We Become What We Behold: A Game About News Cycles
"We become what we behold. We shape our tools, and thereafter our tools shape us."
📺What is We Become What We Behold?
We Become What We Behold is a short, thought-provoking browser game developed by Nicky Case. It serves as an interactive social commentary on the viral nature of divisiveness and how the media we consume shapes our reality.
In this 5-minute experience, you play as a news photographer documenting a world filled with Circles and Squares. Your goal is simple: capture "interesting" moments. However, you quickly learn that peace and kindness don't get views — conflict does.
📸Gameplay & Mechanics
The Camera Lens
Your only tool is a camera frame. You drag it across the screen to find events happening between the Circles and Squares. When you snap a photo, it gets published as a TV headline, influencing how the characters behave next.
The Feedback Loop
This is the core mechanic. Capturing a "Square Hates Circle" moment makes the news. The news scares the Circles. The Circles start hating Squares. The feedback loop intensifies until small differences explode into societal chaos.
💡Themes & Meaning
The game illustrates Marshall McLuhan's famous idea: "The medium is the message."
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Sensationalism: The game forces you to ignore peaceful interactions because "Peace is Boring" (a literal game mechanic). You are incentivized to find conflict to progress.
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Tribalism: It shows how easily "us vs. them" mentalities are manufactured. Circles viewing Squares as threats (and vice versa) isn't natural behavior in the game start — it's learned behavior from your news feeds.
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Responsibility: By the end, the game asks us to reflect on our role not just as creators of media, but as consumers who "behold" it.
🧠Walkthrough Tips
1. Capture "Cricket" (At the start)
The game starts slow. You might try capturing a cricket just for fun. The game will tell you that "Peace is fast, but peace is boring." This is your first lesson: the system demands engagement, usually through outrage.
2. Spot the "Hat"
When a character puts on a hat, it's different. Difference attracts attention. Snapping this starts the trend of "fads" and "crazes," showing the lighter side of viral influence before things get dark.
3. The Screaming Guy
Eventually, you'll see a character screaming at another. This is the turning point. Capturing this anger generates the most engagement, but it also sows the first seeds of genuine fear and hatred in the population.
❓Frequently Asked Questions
Is We Become What We Behold free?
Yes! It is a free, open-source web game. You can play it directly in your browser without any downloads.
How long is the game?
It is a very short experience, typically lasting 5 minutes. Its brevity is part of its design, delivering a powerful message quickly.
Is there a mobile version?
It works on most mobile browsers, though the "point and click" mechanic is best experienced on a desktop with a mouse.
What does the ending mean?
(Spoiler) The ending shows everyone killing each other, leaving only the crickets. It suggests that if we let outrage cycles dictate our reality, we destroy ourselves.