We Become What We Behold: A Reflection on Media, Perception, and Society

In an age dominated by digital screens and 24/7 news cycles, the phrase “we become what we behold” has never felt more relevant. This powerful idea serves as the central theme of the thought-provoking online game, We Become What We Behold, available to play at soliplay.com. More than just a simple browser-based experience, this game functions as a poignant commentary on the nature of media, the power of perception, and the cyclical relationship between what we see and who we become.

The Premise: A Simple Game with a Profound Message

At its core, We Become What We Behold presents players with a deceptively simple task. You control a camera within a small, pixelated world populated by circular characters. Your objective is to take photographs. However, the game quickly reveals that you are not a neutral observer. The media you create—the events you choose to capture and broadcast—has a direct and immediate impact on the society you are watching.

When you photograph mundane, peaceful moments, nothing happens. The characters continue their simple lives. But the moment you zoom in on conflict, on something unusual or shocking, that image is splashed across a screen within the game world. The population sees it, reacts to it, and begins to emulate it. A single act of violence, when broadcast, can spawn copycats. A strange hat can become a divisive cultural trend. You, the player, by choosing what is “newsworthy,” actively shape the values, behaviors, and ultimately, the destiny of this miniature society.

A Mirror to Our Own World

The genius of the game lies in its brutal simplicity. It holds up a mirror to our own media consumption habits and forces us to confront uncomfortable questions. How often do news outlets and social media algorithms prioritize conflict and outrage over harmony and nuance? The game argues that this is not a passive process. By consuming and sharing certain types of content, we are not just reflecting the world—we are participating in its creation.

We reward sensationalism with clicks and views, which in turn incentivizes the creation of more sensationalist content. This creates a feedback loop: we behold anger and division, which makes us more angry and divided, leading us to create and consume even more content that reflects that new reality. The game’s title is not a suggestion; it is a warning of an inevitable cycle.

The Power of the Frame

Another critical concept the game explores is the power of framing. As the camera operator, you decide what is inside the frame and, just as importantly, what is left out. You never see the full context of an event; you only see the slice of it you have chosen to capture. This is a direct parallel to how media narratives are constructed in real life. A story can be completely altered by what is emphasized and what is omitted. The game demonstrates that the act of reporting is never truly objective—it is an act of curation that carries immense power.

Gameplay as a Metaphor

The interactive nature of the game makes its message far more impactful than any essay or article could be. You are not being told about this phenomenon; you are actively enacting it. You feel a sense of curiosity at first, perhaps even a mischievous desire to cause chaos. But as the society rapidly spirals into paranoia and violence based solely on the images you’ve decided to publish, that curiosity often turns to unease, guilt, or a sense of helplessness.

You realize you cannot stop the cycle you started. Even if you try to take a peaceful picture, the world is now so conditioned to conflict that it may be ignored. The game becomes a prison of your own making, a powerful metaphor for how difficult it is to break free from toxic media ecosystems once they have been established.

Beyond the Screen: Personal and Societal Implications

The lessons of We Become What We Behold extend beyond journalism and into our personal lives. On social media, we constantly curate the “frames” of our own existence. We choose which moments to post, which filters to apply, and which versions of ourselves to present to the world. We then behold the carefully curated lives of others and compare them to our own unfiltered reality, often leading to anxiety and insecurity. We behold perfection and feel imperfect. We behold outrage and become outraged.

On a societal level, the game is a stark warning about the dangers of homogenized thought and the erosion of nuance. When only the loudest, most extreme voices are amplified, moderate and complex viewpoints are drowned out. Society polarizes into simplistic “us vs. them” dichotomies, much like the blue and red characters that emerge in the game’s later stages.

Is There a Way Out?

The game itself offers no easy solutions, which is perhaps its most honest feature. It doesn’t end with a button to “fix society.” It ends when the world you’ve created consumes itself. This bleak ending serves as a call to action for the player. It urges us to step back from our roles as both consumers and creators of media and to practice critical awareness.

We must ask ourselves: What are we beholding daily? What narratives are we reinforcing with our attention and our clicks? Are we seeking out diverse perspectives, or are we trapped in an algorithmic echo chamber? Becoming conscious of our consumption is the first step toward breaking the cycle.

Conclusion: A Lasting Impact

We Become What We Behold is a masterclass in using the interactive medium of video games to deliver a serious social commentary. It takes a complex, sociological concept and makes it tangible, immediate, and deeply personal. In just a few short minutes of gameplay, it conveys a message that lingers long after the browser tab is closed.

It reminds us that we are not passive recipients of our culture. We are active participants in its creation. Every time we share a story, watch a video, or even choose to look away, we are casting a vote for the kind of world we want to live in. The game’s ultimate lesson is one of profound responsibility: be mindful of what you behold, for you are, inevitably, in the process of becoming it.

You can experience this powerful game for yourself at: https://soliplay.com/games/we-become-what-we-behold