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Help, Lord, Deliver Me From This Time-Wasting Game
By Alex Johnson
Updated: Feb. 20, 2024
Originally Published: April 29, 2022
There’s a term for games like The Office: Somehow We Manage — a mobile app featuring beloved characters and storylines — and that term is “idle game.” These are games where players can step away and still make progress, allowing Jim, Dwight, Angela, and the others to continue earning Schrute Bucks, yogurt lids, and cups of coffee, depending on the challenge. (I haven’t seen any Stanley Nickels yet, but I did enjoy the special Pretzel Day challenge!)
The goal of the game is straightforward: sell paper by collecting customer leads that magically appear with each sale to increase your earnings. It’s also an “incremental game,” meaning it rewards repetitive actions — in this case, tapping a stack of money to add to the Scranton branch’s total. This constant clicking is referred to as “grinding” in gaming lingo.
My Daily Struggle
So how do I know so much about this game? Because I find myself playing it daily, both actively and idly, and annoyingly, I can’t seem to stop. I strategize earnestly to enhance Jim’s underwhelming earnings and speed up Creed’s slow income. I watch ad after ad for cheesy bingo apps and Shake Shack Buffalo chicken sandwiches just to gain a few extra dollars. I postpone far more important tasks to whip a bunch of pixelated individuals resembling actors from a show I enjoy into shape. (When you phrase it like that, it does sound a bit crazy.) It’s a great way to kill time and waste mental energy, squandering minutes I can never retrieve for no substantial reason.
Reflections on Capitalism
Despite my critiques of capitalism and its pitfalls, I can’t break free from this game. The “idle” earnings uncomfortably reflect how CEOs profit off the hard work of people like us: at the end of each level, the money you’ve earned vanishes into someone else’s pocket. Yet, you’re encouraged to never take a break. Every second and every potential tap of your finger is a chance to advance to a new challenge, another opportunity to earn more. Your task is to accumulate wealth so you can… earn even more. This feels eerily similar to the relentless grind of real life.
Real-Life Grinding
As a freelance writer and editor, I experience similar pressure: my brain screams to accept every opportunity that comes my way. Many of these gigs are uninteresting, pay poorly, and aren’t even necessary, but still, it’s money! I’m grinding in reality just as diligently as I am in the world of Michael Scott. I must ask myself: why do I believe that every billable hour should be spent chasing insignificant amounts? If my bills are covered and there’s food in the fridge, wouldn’t it be wiser to use that time for activities I genuinely enjoy? You know, actually living the life I’ve worked so hard to create?
To Delete or Not to Delete?
Another question arises: am I ready to delete this infuriating game? Sigh, not quite. Primarily because I’m swamped with work, and it serves as a light-hearted break between tasks. But am I ready to stop accepting all those pointless assignments so I don’t need such a mind-numbing diversion? Yes. I think I’d prefer to spend more time watching The Office—instead of living out its narrative.
Alex Johnson is a journalist and editor whose work has appeared in various publications including Slate, Time, and O, The Oprah Magazine. A native of California, Alex resides in New Jersey with family and can be found online.
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Summary:
This article explores the addictive nature of The Office: Somehow We Manage, an idle mobile game that allows players to earn currency while away from the game. The author reflects on the similarities between the game’s mechanics and real-life work pressures, questioning the time spent on such distractions instead of pursuing fulfilling activities. Despite recognizing the need to break free from the game’s grasp, the author admits to its role as a mental break amid busy workdays.