City Invader

Today, a lot of public architure like commercial buildings, factories, city halls and churches are viewed as expressions of wealth and authority, explains South Korean designer Sungbae Jo. “These buildings are generally used during business hours, but at night they stand in the middle of the city like oppressive monsters.”

City Invader is a playful game to bring entertainment to these otherwise rigid public spaces. When the game begins, aliens appear to crawl down the side of the building. The player needs to shoot the aliens using a toy laser gun before they reach the ground. If the aliens reach the ground, they take over the city and the game is over. But, if the player kills all the aliens before that point, they save the city.

City Invaders is inspired by “Space Invader”, an arcade game designed in 1978, and creates a very nostalgic feel. It’s a progressive project deliverying the metaphorical message that public institutions are not power-enforcing systems but exist in service of citizens.

“’City Invader uses aliens as a metaphor for abusive authority figures,” explains Jo. “Citizens eliminating aliens represent movements against government authority and its abusiveness.”