Dutch Artist Launches Build That Bridge as Tetris-Style Response to White House's Build the Wall

Dutch artist and social designer Wouter Sieuwerts has released Build that Bridge, a free browser-based game created as a direct response to Build the Wall, a Tetris-style minigame launched by the White House on Arcade.Gov. The White House site features several games inspired by classic titles, including Rio Run, a Snake-like game, and Build the Wall: Zombie Border Siege, where players stack bricks against incoming "aliens" at the "Southern Border."

Rather than stacking blocks into a wall as in the White House version, Sieuwerts's Build that Bridge uses reversed mechanics: clearing lines grows a bridge from both riverbanks toward the middle. The artist explained his creative approach: "Just as the colonisation of America was turned into child's play, the White House now makes a game out of excluding migrants. But play is precisely how you discover the world and get to know new people and customs. So for everyone who would rather build bridges than walls, I made Build that Bridge. Play along and make yourself heard."

The game emphasizes connection and collective action. Players can start their own bridge or join others' projects, with markers on riverbanks showing where fellow builders are joining from. A live counter tracks total bridge builders, current players, and total "meetings" across all bridges, which Sieuwerts describes as a running tally of players' collective voice.

Build that Bridge is free to play at buildthatbridge.eu with no ads, no data collection, and no account required. The Tetris Company publicly distanced itself from the White House's Build the Wall game, stating it believes in "the power of connection and bringing people together." Players interested in supporting refugee resettlement are directed toward UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency.