White House arcade games raise copyright questions over ‘Build the Wall’
The Tetris Company says it had no involvement in a White House game depicting a fictional border siege and is reviewing the matter.
The White House has released a series of arcade-style games presenting Trump administration policies through formats allegedly modelled on existing titles, drawing copyright concerns and criticism over their treatment of migration and other political issues.
The Verge reported that “Build the Wall” resembles Tetris and requires players to stack interlocking shapes to stop a “zombie border siege” along the southern border. Characters described as aliens attempt to cross before gates close.
Tetris spokesperson Kerri Brusca told The Verge that the company was not involved in creating the game. “We are currently reviewing the matter,” Brusca said, adding that Tetris had spent more than 40 years bringing people together through play and joy.
The Verge also identified Sega, Nintendo, Xbox and the Flappy Bird Foundation Group as companies whose games or brands may have been used as models. The companies had not immediately responded to requests for comment.
Other reported titles include “Rio Run”, which portrays migration through a game resembling Snake; “Flappy Bill”, which involves delivering legislation to the National Mall; and “Supply Line”, a Tapper-style game involving processed food and schoolchildren.
The available material does not establish that copyright infringement has occurred, and the rights holders’ legal positions remain unclear. The games’ authorship, licensing arrangements and intended distribution were also not confirmed in the reporting.
