Topped out: Trump runs afoul of Tetris with ‘Build the Wall’ game clone hyping immigration policy

The Tetris Company accused the Trump administration of copyright infringement over its spoof of the iconic video game, in which players are tasked with building a wall to keep out a “zombie border siege.”WASHINGTON (CN) — The Trump administration found itself on the wrong side of the arcade cabinet on Friday over its immigration-themed clone of classic video game Tetris, as its developers distanced themselves from the stunt and threatened the White House with copyright infringement.In its latest messaging blitz ahead of the midterm elections, the Trump administration Thursday evening launched a section of the White House website featuring arcade-style games promoting President Donald Trump’s policies, reminiscent of Flash-gaming websites popular with children in the mid-2000s.Some games closely resembled existing titles. The Trump team’s “Build the Wall” was a near-exact copy of Tetris, complete with the 1980s arcade staple’s signature stacking blocks.But the Tetris Company, which develops official Tetris games and owns its license, said Friday it was “not involved” in the Trump version.“At Tetris we believe in the power of connection and bringing people together, not dividing them,” the company wrote. “To our fans everywhere; we love you, we see you and we’re grateful to have you in our community.”The message of solidarity from Tetris’ developers was an apparent nod to the anti-immigrant overtones of the Trump administration’s block-stacking clone. The “Arcade.gov” description reads, “Protect the border from the coming horde.”“Stack bricks. Hold the line,” reads the title screen beneath a subtitle describing the game as building a wall against a “zombie border siege.” Players stack blocks as neon-colored zombie sprites bounce off the tower against a synthwave-style backdrop and a sign reading “Southern Border.”The Tetris Company, meanwhile, appeared to suggest it could pursue copyright action. “We take copyright infringement very seriously,” the developers said in a statement.A White House spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment or questions about the Tetris Company statement or possible copyright action.Trump Tetris remained available on the White House website as of Friday afternoon.Tetris was first developed in the Soviet Union by software engineer Alexey Pajitnov and released to Western audiences in 1988. Unlike the Trump administration’s wall-building version, the aim is to remove blocks from play. The game ends if the blocks stack too high.On Thursday, the White House released five arcade games promoting the president’s policy agenda. One, modeled on “Snake,” has players control administration border czar Tom Homan and round up immigrants at the southern border. Immigrant characters appear in orange prison jumpsuits when caught, with scores based on the number “deported.”Another features a rendition of boxer Mike Tyson, a public face of the Trump administration’s “Make America Healthy Again” movement. Another is based on the defunct mobile game Flappy Bird, whose developer removed it from app stores in 2014 after saying he felt guilty people had become addicted to it.The Trump administration has long invoked video game imagery and culture in promoting its policy agenda. The Pentagon took flak at the beginning of the Iran war for hype videos which interspersed real-life footage of airstrikes with gameplay from Call of Duty. The White House has also invoked the Halo series to compare immigrants with the sci-fi title’s alien enemies.“We got Trump Arcade before GTA 6,” the White House posted on X Friday afternoon, alluding to a popular internet meme about the upcoming installment of Grand Theft Auto — releasing a week after the November midterm elections.Subscribe to our free newslettersOur weekly newsletter Closing Arguments offers the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world, while the monthly Under the Lights dishes the legal dirt from Hollywood, sports, Big Tech and the arts.Additional Reads