The recent Suez Canal traffic jam caused by container ship Ever Given, or rather the memes spawned by the previous ineffective attempts to use earth-moving equipment to dislodge the stuck vessel, have apparently inspired designer Eric Wilder to make a video game about it.
Released on itch.io, the game allows players to operate a bulldozer and try to help free the ship.
According to Kotaku, any attempts in the game to "dislodge the boulder wedging the Ever Given into the bank" would prove ineffective, with players receiving a message saying "It’s super stuck."
Idk why I made this. But you can play it here: https://t.co/pqcbnChoP5 pic.twitter.com/Gi8QifnvN1
— Eric Wilder (@Eric_C_Wilder) March 26, 2021
"I just thought the futility of the meme was hilarious," Wilder told the media outlet in an email. "Had to spin that into a game."
A number of social media users appeared amused by Wilder’s creation, with some cracking jokes about the game’s premise.
so the game is super stucked xD
— JoKeR (@FedUpIndian21) March 28, 2021
🤩 thank you Eric
— Luis Confraria (@lconfraria) March 26, 2021
thank you. do you think anyone has ever given up on this game?
— Zozo (@oh_hi_zozo) March 27, 2021
You go Eric...so great to finally hear something positive in the news!!! ❤️
— Michelle Fleet Mattick (@MFleetMattick) March 29, 2021
Ever Given, which is 400 meters long, blocked the Suez Canal after running aground on Tuesday 23 March, stopping over 320 ships in their tracks at each end of the route.
Early on 29 March, a maritime service provider called Inchcape Shipping Services announced that the vessel had finally been freed by salvage teams, with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi later declaring the completion of the operation to unblock the Suez Canal a success.
