A bureaucratic simulation game about propaganda and censorship.
Should you censor dissent or let the people be heard?
WHY
SILENCER
I remember the paper’s infancy–my mom headed out each morning in a bright yellow safety jacket, joining her colleagues to promote their brand-new newspaper on the streets. I remember late at night, I slept on the couch in my mom’s office, watching her work on the next day’s front page. The room was dark because she had turned off all the lights but the tiny lamp on her desk, just to make sure I could get some good sleep.
I remember hiding under a massive meeting table and eavesdropping on the heated debates. It was a time when different voices were respected, when people shared their opinions and argued and left the room still as friends.
Since the Beijing News was still unknown, my mom and her colleagues managed to get away with their “naughty” behavior–in the eye of the government, of course–for covering stories that no other newspapers would touch.
The consequences were somewhat bizarre: writing formal apologies to the government as a way to reflect on their so-called mistakes. My mom told me she once wrote 76 apologies a year. I wondered if she had some of them pre-written and ready to go before sending out the next day’s stories.
It didn’t take long for the newspaper to take off. For years, people in Beijing turned to the Beijing News as the only source for real news.
In order to survive censorship and maintain journalism integrity, the newspaper always toed the line of censorship protocols, but never quite stepping over.
With their growing influence, however, the government could no longer tolerate it. In 2009, one of the chief editors was replaced by a government puppet. Other founders resigned or were ousted. Many were blacklisted from ever working in journalism again.
My mom stayed a few years longer, trying to maintain the newspaper’s integrity, but eventually she had to admit defeat.
She left the newspaper with an offer to become the CEO of the most influential Chinese company that I would not name here. A few days later, orders from the higher up reached that new company, and the offer was rescinded.
Later, I found out that it was the end of the Chinese journalism golden age that I witnessed.
A few years ago, when I was visiting Beijing, I picked up the daily issue of the Beijing News. It was no different than other party-controlled papers.
When my mom was diagnosed with cancer in 2020, a thought came to my mind–
I want to create something that commemorates what they did and what they stood for.
Silencer, the project that we have the honor to present to you, is meant to commemorate the journalists and editors who put up a good fight.
THE
GAME
Silencer is a bureaucratic simulator about censorship and misinformation in journalism and politics. As a low-level news censor employed by the authoritarian government, Ogalia, the player will–
Players will wrestle with the ultimate question: Should they censor dissent or let the people be heard?
- Interpret censorship protocols
- Read news articles
- And decide if an article should be taken down
Players will wrestle with the ultimate question: Should they censor dissent or let the people be heard?
THE
MISSION
Silencer would like to invite players to read medium-length in-game news articles. By taking actions as a news censor, the game encourages players to think about why the fictional government curates information in a certain way, and why the players have to censor what they censor in the game.
Ideally, players walk away from the game and go back to real life with new understandings of journalism and information control.
TARGETED
AUDIENCE
At playtests and game conventions, Silencer has seen success in the following demographics.
Book/Story Lovers
Silencer is a text-heavy game that encourages players to spend time reading. Book lovers and story lovers are naturally the audience that will love this game. The team plans to work with public libraries and share this game with avid readers there.
Teenagers and Preteens
We have noticed that some of the most dedicated players we have are teenagers and preteens, who are usually more patient and better readers than adults.
So far, the two known players who made it through Silencer’s demo without making any mistakes are a 14-year-old and a 7-year-old.
We have also observed that at family-friendly conventions, parent are more willing to allow their children to play Silencer than other games. Some parents played with their children, reading alongside and helping them understand the words and meanings of different things.
Teenage playtesters have also approached the team, telling us they would very much like this game to be incorporated into their English classes.
The team, therefore, recognizes Silencer as a project that has the potential to aid in educating the next generation, both in reading and in raising responsible citizens who promote democracy.
So far, the two known players who made it through Silencer’s demo without making any mistakes are a 14-year-old and a 7-year-old.
We have also observed that at family-friendly conventions, parent are more willing to allow their children to play Silencer than other games. Some parents played with their children, reading alongside and helping them understand the words and meanings of different things.
Teenage playtesters have also approached the team, telling us they would very much like this game to be incorporated into their English classes.
The team, therefore, recognizes Silencer as a project that has the potential to aid in educating the next generation, both in reading and in raising responsible citizens who promote democracy.
Professionals/
White-Collar Workers
Silencer is a game that people who are traditionally deemed as “non-players” would enjoy, and people with white-collar jobs perform better in general.
The team once showed Silencer to a group of lawyers who graduated from Harvard. The lawyers were nervous about games at first, but once they realized it was, quote, “a reading game,” they were very interested. The lawyers ended up finishing the demo in record time–interpreting rules and text is part of what they do, after all.
At playtests and conventions, white-collar workers usually perform better among the general audience. They pick up the rules faster than others, and they tend to spend more time reading closely.
The team once showed Silencer to a group of lawyers who graduated from Harvard. The lawyers were nervous about games at first, but once they realized it was, quote, “a reading game,” they were very interested. The lawyers ended up finishing the demo in record time–interpreting rules and text is part of what they do, after all.
At playtests and conventions, white-collar workers usually perform better among the general audience. They pick up the rules faster than others, and they tend to spend more time reading closely.
Those Interested in Politics/Journalism
Since Silencer features a topic that sadly grows more relevant globally every day, it is only appropriate for the team to include people with an interest in politics and journalism as their targeted audience.
If the opportunity arises, the team hopes to present the game at a politics or journalistic conference and gather feedback from industry professionals.
If the opportunity arises, the team hopes to present the game at a politics or journalistic conference and gather feedback from industry professionals.