OVERVIEW

'Algo' employs 1-bit visuals and a simple variable control system to immerse players in the small pocket-sized world of a mobile phone. As a cursor, they navigate through the woods of social media, speaking to Algo, the Algorithm, and learning how their choices influence their feed.

This is a short serious game, lasting around 1 minute.

DESIGN

'Algo' uses Bitsy's trademark 1-bit, almost monochromatic visual style. Rendered in stark black and yellow to evoke the glow of a phone screen in a dark room. The player navigates a scrolling feed of simple icons — trees, music notes, cats — scattered across the void like content tiles waiting to be clicked. The minimal pixel aesthetic, with its bright symbols against deep black, mirrors the addictive pull of endless scrolling. The result is a pointed digital commentary on algorithmic curation.

The map is illustrated to look like dense digital woods as a metaphor for how online life currently feels: full of ads, sponsored content, paywalls, low-quality content, and AI slop.

The game's 'feed results' communicate that every interaction with online content has consequences, and algorithms quickly decide what you like. At the same time, the platforms continuously collect your data in an 'infinite' adjustment process, where the feed keeps adjusting to user inputs; this is reflected by the game's dialogue.

ROLES

'Algo' was created as a solo project, with all development roles handled by me:

• Game Creator & Designer: Designed the concept and narrative flow.

• Art Director & Illustrator: Illustrated all in-game assets in Bitsy. You can read more about the illustrations here.

• Programmer: the game's short, simple code was created in Bitsy.

• Writer: Wrote all dialogue.

• Game Tester: Personally tested the game to ensure clarity, pacing, and consistency in tone and visuals.