ?

A prominent example of this concept is the cooperative board game , where players assume the roles of ethical hackers. The game functions as a simulator for several core cybersecurity concepts: