Panopticon Online
The tongue-in-cheek video game Nothing to Hide-the name obviously pulled from a common blase reaction to government surveillance-is built on a panopticon-inspired platform. Players are monitored by cyclops-eyed cameras and must control their behavior to please unseen overseers who overreact to minor infractions. If the character steps out of the view of the devices, he is summarily executed-because clearly he's a criminal with something to hide.
"Thank you for participating in your own surveillance," and other Orwellian quotes cover the walls. Spooky-and slightly groovy-music guides players through a dark maze of gray floors exposed by spotlights, forming a smart platform for labyrinthine puzzles.
The up-and-coming dystopian game is an unmistakable jab at the National Security Agency and state-sponsored, surveillance-induced social engineering. Unfortunately, the inescapable jeers and biting comments sometimes water down, rather than reinforce, that message. -Alyssa Hertig
Editor's Note: As of February 29, 2024, commenting privileges on reason.com posts are limited to Reason Plus subscribers. Past commenters are grandfathered in for a temporary period. Subscribe here to preserve your ability to comment. Your Reason Plus subscription also gives you an ad-free version of reason.com, along with full access to the digital edition and archives of Reason magazine. We request that comments be civil and on-topic. We do not moderate or assume any responsibility for comments, which are owned by the readers who post them. Comments do not represent the views of reason.com or Reason Foundation. We reserve the right to delete any comment and ban commenters for any reason at any time. Comments may only be edited within 5 minutes of posting. Report abuses.
Please
to post comments
is an unmistakable jab at the National Security Agency and state