· Absurd Bureaucracy · Dark patterns
Cookie Consent Office: a free game about cookie banners and dark patterns
Every website files its own consent form. Leave only the necessary cookies on, in the fewest clicks.
What is Cookie Consent Office?
Every made-up website of Nowhere files its own consent form, and each one hides “no” somewhere new: a faint link, pre-ticked switches, a second tab of “legitimate interest”, a bright button that says Continue and means Accept. Leave only the necessary cookies on, in the fewest clicks.
Cookie Consent Office is a free game in which every made-up website of Nowhere files its own consent form. Your job: leave only the strictly necessary cookies on, save that choice, and never press a button that accepts.
Each form hides “no” somewhere new: a faint “Reject all” link, switches already turned on, a bright button that says “Continue (recommended)” and means accept, and on Expert a second tab of “legitimate interest” switches. Fewer clicks score more.
At a glance
- Category
- Absurd Bureaucracy
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Play time
- 4 min
- Price
- Free, in your browser, sign-up optional
How to play
- Keep
- +100 per site kept clean, up to +50 for the fewest clicks.
- Careful
- Any button that accepts ends the site. Read the words, not the colour.
- Three levels
- Beginner, Intermediate or Expert, picked before you play: the content and the clock change, and each level keeps its own best score.
- Satire
- Absurd and warm: every country, office, planet and form is made up, and every run ends on a real admin skill.
Scoring
+100 per site where only necessary cookies stay on, up to +50 more for using the fewest clicks, and +10 for a site lost.
Win by keeping the cookies off on at least 70% of the sites.
What it trains
- Spotting dark patterns
- Faint links, pre-ticked switches, misleading buttons.
- Privacy settings
- Turning things off on every tab, then saving.
Strategy and tips
- Read the words
- A big bright button is usually the one the site wants you to press. Its label tells you what it does.
- Check every switch
- Pre-ticked switches count as a yes. Turn each one off, or use “Turn all off” when there is one.
- Check every tab
- “Legitimate interest” is a second set of switches. “Object to all” turns them off.
Why play Cookie Consent Office?
Consent forms are designed, and some designs push you toward yes. Knowing the usual tricks makes saying no quick and calm.
Frequently asked questions
Is Cookie Consent Office free?
Yes. It is free and runs in your browser, with no download. Signing up is optional.
Are these real websites?
No. Every app, website, newsletter and domain in the game is made up (the addresses end in .example, which is reserved for examples). The online habits it teaches are real.
What is a dark pattern?
A design that nudges you toward a choice you didn't mean to make: a hidden option, a pre-ticked box, a button whose look doesn't match its words.
Are there difficulty levels?
Yes: Beginner, Intermediate and Expert. The content and the clock change, and each level keeps its own best score.