Wplace takes the internet by storm as millions of users ‘paint the world’ together
The gamified world map on which users create pixel art depicting everything from Trump to Pokémon is a space for creativity – and protest
In a new corner of the internet, users are invited to “paint the world”. And paint they have. Welcome to Wplace – an ever-evolving, gamified global map overflowing with drawings made on a more than 4-trillion-pixel canvas.
Launched on July 21, the artwork on Wplace is already overwhelming, ranging from simple stick figures and thin-lettered words to colourful fan art and highly detailed images users have created under online pseudonyms.
“It’s wild and chaotic and crude,” says Yotam Ophir, a professor of communication at the University at Buffalo, in New York state, whose research includes analysing digital spaces. That is part of Wplace’s appeal, he adds, describing the site as something of a “rebellion” against what the internet has become.