the buzz log

Fact: the economy stinks. You can see the proof in the skyrocketing unemployment and the frighteningly large number of foreclosures. And you can also see it in the surging popularity of a new Web-based game, aptly titled "Layoff."

The game is currently blowing up in Search, thanks to a combination of solid gameplay and social commentary. Think of it as interactive, pixelated satire. Here's how it works: Players are shown a grid of employees. The player moves around the employees until similarly dressed workers line up in a row. As soon as three or more are aligned, they disappear from the grid, go to the unemployment office, and save the company millions of dollars. Hooray for efficiency!

What makes the game unique is that each worker comes with a name and story. You're not just laying off a nameless person. You're laying off people like "Frankie, a quiet and pleasant accountant with diabetes," and "Wes, a school bus driver and single parent."  USA Today explains that the only workers who can't be laid off in the game are the bankers. In fact, the game is over when no one but bankers remain. 

The blogsosphere has picked up the game's popularity. U.S. News & World Report calls the game "sad and fun at the same time." And that appears to have been the goal. In an interview with The Industry Standard, Mary Flanagan, who headed the project, calls Layoff a "kind of a protest game." The dark tone and brutal nature of the game might seem distasteful to some, but the reality it's based on is far worse.