Data Scraper

How much of yourself are you willing to spend for progress?

About

Data Scraper is a socio-critical design endless runner about the hidden costs of “free” entertainment. At first glance, it looks harmless: Guide Ninja Frog through traps, collect documents, and rack up points to unlock upgrades. But soon the cheerful façade fractures. The fastest way forward isn’t collection data through sheer skill, instead it's by giving away pieces of yourself.

Inspired by the rise of pay-to-win and watch-to-win mechanics in mobile games, Data Scraper is my student project for playable media which asks players to reflect on the unsettling truth of data capitalism: if the product is free, you are the product. Each economic choice pushes you to consider how much privacy, identity, and personal information you’re willing to trade for fleeting digital rewards.

The game blends playful visuals with horror undertones. What starts as lighthearted fun gradually reveals a darker side, leading you to an inevitable question: when the cost of progress is yourself, will you still be pressing “I Agree”?

Controls

The game is meant to be player with the arrow keys and WASD for movement and navigation, but some menu's might require mouse input to select and interact.