Black Mirror isn’t supposed to influence real life. It’s a show that takes trends and real things in society and plays them out to their worst possible retro-futuristic thread. Or sometimes you just go to space. I don’t know, man, the show has a lot going on.
Each episode has a different message about the inevitable creepiness that technology will bring to subsequently ruin our future. But one episode, the first of Season Three, appears to have actually made an impact on this version of the universe. A board game based on that episode is coming, officially licensed by Black Mirror and based on a concept from the show.
Nosedive is a board game based on the episode of the same name, where people used technology to instantly rate people around them. In the episode, that created many unintentional effects, like being unable to book a flight or rent a car because of your social status. And now it appears that concept can be brought to your own social circle.
According to Mashable, a Black Mirror-inspired board game will have people rate their friends, all in the name of fun. The episode that featured Bryce Dallas Howard has brought the digital rankings to our world and might be at your friends’ next board game night.
Nosedive will apparently offer “light social and strategic gameplay that is engaging, interactive and accessible for new players.” It sounds kind of like a nightmare, but the 3-6 player game will apparently take about 45 minutes and comes with a companion app for Android and iOS. That app will offer more than 1,000 “experiences” that help determine social standing between players.
If you are looking for something a bit spicier than Settlers of Catan and really want to pull a Leslie Knope and rank your friends, this is a great opportunity. For the rest of us, perhaps try some of Asmodee’s other games. Like Carcassonne. You know, a nice game about a farming and religious buildings. I’m sure nothing can get tense there.