Abstract
Thermal side-channel attacks are an increasingly relevant hardware security threat to modern computing systems. While gamification has proven effective for cybersecurity education, existing tools for side-channel analysis are either inaccessible to undergraduate students, limited to non-interactive formats such as board games and questionnaires, or designed for competitive play rather than structured learning. This paper presents a Unity-based educational game designed to teach thermal side-channel attack concepts through interactive visualization. The system comprises two game modes: one that teaches passive side-channel analysis on a simplified CPU pipeline by visualizing heat patterns across instruction execution phases, and another that introduces thermal analysis of memory access patterns through a heatmap-guided search for a hidden cryptographic key. Both modes feature progressive difficulty levels to support incremental learning. The game is deployed as a WebGL application for browser-based access and will be evaluated through a classroom survey consisting of Computer Science students. Preliminary design feedback and expected outcomes suggest that the game can make side-channel concepts more accessible to students across technical backgrounds.