New casual game targets the jobless

Entitled ‘Layoff’ the game is based on the successful Bejeweled template, and sees players matching up lines of three or more like-minded workers – be they workmen, mechanics or office workers.

Points, or annual costs savings, are rewarding for matching up workers and bumping them out of the workplace. However, any financiers that appear in the game area cannot be eliminated – the pub being that their jobs are safe.

A statement from the developers reads: “One of the principal challenges during game development was addressing a social issue team members felt strongly about without being didactic.”

Some industry observers, however, have poured scorn on the title, with GamesBrief’s Nicholas Lovell stating: “Some people think it’s in bad taste; the majority seem to think it’s pretty cool. Personally, I think it’s incredibly damaging to the perception of business at a time when, frankly, we need to remember that business is the long-term driver of economic prosperity.”

If you want to make up your own mind, click here to take a look at the game.