We Become What We Behold

What is We Become What We Behold?

We Become What We Behold is a free 5-minute point-and-click news camera game by independent developer Nicky Case. Released in 2016 and built in about two months, it is described as a game about news cycles, vicious cycles and infinite cycles.

You are the camera in a small town square filled with Squares and Circles. Every photo you take appears on the central TV for everyone to see, and the crowd copies what you broadcast. The game runs as an HTML5 browser game with no download, and the original art and code were released into the public domain under Creative Commons Zero, so it can be freely shared and remixed.

One run takes around five minutes. The value is in replaying it once and thinking about what you chose to amplify.

How to play: what to photograph

You have only one action: aim the camera and take photos. Calm photos keep the square peaceful for a while. Unusual, dramatic or angry photos get attention and change behaviour much faster. The story advances when you photograph the right newsworthy moment at the right time.

A typical progression looks like this:

1. Fancy Man With The Hat: Photograph the first unusual character who stands out from the normal peeps. The crowd copies him and a hat trend starts.
2. Normal peeps with hats: Photograph ordinary Squares or Circles who have copied the trend. This shows the second wave of copying, when a novelty becomes peer pressure.
3. Couple in Love: Photograph the Square and Circle couple together. Instead of celebrating them, the broadcast shames them, which is your first clear lesson that kindness does not go viral here.
4. Angry Person yelling: Wait until the angry character is actively yelling at someone, then photograph that action. A still portrait is usually not enough. This is the turning point that starts the media frenzy.
5. Fear and division: Photograph the spreading reactions — fear, snubs and Squares-versus-Circles hostility. Anger and fear multiply faster than love, and each broadcast pushes the town closer to the climax.
6. Let the climax play out: Keep following the new unusual behaviour until the violent confrontation and closing message arrive. Do not close early; the ending needs the final sequence.

Crickets are just background flavour. Photographing ordinary calm moments is useful for comparison, but it will not stop the script for long.

Controls

Where to play: browser, school, Android, iOS and Steam

The original release is a free browser game. It plays instantly in Chrome, Firefox, Safari and Edge with no account and no install, which also makes it Chromebook friendly and suitable for classroom projection.

Many school-friendly portals list it as unblocked for school networks because it needs only a browser. If one portal is blocked, another HTML5 mirror or a self-hosted copy usually works, since the public-domain licence allows legal school hosting.

For other platforms:

• Android: only an unofficial fan port exists, not an official Nicky Case release. Use the official store listing and avoid third-party APK files.
• iOS: there is currently no official App Store version. Play the browser version on iPhone or iPad instead.
• Steam: the listing is a fan-made port, not an official release. Browser play remains the simplest option.
• Mobile browser note: the widely distributed original build was PC-only, while some portals have adapted it to work on mobile browsers under the same open licence.

Is there a good ending or multiple endings?

This is the most confusing question because guides disagree. Some community pages list two, three or more endings, including good, bad, default, neutral and secret labels. Other guides say there is only one ending.

The most useful way to understand it is:

• One scripted climax: the core story is fixed commentary, not a branching puzzle. Most playthroughs build to the same chaotic confrontation and closing message, even if you try to photograph only peaceful moments.
• Community labels: good, bad and default are player interpretations. A calm-focused run can feel bittersweet or hopeful, while a conflict-focused run feels darker, but you are not unlocking a truly different final level.
• Post-credits coda: some accounts describe a short post-credits moment with two characters staying united. Treat this as a change in tone after the same climax, not proof of a hidden winnable path.

For a first run, do not try to optimise for a happy outcome. Let it play out, sit with the result, then replay and photograph the opposite type of moments to feel the difference in pacing. There is no official sequel — videos called part 2 are fan-made.

Stuck? How to get the story moving again

If no new photo seems to advance the story, use this checklist instead of repeating the same shot:

• Catch the action mid-moment: especially for the Angry Person, wait until they are yelling at someone before clicking.
• Scan for something unusual: look for a new expression, different behaviour, odd clothing such as a hat, or characters clustering or scattering.
• Change targets: photographing the same interaction repeatedly can stall progress. Cycle to a different character or event.
• Watch the TV: the caption and crowd reaction after each broadcast hint at what became newsworthy next.
• Let the scene breathe: wait a few seconds for walkers to meet and create the next unusual interaction instead of clicking randomly.

What the Squares vs Circles story means

The game is a media-literacy satire. Squares and Circles start out living side by side. Your camera decides which moments become the news, and the crowd becomes what it repeatedly sees.

Photograph hats and everyone wants a hat. Photograph love and the couple is shamed because peace is boring television. Photograph yelling and yelling spreads. Selective framing turns tiny differences into tribal fear, then into open hostility. That is the vicious cycle in the subtitle.

The opening idea — we shape our tools, then our tools shape us — is the whole point. You are not just observing the town. You are teaching it what gets rewarded with attention. That is why it works well for replay and classroom discussion: ask what was left outside the frame, why calm moments were ignored, and how the same loop appears in sensational headlines, viral clips and social feeds.

FAQ

How long does it take to finish?
Around five minutes for one run. Exploring different photo choices can take 10 to 30 minutes.

Is it free?
Yes. It is free in the browser with no download, login or payment, and the original release was placed in the public domain.

Do I need to find all scenes or TV messages?
No. The scenes are linear story beats, from hats to shaming to fear to open hostility. You do not need a completionist checklist to finish.

Is it suitable for kids or class?
The art is simple shapes with no gore, but the theme includes rudeness, tribal hostility and mass violence as abstract satire. It is often used with ages 12 and up and works best with a short discussion afterward.

What should I try on a second playthrough?
Photograph calm moments first, then compare how quickly conflict still takes over. The contrast makes the message clearer than replaying the same dramatic shots.