New Delhi, Oct 16: What if marching towards Jantar Mantar meant earning ‘points’ by gathering crowds, dodging tear gas and water cannons, and trying to avoid detention? Scenes that unfolded on the streets of Delhi are now being recreated on screens as free online video games inspired by the Jantar Mantar protests.
From ‘Jantar Mantar Chalo’, where players can choose between a protester and police personnel to ‘Bhaag Neha Bhaag’ inspired by AISA president Neha Bora’s attempts to reach Jantar Mantar, game creators are turning the political developments into gaming experiences.
In another game, ‘Jantar Mantar to Jail’, players step into the shoes of Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) members Abhijeet Dipke, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, dodging falling jail bars and police personnel while collecting coins marked ‘Accountability’ and ‘Democracy’.
For Suraj Kushwah, a 27-year-old Bareilly resident who created the ‘Jantar Mantar Chalo’ video game, the idea came while watching the news. He works at a cloud gaming company and is a tech enthusiast.
“I was watching the news and, out of sarcasm, thought of making a game around it,” Kushwah told PTI.
Using artificial intelligence (AI) and his knowledge of gaming, Kushwah developed the game in just one-and-a-half days.
The game allows players to choose between being a protester and Delhi Police personnel.
Protesters must gather people and march towards Jantar Mantar, with a larger crowd making them more powerful.
Those playing as police personnel, meanwhile, must detain as many protesters as possible.
The game recreates several elements associated with the demonstrations. Tear gas slows down protesters, while water cannons provide another obstacle. Players can also dance in front of water cannons and give interviews to media personnel. (PTI)