I just had the worst video game experience of my life

‘Rawdogging’ has a few meanings, some of which are best left un-Googled. But in recent internet parlance, it’s come to represent one of the strangest trends to hit the skies. Simply put, to rawdog a long-haul flight is to sit without distractions for the entire journey – that’s no phone, no music and even no water. All you’re allowed to watch is the flight map on the screen in front. It sounds like a particularly brutal form of aviation meditation, and it’s all over TikTok.

And now, since nobody was asking for it, the idea has been turned into a video game too. And having tried playing it for just ten minutes, I never, ever want to play it again – let alone complete a 14 hour flight on it. (Hey, it might pass the time while waiting for the Nintendo Switch 2, though.)

From the moment Rawdog Simulator starts, it’s clear that this is going to be a nightmare. Rudimentary 3D graphics hilariously depict the most awful flight in existence, replete with screaming (and somehow giant) children, terrified passengers and more. 

But the most striking aspect is that the use of the webcam. With your device’s front-facing camera, the game tracks your eye and head movements to make sure you’re staring straight ahead at that screen. Take one look away and you’ll be told to carry on rawdogging. 

Reddit users have met the game with much mirth. “I spit out my coffee when I scrolled past this,” one user comments. Indeed, it makes Chair Simulator look like the most normal game of the last decade.