Dutch Artist Responds to White House's 'Build the Wall' Game with 'Build that Bridge'

A Dutch artist has created a free browser game called Build that Bridge as a direct response to Build the Wall, a Tetris-style minigame launched by the White House on Arcade.Gov. The artist, Wouter Sieuwerts, designed Build that Bridge to offer a contrasting message to the administration's game, which he stated "makes a game out of excluding migrants."

Build the Wall, featured on the White House's gaming portal, is described as a Tetris riff where players stack bricks against incoming "aliens" at the "Southern Border." Another game on the site, Rio Run, is a Snake-like game that tasks players with collecting prisoners and tallies "deported" counts. Sieuwerts views these games as trivializing serious issues, stating, "Just as the colonisation of America was turned into child's play, the White House now makes a game out of excluding migrants."

In contrast, Sieuwerts's Build that Bridge utilizes similar mechanics but in reverse. Instead of stacking blocks to form a wall, players clear lines to construct a bridge connecting two riverbanks. "But play is precisely how you discover the world and get to know new people and customs. So for everyone who would rather build bridges than walls, I made Build that Bridge. Play along and make yourself heard," Sieuwerts explained.

Players can initiate their own bridge-building efforts or join existing ones. The game visualizes player contributions by showing markers on the riverbanks, indicating where fellow builders are participating from. A live counter tracks the total number of participants who have built bridges and the current number of active builders, alongside a tally of "meetings" that have occurred across all bridges. Sieuwerts interprets this collective count as the players' unified voice.

This release follows a public statement from The Tetris Company, the rights holder of the original Tetris, distancing itself from the White House's game. The company emphasized its belief in "the power of connection and bringing people together." Sieuwerts aligns with this sentiment, asserting that his game embodies this principle, stating, "That is exactly what this game does, and always did."

Build that Bridge is accessible for free at buildthatbridge.eu. The game features no advertisements, collects no user data, and requires no account registration. For those interested in supporting refugee resettlement, the game directs players to UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency.