The Game of Influence

Navigate an elite dinner where every choice shapes your fate.

In "The Game of Influence", players are dropped into a high-stakes social simulation, where every choice they make affects their inclusion or exclusion from a group. Assigned a random identity – complete with background, income, and beliefs – they must navigate a judgmental dinner party setting, uncovering how social bias, privilege, and unspoken norms shape who gets to belong. Inspired by European values and contemporary light art, this game invites players to confront the invisible forces that govern social life.

Game as culture

"The Game of Influence" uses gameplay as a lens for cultural critique. By simulating subtle and systemic forms of inclusion and exclusion, the game becomes a mirror to real-life European societies, challenging players to reflect on the ideals of human dignity, freedom, and equality. The desaturation mechanic shows how society can quietly erase those who don’t (or can’t) fit in, sparking awareness and empathy through interaction.

Game through culture

This experience is built through cultural inspiration. Drawing from installations by Olafur Eliasson and James Turrell, the game uses light, space, and perception to visualize the fading of social presence. Choices transform the atmosphere around the player, echoing how our environment and heritage subtly shape behavior. Every interaction is filtered through cultural lenses (privilege, identity, hierarchy) forcing players to navigate a world coded with implicit social rules.

Game for culture

"The Game of Influence" doesn't offer easy answers but opens space for dialogue on social justice, systemic bias, and personal responsibility. The game challenges traditional notions of merit by confronting players with the quiet violence of everyday exclusion. In doing so, it carves out a space within contemporary digital culture for meaningful, transformative storytelling.

Credits

Florentina Bujupai – Artist
Sofie Østerby Spielberg – Crafter, Gamemaster
Sofie Bredahl – Designer
Evelyn Denise Lencina Rosales – Storyteller, Gamemaster

Everyone – Storyteller, Gamemaster

Instructions and controls

Interaction:
Left Click – Start Game / Interact

Best on Google Chrome