The Tetris Company condemns the White House’s ‘Build the Wall’ game, says it’s against dividing people

The Tetris Company has spoken out against a Tetris clone posted on the White House’s website.

Last week the White House launched a new Arcade section, including low-budget indie games all designed to promote its work and some of the policies led by Donald Trump.

One of these games, titled Build the Wall, refers to Trump’s ongoing promise to build a wall across the US-Mexico border to prevent Mexicans from entering the country.

The game is a Tetris clone, but rather than clearing lines the aim is to continue to build the wall as high as possible, to prevent “the coming horde” from getting past.

Although the horde are represented by zombies in the game, the fact it has a sign saying “Southern Border” makes it clear that they’re supposed to be Mexicans.

Now The Tetris Company has spoken out against the game, posting a message on its official X and Instagram pages and stating that it’s entirely opposed to its message.

“At Tetris we believe in the power of connection and bringing people together, not dividing them,” the statement reads. “To our fans everywhere – we love you, we see you, and we’re grateful to have you in our community.”

It adds: “P.S. The Tetris Company was not involved in the creation of Build the Wall. P.P.S. We take copyright infringement very seriously.”

Other games on the White House’s Arcade page include a Flappy Bird clone called Flappy Bill, where players guide a bald eagle down the National Mall, and Supply Line, where players have to “sort the school lunch to Make America Healthy Again”.

At least one other game refers to the Mexican border, however – Rio Run is a Snake clone where players have to “patrol the line along the river” and “pick up every crosser in the lot”.

As players pick up immigrants they’re dressed in orange jumpsuits and added to the back of their line, and when you get Game Over the game informs you how many immigrants were “deported”.

The White House says it will continue using video games for propaganda

This is far from the first time the Trump White House has used video games to get across its messaging, often to objections from those used in those messages.

Earlier this year, Steve Downes – the voice of Halo’s Master Chief – demanded that the White House remove his voice from a propaganda video about the Iran War, which included a clip of Master Chief saying he was “finishing this fight”.

“Let me make this crystal clear – I did not participate in nor was I consulted, nor do I endorse the use of my voice in this video, or the message it conveys,” Downes wrote. “I demand that the producers of this disgusting and juvenile war porn remove my voice immediately.”

Last year Halo co-creator Marus Lehto and chief designer Jaime Griesemer condemned an ICE recruitment post from the Department of Homeland Security, which showed a screenshot from Halo along with the message “destroy the Flood – join ICE”.

“Using Halo imagery in a call to ‘destroy’ people because of their immigration status goes way too far, and ought to offend every Halo fan, regardless of political orientation,” Griesemer wrote. “I personally find it despicable. The Flood are evil space zombie parasites and are not an allegory to any group of people.”

Also last year, The Pokémon Company officially stated that it did not give permission for the use of the Pokémon anime theme song in another Department of Homeland Security post on X, showing alleged illegal immigrants being apprehended by ICE with the caption “gotta catch ’em all”.

The Department of Homeland Security also told journalist Alyssa Mercante last year that it had no plans to stop using video games to spread its messaging.

“We will reach people where they are with content they can relate to and understand, whether that be Halo, Pokémon, Lord of the Rings or any other medium,” a statement given to Mercante read. “DHS remains laser focused on bringing awareness to the flood of crime that criminal illegal aliens have inflicted on our country. We aren’t slowing down.”