The internet’s insatiable appetite for viral content has reached a new, interactive level. The now-infamous “Coldplay kiss cam” incident involving former Astronomer CEO Andy Byron and his Chief People Officer Kristin Cabot has not only spawned countless memes and headlines, but has now been immortalized as a playable web game: “Coldplay Canoodlers.”
Just hours after the footage of Byron and Cabot’s visibly panicked reaction to being caught in an intimate embrace on the Jumbotron went viral, a game developer known online as @songadayman launched “Coldplay Canoodlers.” The game, a simple yet addictive pixel-art creation, challenges players to step into the role of the “kiss cam” operator.
The objective is straightforward: you’re presented with a pixelated crowd scene at a Coldplay concert. Your mission? Find the exact moment Andy Byron and Kristin Cabot “canoodle” and click on them. Each successful “spot” earns you 10 points, and the game even features a bonus round for catching Coldplay frontman Chris Martin mid-joke, referencing his viral quip about the duo being “either having an affair or very shy.”
Gameplay clips quickly flooded platforms like X (formerly Twitter), with users proudly posting their high scores and marveling at the internet’s astonishing speed in transforming a corporate scandal into a recreational activity. One tweet aptly summarized the phenomenon: “We are witnessing the birth of meme games.”
The developer, Jonathan Mann, known for his prolific daily songwriting streak on YouTube, reportedly “vibe coded” the game on a whim. “I made the game on a complete whim – literally just to see if I could,” Mann shared on social media. “It made international news and has been played millions of times.”
The game’s quirky, meme-inspired design has resonated deeply with the public. It taps into the voyeuristic fascination with the “ColdplayGate” scandal, offering a humorous, low-stakes way for users to engage with the drama. The 8-bit rendition of Coldplay’s “Viva La Vida” playing in the background sets the perfect satirical tone, while Chris Martin’s actual audio snippets from the concert add an authentic, albeit awkward, touch when the “canoodlers” are found.
While Astronomer, the company at the heart of the controversy, has been busy launching internal investigations, accepting Andy Byron’s resignation, and dealing with the fallout of a reported multi-million dollar divorce, “Coldplay Canoodlers” has enjoyed a different kind of viral success. It offers what many are calling a “playable meme,” a testament to how quickly and creatively the internet can adapt and respond to real-world events.
The game underscores the immense and often unpredictable power of social media to amplify events and shape narratives. For Andy Byron and Kristin Cabot, their fleeting moment of indiscretion on a “kiss cam” has not only cost them careers and strained personal lives but has now cemented their place in digital pop culture as the unwitting stars of the internet’s latest viral game.