Pocket God – insulting or good fun?

By Emmanuel Narokobi

Pamela brought my attention to a popular iPhone game called ‘Pocket God‘. The game involves a little Pacific island where little islanders are plopped onto a small island and where you can torment them in several ways by either throwing them into the sea, flinging them into volcanoes, dragging them up in the air and shaking them and other fun filled godly acts.

You can see the game in action below:

Now maybe us in PNG can shy away from feeling anything towards the game because they have a Easter Island statue on the little island, but something for some reason irks me just a little about the game. Maybe because as a reviewer of the game put it, ‘There are really only a few ways of making the islander’s lives miserable, and no ways of making their lives better’. Does it have a larger social meaning or am I just being a hyper sensitive post colonial islander? A good discussion can be found here with the games designers as well.

Also some screen shots here from the technical review:

Judging by the load screen, the islanders are in for a bad day.

Feed the volcano three islanders, and lava will rain from the sky.

When smiting islanders, it’s the personal touch that makes it all the more satisfying.

Instructions are simple and clear.