Game Mocks “Thoughts & Prayers” Following Gun Violence

“Thoughts and prayers” are the go-to expression of sympathy for most US politicians following recent mass shootings. After Orlando, San Bernardino, and Sandy Hook especially, those same three words have become a familiar platitude. A new game, though, wants to expose just how empty and ineffective those words are against gun violence.

Thoughts & Prayers – developed by Brian Moore, Mike Lacher, and Will Herring for GOP Arcade – puts you in the shoes of a politician. While mass shootings break out across a map of the US, you have the option to “Think” or to “Pray.” After enough Thoughts & Prayers, a third option appears: “Ban assault weapon sales.” Pick that option to be told that you don’t have enough votes or that you are un-American. A final summary informs you how many prayers you made, and how many lives you saved. Invariably, the latter figure is zero.

“We’ve seen enough gun violence. Everyone gives out the same message and it’s got to the point of complete ridiculousness. Politicians are skirting taking action,” Moore explained to The Guardian. “Mass shootings are at an all-time high. We love the idea of people having a debate over this. It’s a very important topic to cover and some sort of action needs to be taken.”

Predictably, the reaction on both sides of the gun legislation debate to Thoughts & Prayers has been vociferous, and Moore’s visit to a pro-rifle website didn’t go down well.