Dutch artist responds to the White House’s Build the Wall game with Build that Bridge
A Dutch artist and social designer, Wouter Sieuwe, has released Build that Bridge, a free browser-based game created as a direct artistic response to the White House’s Build the Wall game launched on Arcade.Gov.
The White House’s Arcade.Gov site features multiple games with controversial themes. Build the Wall: Zombie Border Siege is a Tetris-inspired title where players stack blocks into a wall to defend against incoming “aliens” at the “Southern Border.” Another game, Rio Run, is a Snake-like game in which players collect prisoners in orange jumpsuits, with the game tallying deportation counts at the end of each run. These games appear designed to gamify immigration enforcement policies.
Sieuwe’s Build that Bridge functions as political commentary through interactive media, offering players an alternative narrative to the White House’s presentation. The game is freely accessible online and encourages players to “play along and make yourself heard,” positioning gaming as a platform for political discourse and social resistance.
This exchange demonstrates how video games serve as vehicles for political messaging and cultural expression, with artists leveraging the medium to challenge and respond to policy-driven narratives. The incident underscores gaming’s expanding role in digital activism and political dialogue.