We Become What We Behold

About We Become What We Behold

Nicky Case, known for playable explainers about how social systems work, made We Become What We Behold as a short game about media and how stories spread. You look down on a tiny world of circles and squares going about their day, and your only tool is a camera.

Whatever you photograph is shown on a screen for everyone to see, and the crowd reacts to it. Calm, ordinary shots barely register, but dramatic moments grab attention and start to change how the two groups treat each other. In about five minutes, the game makes a sharp point about the feedback loop between news and the people watching it.

How to play We Become What We Behold

• Mouse - move the camera frame
• Click - take a photo

Playing We Become What We Behold on a computer

This short game by Nicky Case uses only the mouse. Move the camera frame over the tiny world of circles and squares, and click to snap a photo. Each picture is shown on a screen for the whole crowd, and the townsfolk react to what they see. Press Play now, then click anywhere in the scene to begin. Watch the reaction after every shot, because that is where the story unfolds.

Playing We Become What We Behold on a phone or tablet

The controls we have confirmed for We Become What We Behold are mouse-based: moving the camera frame and clicking to take photos. Touch input has not been tested, so the game is listed for computers, where framing each shot precisely is easier. Play it on a laptop or Chromebook. Phone-friendly games are labeled "Desktop and mobile".

On a phone right now? Try Basket Random, Amaze and Coreball - they are built for touch screens.

Tips and tricks

• Try photographing ordinary moments first to see how the crowd reacts.
• Watch how each broadcast changes the mood before taking the next shot.
• Play to the end, since the final moments carry the game's main message.

Game details

We Become What We Behold FAQ