Meet Alex, a fresh-faced twentysomething standing at the threshold of adulthood with nothing but optimism, $10,000 in savings, and a naively balanced sense of contentment. They’ve just signed the lease on their first solo apartment, a modest studio with questionable plumbing and a landlord who texts exclusively in lowercase. Alex is you, or maybe the you from a few years ago, or the you that could have been if a few dominoes had fallen differently. They’re eager to build a life, make connections, find meaning in the mundane, and maybe, just maybe, figure out what “having it together” actually means. They’re about to learn that every choice, no matter how small, ripples outward in ways they can’t quite predict.
In this world, time moves in month-long leaps, and each decision Alex makes opens one door while quietly closing another. Will they take the stable corporate job or the scrappy startup gig? Will they swipe right or strike up a conversation at the coffee shop? Will they splurge on concert tickets or save for a rainy day that may or may not come? The game isn’t interested in grand, dramatic crossroads, it’s interested in the texture of ordinary life, the slow accumulation of compromises and conveniences that shape who we become. And lurking beneath every form, every app, every innocent request to “verify your identity,” is a question Alex hasn’t yet learned to ask: What am I trading away each time I click “I agree”?
But here’s the thing about Alex: they’re resilient. They’re the kind of person who believes things will work out, who trusts systems because what other choice is there, really? They’re not paranoid or reckless, they’re just trying to live. And that’s what makes their journey so quietly terrifying. Because in a world where your data is currency and your identity is collateral, simply existing requires an endless series of calculated risks. Alex doesn’t know it yet, but they’re about to discover that the most dangerous deals are the ones that feel inevitable.
Uploaded Life requires a desktop or laptop display that is at least 1.5× wider than it is tall. Rotate your device or switch to a larger screen to continue.
Recognizing the collaborators and supporters behind the Uploaded Life experience.
Concept & Design
Maximilian McClelland
Timothy Berman
Connor Humphreys
Development
Maximilian McClelland (Lead Developer)
Timothy Berman (Co-Developer)
Connor Humphreys (Co-Developer)
Writing & Narrative Design
Timothy Berman
Connor Humphreys
Research & Educational Content
Timothy Berman
Connor Humphreys
Technical Implementation
Game Engine: Maximilian McClelland
State Management: Maximilian McClelland
Scenario Logic: Maximilian McClelland
UI/UX Design: Maximilian McClelland, Timothy Berman & Connor Humphreys
Sound Design
Music Composition & Integration: Maximilian McClelland
Special Thanks
WRTG 3030: Technical and Digital Science Communication
Professor Petger
Our classmates for playtesting and feedback
Created For
WRTG 3030 - Digital Science Communication Project
Fall 2025
Purpose
An interactive exploration of compulsory identity verification and its consequences in the digital age.
© 2025 Maximilian McClelland, Timothy Berman & Connor Humphreys
Resources & Further Reading
For citations and detailed analysis of ID verification legislation, see the embedded research document in the “Learn More” section.