Getting Started

From zero to first flag in about 20 minutes.

No setup. No homelab. No "install these 14 tools". Register, pick a stream, launch a sandbox, capture a flag. The platform calibrates the rest.

STEP 01

Create your account.

Email + password, or GitHub OAuth. The free tier unlocks every challenge category — enough to establish a baseline skill vector across all 12 types.

  • Email + password · or GitHub OAuth
  • Pick a handle — this is your leaderboard identity forever
  • Verify email · takes 30 seconds · no marketing spam
STEP 02

Pick a stream.

You can switch any time — your ELO and skill vector carry across. The stream just tells the matchmaker what to queue up first.

Not sure? Compare the streams →

STEP 03

Launch your first sandbox.

The matchmaker picks a challenge in your assumed growth zone — roughly ELO 1000 for new players. You get a live Docker container in under 20 seconds. Terminal, browser, and whatever tools the challenge needs, already loaded.

bootstrap · first-sandbox
$ levelup queue --next
→ matching · skill vector σ=∞ · assuming ELO 1000
✓ matched · SQLi warm-up · easy · par 12:00
→ provisioning sandbox · docker:7c2d...
✓ ready · open in browser or terminal

ticket: Customer reports invoice page showing another tenant's data.
flag: LEVELUP{...}
STEP 04

Earn your first Eagle.

Every challenge has a par — the time the AI solver took. Beat par, capture the flag, and you get an Eagle: double coins and a permanent mark on your par ratio.

UNDER PAR
⚡ Eagle · 2× coins
AT PAR ±10%
✓ Clear · 1× coins
OVER PAR
Bogey · 0.5× coins
STEP 05

Grow your ELO and skill vector.

Every solve updates two numbers: a global ELO rating (Glicko-style, K-32) and a 12-axis skill vector — one per challenge type. Eagles move both faster; bogeys still move them, slower. Hint use carries a progressive penalty.

The matchmaker reads your skill vector every time you hit "next challenge" and queues the one that closes the biggest gap — not a predetermined linear path. That’s why two analysts on the same stream see different queues.

XP also accumulates on every solve. We’re still shaping the prestige system on top of it — leaderboards and badges are live; rank names and seasonal resets are on the roadmap.

STEP 06

Join a squad (optional).

Squads are up to 5 people. Shared challenges, shared streak. Coins split, XP doesn't. Squad-as-community-team is free — a way for you and your friends to train together.

Note: "Squad" here means the community 5-person team feature. It's not a plan name. For team training with cohort dashboards, SSO, and compliance reporting, see the Enterprise tiers (Team / Business / Enterprise).
Getting Started | LevelUp