Play Tested
This interactive psychological horror game places the player inside a cold, text-based testing environment designed to evaluate a mobile game prototype. From the start, the tone is clinical and unsettling. A dialogue-based narrator welcomes the player as a chosen test subject and begins asking questions about their gaming habits, preferences, and trust.
The player is then guided through two Flappy Bird-inspired mini-games. Each one is built around a specific “dark pattern” used in real-world mobile games, manipulative design choices meant to exploit user behavior. One game explores monetary tactics like in-game currencies and pay to win mechanics. The other focuses on time-based patterns such as reward pop-ups and delayed gratification.
Between games, players are asked to give feedback. While it appears their answers matter, the game continues regardless, slowly revealing the illusion of control. Text glitches, survey questions become more personal, and disturbing moments, including webcam activation, blur the boundary between player and machine.
By the end, the experience transforms into something far more intrusive and eerie, questioning how much control users actually have in digital environments. This game uses minimal visuals, text, and interactive systems to highlight the psychological impact of dark patterns and the ethics behind player manipulation.