Games as editorial cartoons: Molleindustria, makers of the amusing (and clever!) Macdonald’s Video Game, have scored a below-the-belt hit with Faith Fighter. It uses comedy and gameplay to convey a rhetorical point. I won’t spoil the fun by telling you what it is – though you might get an idea from their game description:

“Faith Fighter is the ultimate fighting game for these dark times. Choose your belief and kick the shit out of your enemies. Give vent to your intolerance! Religious hate has never been so much fun!”

Plays in-browser. Tons of fun. Makes a point. Even runs in a censored version so you can play the game without seeing the Prophet Mohammad’s face.

UPDATE: After playing through to the end, I think it’s a clever game all around. It’s the ludic equivalent of a political cartoon – seeing all those religious figures bash the stuffing out of each other is frankly hilarious. Plus, their victory shouts after they win are satirical candy. A nice touch is the changing background: every time a character falls, the cityscape behind them is reduced to flaming rubble. By the time the rival gods have ceased battling, the winner is standing in a devastated landscape of rubble and ash. Props!