World news this week is focused on the missing Titan submersible as rescuers race against time to find the five-man submersible that went missing during a sightseeing dive to the wreck of the Titanic. Rescuers are in a race against time trying to find a missing Titan submersible that went missing while on a sightseeing dive to the wreck of the Titanic.

One notable element in the social media response was the game's frequent comparisons to the breakout indie hit "Iron Lung" from 2022, which trended on Twitter. In this game, you, as the sole crew member of the protagonist's ship, navigate the alien seabed with analog gauges and black-and-white cameras installed on the submarine's hull, while outside, something is stirring. The game aims to scare, and it is a terrifying experience, aided greatly by the confines and limitations of the submarine itself.

Some references are simply sobering comparisons of the game's premise and how similar it is to elements of what is happening on Titan and the nature of the ship (such as the Titan's crew being bolted from the outside and reportedly unable to open the ship from the inside). Others are black humor, such as one tweet I saw that said, "The new Iron Lang teaser looks sick," with a link to an estimate of the craft's remaining oxygen content. Others point out that both aircraft can be piloted using a game controller (the Titan aircraft apparently uses a Logitech pad).

David Szymanski, the game's developer, has apparently seen some of this stuff and finds it as odd as you would expect.

"There is definitely some dark humor in the Titanic submarine thing. Iron Lung is the most nightmarish thing I can think of, and to know that real people are in that situation right now, even if it was their own bad decision, is very frightening."

"All the jokes I've seen are hilarious, but no one should have to die like that.

Szymanski also shared a graph of sales data showing that Iron Lang has skyrocketed in the last two days, adding, "This feels so wrong," and later said, "I feel a little uncomfortable about it."

I have no problem with black humor, and it is so obvious to compare the situation Titan is facing to Iron Lang's premise that it is no wonder so many people immediately began to associate it with one of the only media that reflects this unsettling experience. Games can help us find a measure of embodiment and understanding of different, even horrific, experiences. But this example also brings to mind the concept of disaster tourism. Is it somewhat voyeuristic to explore this through the lens of gaming, even though it is still a work in progress?

Szymanski was asked after the above if what happens in the game is based on an actual maritime incident, to which he replied, "No, I just made up the most nightmarish scenario I could think of involving a submarine. Indeed, it is similar to some of what has been reported about Titan; as of April, the game has already been made into a movie.

Rescue efforts to find the missing submarine are still underway; BBC News' live coverage has details.