The White House has launched a collection of retro-style online video games promoting President Donald Trump’s policy agenda, including games that allow players to chase migrants and build a US-Mexico border wall.
The “Arcade” section of the White House website, unveiled on Thursday, September 3, features five games inspired by popular classic titles such as Snake, Tetris and Flappy Bird.
The most controversial games are “Rio Run” and “Build the Wall,” both of which centre on the Trump administration’s immigration policies.
“Rio Run,” which borrows mechanics from Snake, features a digital character resembling US border czar Tom Homan moving along the Rio Grande and collecting people portrayed as migrants crossing the border.
“Build the Wall,” meanwhile, is modelled on Tetris and challenges players to stack sections of a border wall. Its instructions tell players to “protect the border from the coming horde.”
The remaining three games focus on other administration priorities.
“Supply Line,” inspired by the arcade game Tapper, involves sorting food and rejecting items that do not meet standards associated with Trump’s “Make America Healthy Again” initiative.
“Flappy Bill” features an eagle carrying legislation across Washington, while “Trump Savings Tycoon” asks players to collect money associated with the administration’s Trump Accounts savings programme for children.
The White House promoted the games on social media with animations mimicking the branding and loading screens of major gaming platforms. One promotional message encouraged users to “Build the wall. Deport. Fill a Trump Account.”
The administration defended the initiative as a new way of communicating Trump’s policies and achievements to the public.
“This administration is laser focused on ways to innovate and tell the story of the President’s many accomplishments in a way that resonates with every American,” the White House said in a statement reported by AFP.
The launch quickly drew criticism from immigration and human rights advocates, who accused the administration of turning serious immigration policies and the experiences of migrants into entertainment.
Amerika Garcia Grewal, co-director of the Frontera Federation in Eagle Pass, Texas, said the games were disturbing and accused the administration of treating people’s lives as a game.
Adriana Jasso, a programme coordinator with AMIGOS San Diego Community who works near the US-Mexico border, also criticised the initiative, saying it demonstrated a lack of seriousness about an issue involving real people and significant human consequences.
The criticism comes as the Trump administration continues its intensified immigration enforcement campaign, including arrests and deportations of undocumented migrants.
Immigration enforcement has been a central part of Trump’s political agenda, with his administration seeking to expand deportations and strengthen controls along the US-Mexico border.
The White House’s decision to package those policies in arcade-style games has therefore renewed debate over the use of entertainment and social-media tactics to communicate government policy.
The administration, however, maintains that the arcade is intended to engage Americans with its policy achievements through a more unconventional and accessible format.