Finally, A Video Game Article That is Also a Video Game

You may have already read Leigh Alexander's damn-near definitive recounting of Ian Bogost's satirical Facebook game Cow Clicker right here at Kotaku. But all the same, the world could use another piece about the man and his work, especially if that piece is as clever as the one that Wired just ran.

Titled "The Curse of Cow Clicker: How a Cheeky Satire Became a Videogame Hit," the article traces through the origin of the game into an analysis of what Bogost was saying with his satirical game.


In fact, despite itself, Cow Clicker was perversely enjoyable. The cartoon cow was cute, with a boxy nose and nonplussed expression. After every click, it emitted a satisfying moo. The game may have been dumb and even mean. But it was also, for some reason that resisted easy explanation, kind of appealing.

It's a great read, to be sure, but what makes it so much fun is the (not-so) secret game hidden within the article. It's called "Cowpocalypse!" and it requires you to find and click on each of the 97 instances of the word "Cow" in the article. Each time you do that, a cow pops up on the text. In order to get rid of it, you have to allow the game access to your Facebook profile, after which point you can "send" the cow to one of your friends, along with a message promoting the article.

It's a brilliant bit of self-serving self-parody and commentary. "Cowpocalypse!" lampoons the very thing that Facebook games do with such annoying consistency: It blocks access to the article until you act, and uses readers' enthusiasm for a fun gimmick to turn them unwitting promotional agents for the publication.

Bogost tells me that the idea was dreamt up by Wired staffer Shannon Perkins, who also came up with Cutthroat Captalism: The Game. Well done, Mr. Perkins. Well done.

Head on over there, read the article, and enjoy the cows. Your friends will thank you.

Wait, I mean, "Your friends will unfriend you."

The Curse of Cow Clicker: How a Cheeky Satire Became a Videogame Hit [Wired]

(Top photo | Eric Ogden)