‘To them, we’re just NPCs’: the artists and activists challenging Trump’s video game propaganda

The Trump White House has used browser games on its website to promote political messages about immigration and socialism, drawing criticism over its use of game characters and intellectual property. In response, artists and activists are making satirical games that turn the same format against the administration and its use of games to promote policy and war.

The Secret Handshake collective created two free games: one asks players to choose between ordering a Diet Coke and invading Iran, while another imagines Trump deciding to invade Greenland after seeking ways to distract voters from an oil crisis. The first game is deliberately unwinnable, and the group says it was prompted by the Pentagon’s use of video games to make the Iran war seem “cool”. The Tetris Company objected to the White House’s use of its game, which was later removed; the article says major games companies have otherwise been relatively quiet.