Gen Z Delhi protests go digital: 'Jantar Mantar Chalo' game goes viral where protesters dodge police

The game, inspired by "Jantar Mantar 2.0", allows players to choose between two sides: the protesters (Andolankaris) and the Delhi Police.

The Gen Z protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar has now gone digital!A 27-year-old IT professional, Suraj Kushwah, has developed a satirical browser-based video game, Jantar Mantar Chalo, transforming the high-stakes friction of Delhi's protest landscape into an interactive digital battleground.

The game, inspired by "Jantar Mantar 2.0", allows players to choose between two sides: the protesters (Andolankaris) and the Delhi Police.

According to The Print, Bareilly-based Kushwah, who works as a DevOps engineer at oneplay.in and runs a Linux-focused YouTube channel, goes by the name 'bugswriter' online.

"I was watching news of current protests. A lot of people were trying to reach Jantar Mantar, and they were finding different ways," Kushwah told the publication about the game he built over two sleepless nights. "I had this concept, and it's kind of like a dark humour for me, so I thought, let's just build a game."

It has gained massive traction since he shared a gameplay video on Instagram. After Kushwah's reel went viral and was shared by influencers, the number of players online consistently exceeded 1,500, he told The Print.

Choose your side: Andolankari vs Delhi Police

Rather than a traditional linear platformer, Jantar Mantar Chalo borrows its core mechanic from the popular multiplayer game Slither, putting players in a tug-of-war where numbers dictate power, Kushwah told the publication.

Players pick one of two sides:The Protesters (Andolankaris): As a protester, the player's objective is to gather people and build a large kafila (procession), break through barricades, and make your way to Jantar Mantar to stage a dharna.To survive the journey, they must dodge the police, use a gamchha to evade CCTV cameras, and eat golgappas to restore stamina. The protestors must also be careful of "Godi media" -- encountering them might get your followers brainwashed, causing them to leave the procession.If a protester is detained, the game will send them to remote locations such as the Kapashera border or Narela Stadium, and they will have to find their way back.

The Delhi Police: As the Delhi Police, the player's objective is to prevent the protesters from reaching the site using tactics such as lathi charges, tear gas, and detentions.

Satire on the streets

The Print highlighted that the game doubles as sharp social commentary on the logistical minefield of modern public assembly.

As players advance, pop-up notifications mimic the unpredictability of real life:

DMRC metro station gates suddenly shutter, local mobile internet connections snap without warning, and lathi charges erupt.

Detained protesters find themselves dumped at distant peripheries like Narela or the Kapashera border, forcing them to find their way back to central Delhi.

The urban environment is crammed with familiar urban hurdles -- potholed streets, overflowing dumpsters, and stray cows blocking intersections.

A roadside tea stall offers temporary cover, while a local Gurudwara serves as a designated safe haven.

A news ticker satirises contemporary headlines with deadpan one-liners across the bottom of the player's screen:

"Tear gas shells found past expiry date, protesters file consumer complaint."

"Paper leak probe report also leaked, officials confirm..."

The game also incorporates an ideological coin toss: encountering a news crew has a 50-50 chance. Bumping into independent media amplifies your message and draws fresh recruits to your procession, but running into establishment channels peels off members of your crowd.

Before launching the game, Kushwah had already told a friend what would happen: "I was damn sure this will go viral," he said.