You've played many games, but We Become What We Behold will be an entirely new experience. Get ready to hit the "Start" button; take a minute to understand the origins of this unique game.
Overview of We Become What We Behold
The game was first released in 2016 and developed by Nicky Case—a renowned independent game developer known for his game design philosophy that points out complex systems (Explorable Explanations). Nicky is also the creator of the psychological game Adventures with Anxiety, which you can play on our website.
Impact: Even after nearly a decade, We Become What We Behold's message about fake news, community division, and social media algorithms remains relevant and even more so today.
Gameplay: You are the Devil's Camera (The Mechanics)
In this world of squares and circles, you play as a photojournalist. The gameplay is basic: You have a camera viewfinder on the screen. Your task is to find "interesting" moments in the crowd and capture them (left-click).
The photo you take will immediately be displayed on the large TV screen in the middle. And this is where the "anomaly" begins:
- What happens if you capture a photo of someone sporting a stylish hat? Nobody cares.
- If you capture an image of someone yelling angrily, the crowd will undoubtedly notice. BOOM! The crowd will notice. And more importantly, they will start imitating that anger.
Analysis: The Feedback Loop
Why is this game considered genius? This game perfectly simulates the workings of a social revolution in just 5 minutes.
- You'll realize a painful truth: Peace is boring, while violence is viral. To continue the game, you're forced to hunt for conflicts. You become the instigator of the war between the Circle and the Square factions just for views.
- The escalation of violence in this game is quite different from the biological evolution in The Visitor. In The Visitor, monsters eat to survive. In We Become What We Behold, society cannibalizes each other out of fear and hatred fueled by media hype.
Quick Guide to We Become What We Behold
The game is very short, but if you get stuck, here are some tips:
- Capture the differences: Look for those wearing hats, those who are in love.
- Capture the crazy ones (The Crazy Circle): When you see a Circle yelling at a Square, take a picture immediately.
- Observe the consequences: Watch how the Square crowd reacts. They start to fear and distance themselves from the Circle.
- Create a vicious cycle: Continue capturing the fearful and the hateful. Eventually, violence will erupt.
Play and experience the social issues in We Become What We Behold.
At the end of the game, all that remains is ruin and a distorted screen. We Become What We Behold is not just a game for entertainment; it's a wake-up call. It reminds us to be mindful of what we consume on social media every day.
If you feel mentally disturbed after playing this game, try another psychological test in Fatal Survey, Anomalous Coffee Machine, or That's Not My Neighbor... to see how well you understand yourself.
