New Delhi: The protest does not end at the barricade anymore. It continues on a browser screen, where players dodge policemen, leap over roadblocks, and collect coins labelled “Democracy”.
What began with IT professional Suraj Kushwah’s Jantar Mantar Chalo, a satirical browser game inspired by Delhi’s protests, has spawned a small genre of political gaming.
Developers are turning demonstrations, detentions, and the arguments surrounding them into arcade-style games, borrowing mechanics from familiar mobile titles to package political commentary for an internet audience.
From barricades to browser games
One of the most widely shared games is Bhaag Neha Bhaag, created by brothers Anav Nayar and Akshay Nayar. The endless-runner game features AISA president Neha Bora dodging a pursuer dressed in khaki and orange, jumping over barricades and collecting “Democracy” coins.
Its format draws on games such as Subway Surfers, while its imagery references recent news around Bora’s attempts to reach Jantar Mantar and her repeated detentions.
The brothers have also developed Jantar Mantar to Jail. Players can choose to play as Cockroach Janta Party members Abhijeet Dipke, Saurav Das, or Ashutosh Ranka. They must dodge falling jail bars and police personnel while collecting coins marked “Accountability” and “Democracy”.
Barricades, police action, and political slogans become obstacles in the game.
Turning protest into play
The game that helped set off this wave was developed by Suraj Kushwah, a 27-year-old IT professional from Bareilly. In Jantar Mantar Chalo, players can take the role of protesters trying to reach the protest site or police personnel attempting to stop them.
Protesters gather crowds, evade tear gas and water cannons, and push through roadblocks. Those playing as police can wield lathis and detain protesters.
Kushwah has described the game as “dark humour”, using the language of video games to satirise the confrontations playing out on Delhi’s streets.
Also Read: CJP protesters recount Delhi detention merry-go-round—‘a bus, endless detours, no destination’
Not all games take the same side
The games do not all offer the same political perspective. CJP, It’s Done, Bro presents a counterpoint to games associated with the CJP-led protests.
Instead of navigating barricades, players burst balloons carrying political claims, throw darts in a level called “Delulu Pro Max”, break shields labelled “Propaganda” and distinguish rumours from fact-checks in a final level called “Anarchymaxxing”.
Its tagline — “Big claims. Zero receipts. Let’s see what survives” — makes the premise clear.
Politics built for the scroll
The games are free, browser-based, and promoted through social media platforms such as Instagram. For developers, this format offers a way to respond to political events as they unfold.
A demonstration can become a game within days, its most recognisable images and slogans converted into characters, obstacles and scores. For players, the experience is familiar: run, jump, dodge, collect and try again.
As Delhi’s protest season spills across social media, the contest is no longer confined to the streets. It is also unfolding in browser tabs, one barricade and one “Democracy” coin at a time.
(Edited by Maryam Hassan)