The White House launched an online arcade on its official website and released five games based on the political agenda of the US President Donald Trump. The games cover topics such as border security, immigration, patriotism, and the economy. The games include Rio Run, Supply Line, Flappy Bill, Trump Savings Tycoon, and Build The Wall. These games are all based on familiar retro game themes, so anyone can easily understand and play them. However, the unique effort has drawn attention quickly.
Two of these games have attracted the most spotlight. Rio Run takes players to the US-Mexico border, and the game instructs them to capture everyone who wants to cross the border. This gameplay is familiar to the Snake game that most have played on Nokia keypad phones.
Similarly, Build The Wall focuses on building a border wall while dealing with a ‘zombie border siege’. This game focuses on Trump’s emphasis on broader security and stronger physical barriers on the southern border.
Flappy Bill takes inspiration from Flappy Bird, while Trump Savings Tycoon focuses on Trump’s economic message and children’s savings accounts.
The choice of simple games could help these political messages reach more people. Retro games are easy to understand and quick to play. A player can also share a score, screenshot or short clip on social media. This could give the games a wider reach beyond the White House website.
Using games also gives serious political topics a lighter presentation. Instead of reading a policy statement, visitors can engage with the ideas through short, simple challenges.
The arcade offers an alternative way for the administration to present its policies online. The mix of games and politics is likely to attract both support and criticism, making the White House website a talking point beyond its usual government updates.