We Become What We Behold: A Critical Look at a Social Media Satire

We Become What We Behold: A Critical Look at a Social Media Satire

We Become What We Behold is a browser-based strategy game that uses simple mechanics to deliver a pointed critique of social media’s influence. While visually unassuming, with its cartoony graphics and straightforward gameplay, the game’s underlying message is surprisingly potent and thought-provoking. This short, five-minute experience forces players to confront the potentially harmful consequences of their online actions and the insidious nature of curated realities. However, the game’s brevity and limited agency for the player also contribute to a somewhat unsatisfying and ultimately facile experience.

Gameplay and Mechanics: Simplicity as a Tool

The game presents players with a screen populated by cartoonish characters, each with either a square or round head, moving about and engaging in various activities. The player controls a camera, using a single left-mouse click to capture images of these events. Each captured event generates a hashtag, mimicking the social media experience, but crucially, these actions directly impact the behavior of the other characters on screen.

Capturing a character wearing a jaunty hat, for example, might lead to others adopting similar headwear, while photographing a screaming, square-headed character can initiate a cascade of negative actions and aggressive behavior within the simulated community. This simple mechanic effectively illustrates how a single action, a single post, can have far-reaching and often unpredictable consequences within a social network.

Initially, the game might appear to offer freedom in selecting which events to photograph. However, this perception is quickly dispelled. After a few attempts at capturing random moments, the game subtly guides the player towards specific events, often signaling incorrect choices with a cricket sound, indicating a lack of “engagement” or views. This directional element reveals the game’s true intent: to lead the player down a path that highlights the potential for social media to amplify negativity and hatred.

The game’s limited timeframe adds to its commentary. If the player follows the game’s intended storyline, the experience lasts roughly five minutes. Deviating from this path, by capturing random events, can prolong the playtime, but at the cost of diminishing the narrative impact and losing the game’s intended trajectory. This enforced linearity limits replayability, further emphasizing the predetermined nature of the game’s message.

The Narrative: A Predetermined Descent into Negativity

We Become What We Behold’s narrative is deliberately restrictive, subtly nudging the player towards capturing images that portray hatred and violence. The game cleverly uses the hashtag system to provide feedback, essentially prompting the player towards specific interactions that further the developer’s message. While the player ostensibly controls the camera, the choices are subtly manipulated to ensure the narrative unfolds in a particular way. This manipulative element, though ultimately predictable, effectively mirrors how social media algorithms can steer users toward specific content and create echo chambers of opinion.

The game doesn’t shy away from uncomfortable truths. It vividly depicts how the amplification of negative content can escalate into widespread animosity and aggression within the simulated community. This narrative choice, though potentially upsetting for some, serves as a powerful commentary on the darker side of social media and its capacity to foster and spread toxic ideologies. The lack of player agency in significantly altering the narrative reinforces the feeling of being swept along by an uncontrollable current, much like users can feel trapped within the relentless scroll of their social media feeds.

This predetermined descent into negativity isn’t just a gameplay mechanic; it’s a central theme of the game’s social commentary. It’s a stark depiction of how easily a community can be influenced, and how quickly seemingly innocuous actions can contribute to a climate of hostility and division. The game doesn’t offer easy answers or solutions, instead opting to present a disturbing, yet realistic, portrayal of the potential consequences of our online behavior.

Visuals and Sound Design: Simplicity Serving the Narrative

The game’s simplistic, almost childish, cartoon visuals stand in stark contrast to the gravity of its message. This juxtaposition serves to heighten the impact of the narrative. The cute aesthetic acts as a deceptive veil, masking the unsettling implications of the gameplay until the player becomes immersed in the unfolding events. The visuals are effective in their simplicity; they don’t distract from the core message and contribute to the overall feeling of subtle manipulation and insidious influence.

The sound design is equally understated but effective. The use of a cricket sound to signal unsuccessful posts subtly adds to the feeling of pressure to conform to the game’s predetermined narrative, mimicking the real-world pressure to gain likes and engagement on social media platforms. This subtle auditory cue is a clever way to reinforce the game’s commentary on the obsession with online validation and the pursuit of fleeting popularity.

The overall design choices—the simple visuals, the subtle sound cues, the restrictive narrative—work together to create a cohesive and surprisingly effective experience, despite its short duration. This thoughtful design contributes to the game’s overall impact, ensuring the message resonates even after the brief playtime is over.

Criticisms and Limitations: Brevity and Lack of Depth

Despite its strong points, We Become What We Behold suffers from several limitations that prevent it from achieving its full potential. The most significant of these is the game’s extremely short playtime. The experience is over in a matter of minutes, leaving little time for the player to fully engage with the mechanics or truly grapple with the implications of the narrative.

The limited replay value also hinders the overall experience. Once the player has witnessed the game’s single ending, there is little incentive to replay it, as there are no alternative storylines or significant variations in gameplay. This lack of depth ultimately limits the game’s impact and prevents it from fostering a more sustained reflection on the issues it raises.

The game’s reliance on guiding the player towards a specific conclusion can also be seen as a criticism. While the restrictive narrative effectively illustrates the manipulative nature of social media algorithms, it also limits the player’s agency and the feeling of truly shaping the outcome. This lack of choice, while intentionally designed, can leave the player feeling somewhat passive in the face of the game’s message.

The relatively on-the-nose nature of the social commentary can also be a point of contention. While the message is undeniably important, its directness may lack the nuance and subtlety to resonate with all players. A more subtle approach might have allowed for a more impactful and lasting impression on the player.

Conclusion: A Thought-Provoking, Yet Flawed Experience

We Become What We Behold is a unique and thought-provoking game that uses simple mechanics and a concise narrative to deliver a powerful message about the influence of social media. Its simplistic design serves to amplify the impact of its social commentary, creating a surprisingly effective, albeit brief, experience. The game’s pointed critique of social media’s capacity to amplify negativity and foster division is undeniable, and its reliance on seemingly innocuous choices to illustrate far-reaching consequences is both clever and effective.

However, the game’s limitations, primarily its brevity, limited replayability, and restrictive narrative, prevent it from achieving its full potential. The lack of player agency and the relatively on-the-nose nature of its commentary might detract from the overall impact for some players. Despite these flaws, We Become What We Behold remains a valuable and memorable experience, prompting reflection on the subtle yet powerful ways social media shapes our perceptions and influences our behaviors. Its brevity may even contribute to its effectiveness: a short, sharp shock to the system, leaving a lasting impression long after the game is over.