YBPYouBrokeProd

Changelog

What's new in YouBrokeProd. We ship new scenarios and features regularly.

New ScenarioLatest

The 3AM CPU Spike - New Server Ops Engine

  • -New scenario: The 3AM CPU Spike - PagerDuty wakes you at 3 AM, your own app is eating 97% CPU, no recent deploy, process running 14 days. Find the root cause before the SLA breaks.
  • -New Server Ops engine: 3-panel Linux server debugging console with System Explorer, SSH terminal, and Process Inspector - the same architecture as Cluster Ops but for bare-metal/VM incidents
  • -System Explorer panel with live process list sorted by CPU, systemd services, network connections, and disk partitions
  • -Process Inspector with thread-level breakdown - see which thread is spinning and why
  • -Live server simulation: CPU values drift in real-time, load averages update, system events stream in periodically
  • -22 commands including top, strace, lsof, journalctl, ps, free, df, netstat, git log, perf top, and more
  • -Root cause: catastrophic regex backtracking (ReDoS) in a nightly cleanup cron job - a real vulnerability pattern
  • -Free tier - no subscription required
Play The 3AM CPU Spike
Launch

Kubernetes SRE Professional Pack - 10 Scenarios

  • -10 Kubernetes scenarios covering probes, OOM, DNS, rollouts, storage, RBAC, scheduling, and multi-layer incidents - the most comprehensive K8s training pack available
  • -The 3 AM Page: Expert-level scenario with 3 compounding failures (TLS secret, OOM, NetworkPolicy) that must be fixed in dependency order
  • -Cluster Ops console: EKS-style resource explorer, resizable panels, real-time simulated metrics (CPU drift, pod restart counters, live event stream), background music
  • -755 log lines and 225 commands across 9 new scenarios - each with 80-110+ lines of realistic noise, red herrings, and buried clues
  • -Unique AI-generated artwork for every scenario via Grok Imagine
  • -6 new K8s badges: First Responder, Pod Whisperer, Cluster Commander, 3 AM Survivor, Speed Operator, No Hints Needed
  • -15 immersion commands (ls, ps, netstat, env, top) return realistic EKS worker node output - plus easter egg audio for dangerous commands
  • -60-second free preview on all Pro K8s scenarios with paywall - try the Cluster Ops experience before subscribing
  • -Full mobile support with bottom tab navigation, objectives panel, and diagnosis anti-spam system
  • -SEO landing pages with HowTo JSON-LD structured data for every scenario
Play the K8s Pack
New Scenario

Cluster Ops - Kubernetes Situation Room

  • -New Cluster Ops game mode with EKS-style resource explorer, realistic kubectl terminal, and object inspector
  • -Three-panel ops console layout with resizable dividers and full mobile support
  • -Background music that crossfades from calm to tense as time runs low
  • -15 immersion commands (ls, ps, netstat, env, docker, and more) return realistic K8s worker node output
  • -Easter egg audio for dangerous commands - try rm -rf / or kubectl delete namespace in production
  • -Anti-spam diagnosis system - wrong answers lock and close, previously guessed options stay disabled
Play Cluster Ops
Improvement

Security, ChatGPT GPT Store, and Admin Improvements

  • -Email verification now enforced for all non-OAuth signups - no more bypassing
  • -Play free scenarios inside ChatGPT via the GPT Store with anonymous access
  • -MCP session detail view with clickable drill-down and completed session history
  • -Pro upgrade prompts shown in MCP scenario list and post-game responses
  • -Smarter MCP tool routing so Claude and ChatGPT call the right tools consistently
  • -Privacy policy updated for PostHog analytics, API key handling, and PIPEDA compliance
  • -All dependencies pinned to exact versions for reproducible builds
Feature

Play Inside Claude and ChatGPT - MCP Integration

  • -Play incident simulations directly inside Claude Desktop and Claude.ai via MCP
  • -Full game loop works in-chat: investigate, diagnose, and fix production incidents without leaving your AI assistant
  • -Developer portal at /developer with API key management and one-click setup configs
  • -7 MCP tools: list scenarios, start incidents, execute commands, submit diagnosis, apply fixes, use hints, check status
  • -Scores, XP, and badges sync back to your YouBrokeProd profile from MCP sessions
  • -OpenAPI spec for ChatGPT Custom GPT integration
  • -MCP session tracking in admin dashboard
Set Up MCP Access
Feature

The Situation Room - 3D Interactive Incident Response

  • -New Situation Room game mode with live 3D architecture visualization built in React Three Fiber
  • -First Situation Room scenario: Cyber Monday DNS failure with real-time traffic, service maps, and cascading alerts
  • -4 difficulty modes: Easy (guided), Standard (balanced), Hard (red herrings, pro), and Hardcore (permadeath, pro)
  • -Architecture complexity scales per difficulty - from 5 services on Easy to 30 on Hardcore
  • -Countdown music that kicks in at 45 seconds remaining to amp up the pressure
  • -Pro Postmortem system - deep-dive analysis with real-world incidents (Dyn 2016, Fastly 2021, Cloudflare 2020), prevention playbooks with actual monitoring configs, and actionable takeaways
  • -7-day free trial on all Pro plans - $0 due today
  • -Smarter fix hints - tiered by difficulty so Easy shows the answer, Standard nudges you, and Hard/Hardcore stay vague
  • -Redesigned post-game feedback with learning checkboxes and streamlined NPS
  • -Homepage hero demo video showcasing the Situation Room in action
  • -Easter eggs, teaching tips, and progressive difficulty unlocks throughout gameplay
Play the Situation Room
Feature

New YBP Logo, XP Unlocks, Badges, and AI Art

  • -New YBP hexagon logo across the site, nav, favicons, and game UI
  • -XP-based unlock system - earn pro scenarios by playing free ones
  • -22 achievement badges with AI-generated art (First Blood, Terraform Survivor, Speed Demon, and more)
  • -Rank progression from Intern (Day 1) to The Pager Whisperer with unique character art
  • -Pin your proudest badge to your profile and leaderboard
  • -Post-game XP animation with rank progress and badge notifications
  • -SEO landing pages for all scenarios at /incidents/[id]
  • -Homepage redesign with incident catalog and animated XP progression demo
  • -Pricing page redesign with XP earn path explained
  • -New scenarios added every 2 weeks (Pro gets them first)
Feature

Dynamic OG Share Images

  • -AI-generated illustrations for every incident scenario
  • -Dynamic OG images with score, stars, and incident art for social sharing
  • -Wordle-style share cards with investigation path grid
Feature

Stripe Pro Subscriptions

  • -Pro plan ($9/mo or $79/yr) with Stripe checkout
  • -Webhook-based subscription sync
  • -Plan gating on scenarios
Improvement

Post-Launch Updates

  • -Mobile responsive overhaul (49% of launch traffic was mobile)
  • -Welcome email for new signups
  • -Waitlist confirmation email with feedback questions
  • -Dev.to article: 5 Production Incidents Every DevOps Engineer Should Know
Launch

Launch on Hacker News

  • -YouBrokeProd goes live at youbrokeprod.com
  • -10 incident scenarios across beginner, intermediate, and advanced
  • -The AI That Ate Production - based on the real DataTalksClub terraform destroy incident
  • -Real-time terminal simulation with scoring, hints, and debriefs
  • -Leaderboard and player progression
  • -106 signups on day 1, 22 HN points, 87% play rate

Want to see what's coming next?

Start PlayingFollow on X