HookMinute Is Back: A Free Daily Phishing Game for Teams

HookMinute is a free daily game from Hook Security that sharpens your eye for phishing. Every day, everyone gets the same five emails. You decide which are real and which are scams, then see what gave each one away. It takes about two minutes, needs no signup, and it's rebuilt from the ground up at hookminute.com.

We first launched Hook Minute in August 2024, a spot-the-phish challenge in the spirit of Wordle. The rebuild keeps that daily rhythm and builds the game around what made it stick: short reps, a shareable score, and a reason to bring your coworkers along. We're relaunching it at the start of Cybersecurity Awareness Month, when a lot of teams are looking for something people will actually want to do.

What is HookMinute?

HookMinute is a daily workout for your inbox instinct. Each edition is five emails with a few sneaky details, and a new edition goes live every day at midnight UTC. Here's what you get:

• Five emails a day: the same five for every player, so you can compare notes.
• About two minutes: short enough to play with your morning coffee.
• No signup: no accounts, no passwords, no email address required.
• Free to play: there's no paywall and nothing to install.
• Safe by design: every message is fictional, and every link and attachment is a safe simulation.

How does HookMinute work?

Each round asks one question: looks legit, but is it? You play in three steps.

1. Read between the lines. Peek at the sender, inspect the links, and look for the details that tell the real story, like a delivery notice from a domain that looks a little off.
2. Make the call. Lock in real or scam, then find out what gave it away.
3. Pass it around. Share your five-square score, bring your team, and come back tomorrow a little wiser.

The game teaches a habit, not a checklist. As the game itself puts it, a polished email can be a scam and an awkward one can be genuine. The move that works in your real inbox is the same one HookMinute rewards: trust your gut, then check the details. For a full walkthrough of those details, see our guide on how to spot a phishing email.

How do teams work in HookMinute?

Start a team at hookminute.com/teams with nothing but a team name. You get one invite link to share. Teammates join with a nickname, and everyone on the team can see each other's scores. There are no accounts to create and no admin overhead, just friendly competition and bragging rights until tomorrow's edition.

Anyone with the invite link can see that team's nicknames and scores, and the organizer gets a separate management link to manage the team. Keep nicknames and team names free of anything confidential.

Why a daily game instead of another course?

Attackers don't beat people with technical tricks. They beat instincts, pressing on urgency, trust, and authority until someone acts before they think. Hook Security's approach, Psychological Security (PsySec), works on the same level: belief leads to emotion, emotion leads to behavior, and behavior repeated becomes habit.

That last step is why HookMinute is daily. One long course a year teaches facts. Two minutes a day builds a reflex: pause, check the sender, hover before you click. And because it's a game rather than a gotcha, people come back because they want to, not because a reminder email told them to. If you want the research behind that approach, it lives in the open at PsySec.io.

What data does HookMinute collect?

Very little. HookMinute has no player accounts, passwords, or email addresses. An essential browser cookie remembers your progress, streak, and team membership, so clearing it or switching browsers means starting fresh. The game stores game choices, completion times, team nicknames, and necessary security logs. It doesn't sell that information or use advertising trackers. The full details are on the HookMinute about and privacy page.

Who is HookMinute for?

• Anyone who wants to get a little sharper at spotting scams, two minutes at a time.
• Teams and offices that want a daily conversation starter about phishing, especially during Cybersecurity Awareness Month.
• MSPs looking for something light and free to share with clients between formal training.
• Security program leaders who want a low-stakes way to keep phishing top of mind between courses and simulations.

How does HookMinute fit with Hook Security's training?

HookMinute is friendly competition, not verified employee training. It doesn't produce completion records or compliance reports. For programs that need those, Hook's security awareness training platform delivers short, funny video courses, phishing simulations, and reporting for MSPs and SMBs. Want to try another free format first? Take the phishing quiz.

Planning a team event this month? Host the Cybersecurity Awareness Party, a free team trivia game on CrowdParty presented by Hook Security.

Frequently asked questions

Is HookMinute free?

Yes. HookMinute is free to play, with no signup, no account, and no paywall.

How long does HookMinute take?

About two minutes. Each daily edition has five emails, and you decide whether each one is real or a scam.

When does a new HookMinute come out?

A new edition goes live every day at midnight UTC. Everyone plays the same five emails that day.

Are the emails in HookMinute real phishing emails?

No. Every message is fictional, and links and attachments are safe simulations. In your real inbox, verify unexpected requests using a contact method you already trust.

Can I play HookMinute with my team?

Yes. Create a team with a name, share the invite link, and teammates join with a nickname. No accounts are needed.

Who makes HookMinute?

HookMinute is made by Hook Security, a security awareness training and phishing simulation platform built for MSPs and SMBs. Hook's training uses psychology and humor instead of fear.

Play today's HookMinute, then start a team and send the link to your coworkers. See you at midnight UTC.