Overview
- The White House added an “Arcade” section to its official site on Thursday that hosts five retro-style games, including “Rio Run” where players round up migrants and “Build the Wall” where players stack wall pieces.
- A White House official described the project as a way to make policy interactive and to promote a “culture of fun and winning,” while administration digital staff called the games “policy you can interact with.”
- Rights groups, border activists and several Democratic lawmakers condemned the games for trivializing deportations and human suffering, with advocates saying the launch is especially insensitive given recent enforcement and detention reports.
- The Tetris Company said it was not involved with “Build the Wall” and warned it takes copyright infringement seriously, and multiple outlets noted the arcade’s promotional material borrowed visual and musical cues from major game brands.
- The Arcade remains live as of September 5, and the White House has not publicly detailed who developed the games or whether taxpayer funds were used, raising questions about spending transparency and possible legal takedowns.