The Department for Game Development regrets to inform you that we have released the alpha version of Benefit Hero. Your participation has been deemed necessary by people who have never met you nor considered your circumstances.
What is Benefit Hero?
It's a game. About benefits. The clue is in the name, really.
More specifically, it's an idle clicker where clicking forms might be more lucrative than an actual job. Not unlike the real system it satirizes, the game requires you to navigate labyrinthine bureaucracy, manage dwindling energy, and defend against sudden, inexplicable changes to the rules.
We could tell you it's fun, but that would be misleading. It's about benefits, after all.
Why Would Anyone Play This?
Good question. We've been asking ourselves the same thing for months.
Perhaps you enjoy the mundane frustration of systems designed by people who've never had to use them. Maybe you're curious about what happens when existential dread meets game mechanics. Or possibly you just enjoy clicking things while your life slowly ticks away.
Whatever your reason, we've made this game, and now you have to deal with it. Much like the real benefits system.
What's In The Alpha?
The bare minimum required for us to call it a "game" rather than "a series of disappointing clicks."
You'll fill out forms. You'll wait. Sometimes you'll receive benefits. Other times, you'll be told your form was rejected because Mercury is in retrograde and the assessment officer's cat was looking at you funny.
We could list all the features, but much like actual benefits, it's better if you go in with low expectations and then experience mild surprise when anything works as intended.
Known Issues
- The game exists
- People might play it
- We'll probably be forced to develop it further
How to Access This Bureaucratic Nightmare
The alpha version is available at benefithero.uk/game.
To play, simply click the link and prepare to be disappointed. We recommend a strong drink and a sense of humor, though we can't guarantee either will help.
What's Next?
More tedium, most likely. We have plans—much like the five-year plans of certain historical regimes, they look good on paper but implementation may vary.
We'd tell you more, but then you might develop expectations, and we've found it's better for everyone if those are kept to a minimum.
Feedback
If you absolutely must tell us what you think, use X platform to leave some comments. We'll read it with the same enthusiasm as a benefits assessor reviewing your third appeal.
Remember: In Benefit Hero, as in life, lowered expectations are the key to contentment.
Benefit Hero is a work of satirical fiction, though the soul-crushing accuracy of its portrayal of bureaucratic systems may suggest otherwise.