Recommended Free Tools
iTechGuides is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Learn more
Yes. Town of Salem’s operator, BlankMediaGames, suffered a database breach reported on 28 December 2018. A reproduced breach notification listed 7,633,234 affected accounts; Check Point rounded that figure to more than 7.6 million players. The exposed data reportedly included hashed passwords and account details, but the available statements conflict about payment information.
When was the Town of Salem breach, and how many accounts were affected?
The breach was dated 28 December 2018. BlankMediaGames publicly addressed it in a Steam update on 3 January 2019. The reproduced breach notification listed 7,633,234 accounts; Check Point’s 7 January 2019 bulletin described the incident as affecting more than 7.6 million players. The latter is a rounded description, not a separate exact account count.
What information did the breach expose?
The reproduced notification listed email addresses, usernames, IP addresses, browser user-agent details, website activity, purchases, and passwords stored as phpass hashes. Check Point separately reported email addresses, hashed passwords, IP addresses, and “some payment information.” The sources do not provide a confirmed field-by-field account of which data was exposed for each individual account.
Were Town of Salem passwords leaked in plaintext?
The reported passwords were hashes, not plaintext. A BlankMediaGames moderator quoted in a contemporaneous breach-notification thread also said that passwords were hashed. The notification identified the format as phpass.
#1 Best Overall
- THE HUNT IS ON: In Salem 1692, the witch hunt is heating up. Who is friend and who is foe? Where are the witches hiding? This card game is a unique strategic and social deduction game.
- FLYING ACCUSATIONS: Accuse your friends of witchcraft using cards, strategy, deceit, and a bit of luck. Take this game to any party, family activity, or game night group and see what fun you have.
- DARK MAGIC: This original game is for 4-12 players and lasts 20-40 minutes. Players must be 13 years old or older, so tweens, teens, and adults can gather around for interesting intrigue and façade.
- SHE’S A WITCH: This high quality game comes in a magnetically-closing faux book box with a simple design. Play as one of 15 villagers from the old Salem town with character illustrations and bios.
- CONTENTS: 1 magnetic faux book box, 128 cards, 1 wooden gavel token, 1 thirty-second black sand hourglass, 1 rulebook (includes biographies)
A hash is not the same as a readable password, but password exposure still matters: an attacker may try to crack hashes, especially when passwords are weak or reused. If you used the same password for Town of Salem and another service, change it on every other service where it was reused. Choose a unique password for each account; a password manager can help keep track of them.
Did the breach expose credit-card numbers?
The available accounts disagree about payment data. Check Point said the breached database contained “some payment information.” In the contemporaneous thread, a BlankMediaGames moderator said, “We don’t store any credit card or payment info.” These statements do not establish that full credit-card numbers were exposed, so it would be inaccurate to state that the breach exposed them. The specific payment information, if any, is not established by these reports.
Rank #2
- THE HUNT IS ON: In Salem 1692, the witch hunt is heating up. Who is friend and who is foe? Where are the witches hiding? This card game is a unique strategic and social deduction game
- FLYING ACCUSATIONS: Accuse your friends of witchcraft using cards, strategy, deceit, and a bit of luck. Take this game to any party, family activity, or game night group and see what fun you have
- DARK MAGIC: This deluxe edition is for 4-12 players and lasts 20-40 minutes. Players must be 14 years old or older, so tweens, teens, and adults can gather around for interesting intrigue and façade
- SHE’S A WITCH: This high-quality game comes in a magnetically-closing faux book box with a simple design. Play as one of 15 villagers from the old Salem town with character illustrations and bios
- CONTENTS: 1 magnetic faux book box, 128 cards, 1 metal gavel, 5 wood tokens, 12 metal shillings, 1 thirty-second black sand hourglass, 1 rulebook (includes biographies), 5-Tryal card mini-expansion. For ages 14 and up
What did BlankMediaGames say it was doing?
In its 3 January 2019 Steam update, BlankMediaGames said it was “currently working through fixing the holes in our systems” and looking into hiring a security firm. The update also said the company had emailed users to notify them of the breach and that an email about the incident from the company was legitimate. The Steam archive records extended maintenance intended to improve server security.
That email assurance concerned the notification described in the January 2019 update; it is not a reason to trust later messages automatically. Treat unexpected messages cautiously and verify them through a channel you reach independently.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- THE HUNT IS ON: In Salem 1692, the witch hunt is heating up. Who is friend and who is foe? Where are the witches hiding? Find out in this unique strategic card game.
- DARK MAGIC: Salem 1692 is a 20-40 min game for 4-12 players ages 13 and up. Includes a magnetic faux book box, wooden gavel token, 30-second hourglass, rulebook with biographies, and 128 cards.
- MEDIEVAL GAME: The dreaded Black Death has descended upon Bristol and you need to escape! To win, be on the first cart out of town while avoiding players who are secretly infected with the plague.
- RACE TO WIN: Bristol 1350 is a 20-40 min game for 1-9 players ages 13 & up. Includes a book box, playing map, pouch, rulebook, 9 character cards, 27 remedy cards, 28 symptom cards, 3 carts, 9 pawns, & 6 dice.
- FACADE GAMES: Each game in the Dark Cities Series focuses on a city and year from history, accommodates at least 4-9 players, has a unique gameplay element, and comes in the same-sized faux book box.
Rank #4
- BRISTOL 1350: The dreaded Black Death has descended upon Bristol and you need to escape! To win, be on the first cart out of town while avoiding players who are secretly infected with the plague.
- SOLO & PARTY GAME MODES: Bristol 1350 is a light strategy and social deduction game for 1-9 players ages 13 years and older. Learn in 10 minutes and play in 20-40 minutes. Includes solo play mode.
- CONTENTS: 1 magnetic book box, 9 character cards, 27 remedy cards, 28 symptom cards, 1 linen pouch, 1 rulebook, 1 playing mat, 6 custom apple/rat dice, Deluxe Features: 3 miniature metal carts, 9 custom carved resin pawns, 6 metal coins, and 6 alms expansion cards.
- FAST PACED GAME: Avoid those with the Black Plague (or try to infect others if you already have it!) in this medieval themed game of racing and deceit. Game includes quick turns with full-group interaction.
- GAMEPLAY: Begin in 1 of 3 carts & try to be the first out of town. If anyone on your cart has the plague when you finish, you die! Play until an all-healthy cart crosses or everyone has the plague.
Rank #3
- CUSTOM OUIJA: Everyone knows about the historical Salem Witch Trials. Here's your chance to channel your inner spirit and see what really happened back then
- JUST A GAME: It's just a fun game for you and your friends to enjoy - right??
- SOUVENIR: Who wants a T-Shirt of Salem, MA when you can have a beautiful Ouija board instead? Use it as a game or just as a beautiful piece of art
- HOW TO PLAY: A Ouija board is best used by two people seated facing each other and placing their hand (or hands) on the planchette
- QUALITY: The board is sturdy and thick and the coating on the top of the board allows the planchette to glide very smoothly when being used. Our planchette is made of high quality plastic
What should former Town of Salem account holders do?
- Change reused passwords. Update the password on every other service where you used the same one. Make each replacement unique.
- Secure the email account tied to the game. Use a unique password there and enable stronger sign-in security, such as multifactor authentication, if the email provider offers it.
- Watch for suspicious messages. The exposed email addresses and account details could make targeted or convincing messages easier to send. Do not open unexpected attachments or enter credentials through an unsolicited link.
- Review financial activity if you used purchases. Because reporting mentioned some payment information but did not establish that full card numbers were exposed, check relevant statements for unfamiliar transactions rather than assuming card data was stolen.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
