By now, we’ve all seen the bizarre footage of Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa running from NBI operatives. Naturally, the clip of the senator went viral for all the wrong reasons.

And inevitably, the internet did what it does best: It gamified the chaotic political moment. Developed by independent Filipino game developer and TikTok user Jopel (Joniffer Mandac), Senate Run is a free pixel-based side-scrolling browser game built in the same vein as Flappy Bird — the culturally defining title pulled from the web over a decade ago.

@ojijopel Run for your life ang ginawa ko eh… Senate Run now playable! Built with Phaser.js #SenateRun #IndieGame #PoliticalSatire #GameDev #fyp ♬ SUBWAY SURFERS (Main Theme) – Subway Surfers

Developed by TikTok user Jopel

It shares that exact same infuriating DNA: easy enough for a toddler to grasp, yet brutally difficult for even adults to master. Since Senate Run works entirely within a modern browser, you can load it seamlessly on almost any device, whether you’re at your PC or on your smartphone.

You play as a pixelated avatar bearing a striking resemblance to Senator dela Rosa, endlessly attempting to evade capture by cops. While dodging the authorities, your secondary objective is trying not to trip over plastic yellow cones strategically placed for comedic effect. Because, let’s face it, those hazards are the modern-day banana peel. The longer you run, the higher your score climbs. It is a relentless game of survival and, frankly, a perfect microcosm of the Philippine Senate’s current situation.

Of course, we had to test it out for ourselves — or rather, we tried our hardest not to hurl our test devices across the room in sheer frustration. It is a punishing, un-fun way to spend your time, which ironically mirrors the exhausting reality of watching local politics unfold.

As one particularly perceptive kid in our household shouted after a few failed attempts, “This game is cheating!” If there is a description that accurately captures the political machinations unfolding before our very eyes today, she absolutely nailed it. Unfortunately, for millions of Filipinos right now, Senate Run isn’t just a digital distraction — it is reality.

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