White House removes border-wall game after Tetris criticism
The White House removed Build the Wall from its online arcade after The Tetris Company objected to the game’s resemblance to Tetris and its divisive rhetoric.
The White House has removed Build the Wall, a browser game that asked users to stack bricks along the US–Mexico border, from its online arcade.
The game was introduced on 3 September as part of a group of policy-themed minigames linked to the Trump administration. Its block-stacking mechanics deliberately resembled Tetris while depicting border-wall construction.
The Tetris Company said on 4 September that it was not involved in the project and criticised what it described as the game’s divisive rhetoric. The company also said it took potential copyright infringement seriously.
In comments to Engadget, The Tetris Company said it was reviewing the matter but did not commit to legal action. It is unclear what further response, if any, followed.
The reason for the game’s removal was not officially confirmed. Its disappearance appeared to follow the company’s public criticism. Other White House games reportedly resembled existing titles, including Flappy Bill, based on Flappy Bird, and Rio Run, based on Snake.
