Arcade

PLAYER ONE

I wrote an essay about treating your life like a video game. Then I figured I should build the video game. Pick a character, clear five levels, beat your high score. No downloads, no sign-up. It runs right here in your browser.

Read the essay that started it

Press start

PLAYER ONE

A pixel-art platformer. Eight characters, five levels, one high score to beat.

HIGH SCORE · 0

Choose your character

Each one plays differently. That's the point.

Paused

Take a breath

Level clear

Nice run

Game over

Try again

You try again and again, come back with a different strategy, and make it.

You win

Roll credits

Read the essay

How to play

Move with the arrow keys or A and D. Jump with space or the up arrow. Hit X or shift for your character's special move. P pauses.

On a phone, use the buttons on screen.

Land on an enemy to stomp it. Grab everything you can. Reach the flag to clear the level. Pick a different character and the whole run feels different.

Keep going

Your life is a video game →

The essay this whole thing came from. Stop being an NPC.

More tools →

The rest of the toolkit. Less play, more leverage.