New Normative

Authentically Combat Gun Violence With Thoughts & Prayers: The Game

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by

Joanna Mueller
in

As America struggles with its epidemic of gun violence, many citizens feel powerless. Fortunately, there is an app for that in the form of Everyday Arcade’s Thoughts & Prayers: The Game. Never before has a game so accurately portrayed the power of doing absolutely nothing.

The game is free-to-play and browser based. It consists of a map of the United States where players must react to and combat increasing waves of gun violence. By pressing ‘T’ for thoughts and ‘P’ for prayers, players fight back against an ever increasing death toll. As tragedy continues to mount the most effective tactic requires players to constantly, both ‘Think’ and ‘Pray’ amid the chaos.

Thoughts & Prayers: The Game

After several successful instances the game throws players a curve ball and unlocks an additional skill. Now players have the option to press ‘B’ to attempt to ban assault weapon sales. This might seem like an overpowered option, but as the pressure to ‘Think’ and ‘Pray’ intensifies the urge to give in to a new solution increases. Fear not though, even if you succumb to the allure of banning assault weapons, the game will helpfully let you know that such a thing will never happen. Instead it reminds players that banning guns or introducing new policy is unpatriotic and ridiculous.

Just As Pointless As The Real Thing!

Once the timer runs out, the game congratulates players for their tireless efforts . The final score will show exactly how many thoughts and prayers were sent as well as how many lives were saved thanks to the players valiant efforts. Thoughts & Prayers: The Game is so true to life that the number of lives saved though this method will inevitably be zero, every time.

Thoughts & Prayers: The Game is one of many quality titles from the App Store rejected GOP Arcade series of games.

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Joanna Mueller

Staff Writer at New Normative
Joanna Mueller is a lifelong gamer and an aspiring novelist, which means she spends way too much time obsessing about fictional worlds. Coveting well written characters and story above all else, she hopes to shine a light on games and developers who step out of the standard mold and push boundaries. Joanna figures that if you don’t live in the world you want yet, you should get out there and make a new one.

Comments

11 responses to “Authentically Combat Gun Violence With Thoughts & Prayers: The Game”

  1. Brian Avatar
    Brian

    Ban all guns, that way just the criminals have them.

    Reply
    1. Greg Micek Avatar
      Greg Micek

      Feel free to elaborate with facts.

      Reply
      1. Brian Avatar
        Brian

        Er I didn’t really make a statement that needed cited sources, an eye witness & a judge’s orders. Just pointing out that almost every recent shooting, the shooter did something illegal, had illegal guns or made illegal modifications. The only difference is if someone else had a gun they were able to defend themselves.

        Reply
  2. Brian Avatar
    Brian

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Assault_Weapons_Ban

    Reply
    1. Zodiac Eclipse Avatar
      Zodiac Eclipse

      “The assault weapons ban expired on September 13, 2004”

      Reply
      1. Brian Avatar
        Brian

        I know, read the part where it didn’t really do anything

        Reply
        1. Zodiac Eclipse Avatar
          Zodiac Eclipse

          The part where it talks about how it didn’t significantly lower the overall amount of gun violence because assault rifles don’t make up very much of the overall percentage of gun violence anyway? So, because it doesn’t do anything to prevent handguns from being used in crimes (since they aren’t the weapons being banned) we should just give up and let them keep making up the majority of mass shooting crimes? I mean, percentage wise, there are fewer mass shootings than regular everyday gun crime so I guess it shouldn’t really be a concern in the grand scheme of things.

          Keep sending those thoughts and prayers, there’s nothing more we can do here.

          Reply
          1. Brian Avatar
            Brian

            I get your point, and even your snotty attitude towards “thoughts and prayers”. My ultimate point is there is no black and white answer. This is probably one of the most grey areas in American politics. Banning guns won’t solve the problem of shootings or mental illness. In almost every recent shooting involving these weapons, the shooter did something “illegal”, ie was in a “gun free zone”, illegally modified a legal gun, or obtained the gun he had illegally. Even more, many of those were from people with a certain type of ideaology, ie radical islam.

            And even if you completely ban assault rifles tomorrow youll still have the criminals who have them or can get them. I do agree more restrictions should be placed on those types of weapons. Better checks and even mental illness evaluations, I could get behind.

          2. Greg Micek Avatar
            Greg Micek

            Don’t agree with you on all points, but you make some reasonable arguments. Personally I’d like to see gun control go further than what you propose, but even better checks, evaluations, and restrictions based on certain prior convictions would be an improvement than what we have now.

          3. Zodiac Eclipse Avatar
            Zodiac Eclipse

            Don’t worry, I know banning assault rifles isn’t a magic bullet (oh the puns!) that will suddenly fix everything, but it’s at least taking some action beyond the hand wringing and meaningless platitudes of people who insist that there’s nothing that can be done so we shouldn’t even try.

  3. ccmclaugh Avatar
    ccmclaugh

    Exquisite!

    Reply

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