The White House has launched a collection of retro-style video games promoting Donald Trump’s political agenda, including a Tetris-inspired title called “Build the Wall” which has drawn a rebuke from The Tetris Company.
The five-game online Arcade was unveiled on Thursday, 3 September, on the White House website. Its pixelated games present border enforcement, food policy and the administration’s child savings scheme as simple arcade challenges.
In “Build the Wall”, players fit blocks together to construct a barrier described as a way to “Protect the border from the coming horde”. The game borrows the basic format associated with Tetris, in which falling shapes are arranged to complete lines.
The Tetris Company said it had not been involved in the project and had neither authorised nor licensed the use of its brand or intellectual property.
“For more than 40 years, Tetris has brought people together across generations and cultures through play and joy,” the company said in a statement on Friday. It added that it was “currently reviewing the matter”.
White House Arcade games promote Trump policies
Another title, “Rio Run”, uses a format resembling the classic game Snake. The player controls a figure representing Mr Trump as it moves around collecting people attempting to cross the US-Mexico border.
“Supply Line” is based on the mechanics of the arcade game Tapper. Food travels along a conveyor belt and players must reject items that fail to meet the administration’s “Make America Healthy Again” standards.
The remaining two games are set above Washington. In “Flappy Bill”, an eagle carries legislation across the National Mall, while “Trump Savings Tycoon” asks players to collect money falling through the air to “Fill your kids’ Trump Accounts”.
Trump Accounts are tax-advantaged investment accounts for children. The US Treasury says eligible children born between 1 January 2025 and 31 December 2028 can receive a one-off $1,000 government contribution, provided an account is opened for them.
The Treasury officially launched the accounts and a supporting app on 4 July. It said families could use the service to view balances, make contributions and access financial education material, while employers, charities and governments may also contribute.
The White House promoted the Arcade on social media through animations styled around loading screens associated with major games companies. One sequence transformed the Sega logo into “MAGA”, an abbreviation of Mr Trump’s “Make America Great Again” slogan.
The White House website describes the games as part of its wider presentation of the administration’s priorities. Its Arcade page lists “Flappy Bill”, “Build the Wall”, “Rio Run”, “Supply Line” and “Trump Savings Tycoon”, with a further game marked as coming soon.
