The White House has released a series of arcade-style web games tied to the administration's policy themes — and at least one of them, "Build the Wall," resembles Tetris so closely that the Tetris Company says it was not involved and is reviewing the matter.
In the game, players stack interlocking shapes to hold off a "zombie border siege" along the southern US border, with figures running across the screen toward gates that are being shut. The Verge, which first reported on the games, notes the administration has previously had to delete social media posts after DMCA copyright takedown requests.
The Tetris Company said it was not involved in the creation of the game. "For more than 40 years, Tetris has brought people together across generations and cultures through play and joy," spokesperson Kerri Brusca told The Verge. "We are currently reviewing the matter."
Companies whose recognizable game formats appear to have inspired other titles in the White House lineup — including Sega, Nintendo, Xbox and the Flappy Bird Foundation Group — did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The episode highlights the legal risk of attaching copyrighted game mechanics to policy stunts, even when the games themselves are free to play: rights holders can still object to unauthorized use of their works.
