In Corbyn Run, a caricature of Jeremy Corbyn sprints through London’s streets, eagerly trying to knock into and destroy the variety of corrupt officials and conservatives, as well as trying to avoid large broken bottles of Champaign. Whether that symbolizes alcoholism or cronyism is unsure, but the meaning is clear – this is a firmly pro-Labour mobile game. Defeat conservativism and corruption and you will gain the ability to make “Pledges”.
During Corbyn’s mission to destroy all those who oppose him, you will knock coins from his enemies which will fund your “Pledge” bar. Once filled – which only takes about 20 seconds of gameplay – you can “Launch Your Pledge” and one of Jeremy Corbyn’s policies will flash up on the screen with a corresponding cheer. It is somewhat ambiguous if that cheer is “YAY” or a derisory “MAY”, but the people seem to be pleased nonetheless.[sc name=”quote” text=”It is somewhat ambiguous if that cheer is “YAY” or a derisory “MAY”, but the people seem to be pleased nonetheless.”]
As you enact your pledges, people that benefit from it then join your race behind you, gleefully following behind in the case of NHS workers pleased with NHS funding, or pushing prams when you enact 100,000 affordable homes every year. This wave of reinforcements swallows up enemies you might have missed, symbolizing the people of Britain supporting the Labour candidate in literally backing him up in battle.
The gameplay is, of course, secondary to the actual message of the game – namely, vote Labour. What makes Corbyn Run so interesting is its use as a political tool. Labour’s policies are obviously aimed primarily at the left wing, younger generation, so it makes a great deal of sense to create this targeted ad towards that demographic.
However, Corbyn Run isn’t a commissioned advertisement for the Labour party; it is a labour of love by game designers wanting to help spread their political opinions. This isn’t the first time game designers have tried dabbling in politics; in the lead up to the French election, Jean-Luc Mélenchon created a game called “Fiscal Kombat,” the aim being to grab passing capitalists and shake them until their money was added to party funds.
Besides the obvious political message, the great merit of Corbyn Run is that it demonstrates the importance of mobile gaming. Not just is it a device for entertainment, but also political information; now young gamers can be informed about policies and be influenced by their peers.[sc name=”quote” text=”Not just is it a device for entertainment, but also political information; now young gamers can be informed about policies and be influenced by their peers.”]
Politics isn’t just for newspapers and flyers stuffed in your envelope, its importance cannot be understated. Now that we can be informed and entertained by our gaming devices is a great leap towards the total legitimacy of video gaming – maybe now that we can be political, we’ll be taken seriously.
Alongside this, one can imagine the real Jeremy Corbyn playing this on the eve of the General Election in the UK, gleefully attacking a literal spirit ghost representation of May while running with supporters at his back. It’s a beautiful and cathartic image.
