I turned cookie consent dark patterns into games

Johan — Sat, 17 Jan 2026 19:23:20 +0000

Most explanations of cookie consent dark patterns are abstract.

They describe what’s happening, but they never capture how it actually feels to interact with these systems: the hesitation, the friction, the subtle pressure to give up and click “accept.”

So instead of writing another breakdown, I built a set of small, playable experiments.

Each game simulates a real consent tactic:

delayed or hidden rejection
asymmetric choices
false urgency
friction by design

The site subtly changes based on how you interact, mirroring how real consent systems adapt to user behavior.

There are no accounts, no cookies, and no tracking. Each experience takes under a minute.

This started as a side project, but it turned into a surprisingly effective way to make dark patterns legible — especially for people who design or build the web.

You can try it here:
https://thenonconsensualcookiebandit.com/

I’d love feedback from other builders — especially on whether this kind of experiential explanation works better than documentation.

Forem: Johan

I turned cookie consent dark patterns into games