{
  "id": 9484222,
  "title": "How mobile games have become a means of protest against power crisis in Keralam",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/24/how-mobile-games-have-become-a-means-of-protest-against-power-crisis",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-24T04:13:32.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Hindu",
    "slug": "the-hindu",
    "url": "https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/how-mobile-games-have-become-a-means-of-protest-against-power-crisis-in-keralam/article71499638.ece"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Kerala's power crisis has given rise to a unique form of protest, with the Communist Party of India (Marxist)'s youth organizations spearheading the movement. Two web-based games, Indira Cut and Pookki.online, have gained online popularity, using humor and interaction to reflect the everyday struggles faced by residents due to erratic power cuts. Indira Cut, developed by Favas Kinan for the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) Palakkad District Committee, mocks Indira Guarantee, a set of five welfare promises made by the UDF during the 2026 Kerala State Assembly election campaign. Pookki.online, co-created by Sikhin S. and Mr. Kinan, requires players to locate a hidden candle and match within 18 seconds before power is lost. Both games have attracted a significant number of players and views, with Indira Cut amassing over 952,000 unique players and Pookki.online garnering more than 20,000 site views since their release on September 13 and 14, respectively. The games' creators aimed to use humor and engagement to make the message more memorable, directly relating the digital experience to the real-life situation faced by Keralam residents.",
  "summary": "Games made by members of Left-leaning youth organisations criticise the UDF government and Keralam Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan humorously",
  "key_points": [
    "Kerala's power crisis leads to protest games",
    "Indira Cut and Pookki.online gain popularity",
    "Games use humor to reflect residents' struggles"
  ],
  "editors_take": "The rise of web-based games like Indira Cut and Pookki.online shows that humor and interactivity can be effective tools for social commentary and protest, allowing ordinary citizens to engage with and critique current events.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}