Though most countries have begun to see significant declines in coronavirus infections throughout their populations, the United States continues to suffer from the soaring spread of the new disease. Citizens are still expected to remain indoors (unless they are working or performing other essential tasks) and continue social distancing. Options are dwindling for Americans to entertain themselves. Fortunately, entrepreneurs like Christian Massa are doing their part to ensure that the extended indoor stay is not entirely devoid of fun.
Quarantine Gaming: “Square Darr”
People are struggling to keep themselves stimulated while remaining indoors. The monotony of waking up every morning within the same four walls, and proceeding to work, eat, and sleep, all in the same place has begun to wear down on those still adhering to the ongoing shelter-in-place mandates. Because of this persistent tedium, however, many have started to stray from the isolation requirements, leading Christian Massa to devise a way to “keep them distracted” and inside their homes.
Massa, the 28-year-old entrepreneur, has re-introduced a 2014 game by the name of “Square Darr” to the mobile sphere. The central concept is simple: The player controls a small black box, dictating its left-to-right movements by repeatedly tapping the screen. Horizontal red lines slowly descend from the top of the screen with a large enough gap for the box to fit through. The objective is to navigate the black box through the gap without touching either of the red lines. Easy right? Not so much.
This seemingly simple game can keep users busy for hours – perfect for creating a necessary distraction for those stuck indoors. Massa has even taken it upon himself to create incentives for achieving certain milestones in the game. He has begun hosting competitions each night at 8 pm EST in which players are challenged to attain certain scores in the game.
One of the most recent challenges was the “Square Darr 20-for-20 Challenge,” which required players to achieve a score of at least 20. Massa would then send the top three competitors $20 via his Venmo or Cashapp as a reward. These interactive playing periods have garnered over 1,000 downloads and several hours of playing time, already earning the app a 5-star rating after its recent re-release.
The Effects of Staying Indoors Throughout the COVID Pandemic
Concerns of declining psychological health have been widespread amid the rising intensity of the coronavirus pandemic. Among the most prominent issues currently plaguing the American public are:
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Extreme uncertainty
The ability to disconnect from current reality via simple activities like gaming is a reliable method of mitigating such stressors, especially since access to typical getaways like clubs and restaurants has been temporarily barred.
This makes Square Darr yet another effort by Massa to assist the public in combating mental illness, as evidenced by his history in film. In 2016, Massa and his brother developed a short film, titled Pressure, to shed light on the prevalence of suicidal ideation and depression. The documentary My Suicide Story was yet another notch in Massa’s belt regarding his work in mental health awareness.
If you’ve been looking for a way to calm your nerves while holed away in isolation, give Square Darr a try. Who knows, maybe you’ll win a $20 prize while keeping your mental state healthy and optimistic, despite the dark times we presently endure.
