Release (Press Release)

31. May 2022

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Curious Bird releases Influence, Inc., a computer game about modern-day propaganda and advertising

Explore the nuances and flaws of the attention economy in this new simulation-strategy game

May 31, 2022 - Stockholm - Curious Bird is releasing Influence, Inc., a simulation-strategy game about modern-day propaganda and advertising, on Steam and Humble.

As the player, you operate a digital influence agency with a variety of potential clients, from governments to corporations to talent agencies. To fulfil missions, you manipulate social media, steer news outlets, uncover secrets, and sway public opinions.

As the month unfolds, so do events in the fictional country of Tiar, which is hovering on the edge of authoritarianism. Will your choices nudge it over? (And, if they do, will you make a profit while doing so?)

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Your initial path is not the only option. The game has five distinct endings, and the story is designed to be experienced (and manipulated) from multiple angles.

While the story is fiction, it’s a fiction closely based on reality. “The greatest strength of the game is its uncanniness,” wrote Théo Aiolfi, a PhD in Politics and International Studies and one of several experts who provided input on the game content. “Because every event has parallels with real life, the plot of the game felt both real and terrifying.”

Influence, Inc. was designed and developed by Curious Bird founder Amanda Warner. Previously, Warner released Fake It to Make It, a freely available educational game about ad-driven fake news that has been played more than 300,000 times in more than 170 countries.

“I want to create games that provoke reflection on modern-day dilemmas,” said Warner. “Social media, clickbait news, and other systems that monetize our attention distract us from acting on critical issues, like eroding democratic norms and climate change. Attention is a limited, vital resource. How are we spending our attention, and what are we neglecting along the way?”

Influence, Inc. can be purchased for $11.99 on Steam and Humble.

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