From game play of The Game: The Game, a dating-simulation video game developed by Angela Washko, an assistant professor of art at Carnegie Mellon University. Washko modeled the characters and dialogue on prominent pickup artists and their coaching materials. The player chooses her dialogue in conversations with the characters she meets; this conversation is adapted from one potential pathway. The character Erik is based on Erik von Markovik, aka Mystery. The game was exhibited earlier this year at the Museum of the Moving Image, in New York City.

You step into your favorite bar. It’s starting to get crowded.…