U.S. government is trying to get kids’ attention, experts say
You might not expect the government to create its own online games.
But that’s what happened earlier this month when the White House released a gaming website called Arcade.gov.
The website features a handful of arcade-style video games about sensitive political topics, especially immigration.
Experts say governments and developers are increasingly using video games to influence the way you think.
They warn that kids and teens should be more aware of where games are coming from, what their intentions are and how they reflect the real world.
A screenshot from the Arcade.gov website showing a handful of arcade-style games about political issues. (Image credit: Arcade.gov)
How games can convey political messages
The website features four games with 1990s-style graphics.
One of the games, called Rio Run, is a remade version of the classic arcade game Snake.
The goal is to run around and collect all the “[border] crossers” in an ever-growing line. As they join the line, they are marked as “deported.”
Another game, called Build the Wall, worked much like Tetris, asking players to stack blocks to “protect the border from the coming horde.” It was taken down after Tetris warned it might violate their copyright.
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Experts say the Trump administration is using the games to target young people and engage them in political issues, as it has already done with memes and AI slop videos.
According to Rachel Kowert, a research psychologist from Ottawa, Ontario, who studies games and how they affect people, this is a form of propaganda — something with an embedded political message about immigration policy.
“It may not be as obvious to younger people and that’s part of the reason why propaganda works,” she said.
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How games can influence people
A single game rarely changes someone’s thoughts or behaviours overnight, said Scott DeJong, a communication studies researcher at Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec.
“Instead, they can gradually shift a person’s moral compass and normalize certain worldviews or actions,” he said.
The goal is to put an idea in your mind and frame it in a positive or negative light without teaching you about the larger issue at hand, he said.
A screenshot from another White House game, Supply Line. Players have to remove ‘unhealthy’ food items from the conveyor belt before they reach the end, but leave the ‘healthy’ food items. (Image credit: Arcade.gov)
DeJong said that these video games might not seem serious, but they matter because they convey these messages through a player actively making decisions and performing actions.
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Complicated issues are over-simplified into games you can either win or lose. Instead, he said, it’s important to engage more thoughtfully with political issues.
What to look out for
Even if games are spreading political messages, it doesn’t mean you have to stop playing, said Tanner Mirrlees, a media studies professor at Ontario Tech University in Oshawa, Ontario.
“Video games are meant to bring us pleasure and enjoyment,” he said.
But he warns that there are a few things to look out for:
- Source: Think about who made the game. Was it an independent studio or was it funded by a group with a political agenda?
- Intent: Ask yourself, what’s the intention behind this game? Is it meant to be for expression and play, or is it trying to guide your opinion on something?
- Delivery: How did you find this game? Did you seek it out, or did a targeted social media algorithm drop it into your feed?
- Transparency:Look for a clear disclosure. If the game is sponsored or about sensitive topics, it should be clearly stated before you hit Start.
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