A newly created digital game seeks to authentically replicate one of the most constant and pressing dilemmas encountered by countless individuals working in the gig economy: the necessity of choosing which jobs to accept in order to consistently generate enough income to pay for essential living expenses. The project, entitled *Cherry Picker*, was developed by GigU, a company known for producing analytical tools that evaluate the earnings potential of trips offered by ride-hailing services. According to company representatives, the game will become publicly accessible through a free web-based browser format beginning Wednesday. GigU has already established itself by designing an application that assists Uber drivers in determining whether the fares presented to them provide a realistic opportunity for profit, thereby helping drivers maximize their limited time on the road.
At its core, the structure of *Cherry Picker* is straightforward yet strategically challenging. Each playthrough consists of daily cycles, with a single day constituting one round of the game. During this period, the central character—named Charles—must strive to reach a revenue goal of $200 solely through his labor as a ride-hailing driver. This particular threshold mirrors the idea of covering personal bills and other crucial expenses. By requiring players to adhere to such financial targets, the game encourages them to recognize the precarious balance gig workers must maintain between working hours, fuel consumption, and unpredictable earnings.
The broader purpose of the simulation extends far beyond mere entertainment. GigU’s co-CEO, Pedro Inada, emphasized that the ultimate intent of the project is to foster greater public empathy for the real people behind the steering wheels of Uber and Lyft vehicles. He suggested that by experiencing the decision-making process firsthand—complete with financial pressures and limited options—riders may begin to appreciate the numerous invisible challenges drivers face each day. Inada has stressed the importance of riders gaining insight into the genuine rhythm of a driver’s life, which often consists of heightened uncertainty, constant strategic judgments, and the pursuit of modest but indispensable income.
Launched earlier this year in the United States, GigU’s core paid platform positions itself as one of several independent, third-party tools that promise to guide workers in parsing the merits of ride and delivery offers. Its function is to save drivers from accepting jobs that consume time, mileage, and fuel while yielding inadequate pay. However, not all companies welcome this level of transparency. Uber has stated unequivocally that apps of this sort infringe on its terms of service, while Lyft has gone further, warning that drivers who employ such add-on platforms could potentially risk deactivation of their accounts.
When playing *Cherry Picker*, participants are presented with a sequence of ride-hailing requests. For each trip, players receive detailed data that includes crucial elements such as projected total pay, driving distance required to complete the ride, mileage to the passenger’s location for pickup, and an estimate of the overall time commitment involved. Before setting out, the game provides a tutorial that highlights one essential calculation: operational expenses, such as fuel and maintenance, equate to approximately seventy-five cents for every mile driven. Therefore, if a driver accepts an offer, it must generate revenue that exceeds this basic cost in order to be worthwhile. Additionally, players are bound by a strict maximum of eight hours of driving time to reach the $200 benchmark.
To heighten the realism, the game incorporates fast-paced judgment calls. Each offer grants the player only five seconds to decide whether to accept or reject, employing a design reminiscent of popular swiping mechanics found in dating applications. As in real life, some opportunities stand out as highly advantageous, perhaps paying close to $26 for a brief fifteen-minute trip requiring minimal driving. Others are deceptively marginal, demanding sharper evaluation and a nuanced risk-benefit analysis. Failure to choose wisely may leave the driver short of the daily target, thereby underscoring how unforgiving real gig work can be. Inada himself underlined this reality, noting that players will discover it is impossible to succeed within this system by indiscriminately accepting every ride—a lesson that mirrors the authentic pressures drivers navigate every day.
Interestingly, the development of *Cherry Picker* was completed with notable speed; the project took less than a single month to build. It was “vibe-coded,” as Inada described, by GigU’s own marketing team, which drew upon modern coding assistance tools such as ChatGPT and Replit to accelerate the creative process. Following its pilot launch in Brazil, where GigU also provides services to an active base of gig workers, the game quickly attracted an impressive audience of over 300,000 players, indicating strong curiosity about the lived realities of app-based labor.
The name and persona of the game’s protagonist, Charles, were deliberately chosen as a tribute to the silent film icon Charlie Chaplin. Inada disclosed that his inspiration came specifically from Chaplin’s 1936 masterpiece *Modern Times*, in which the actor portrays a factory worker overwhelmed by the relentless cycles of mechanized labor during the Industrial Revolution. The character’s eventual nervous breakdown symbolized the crushing psychological toll of repetitive, low-control employment. Drawing an analogy between that historical moment and today’s economy, Inada suggested that if Chaplin were alive in the present era, he would likely create a version of *Modern Times* focused squarely on the plight of gig economy workers striving to survive under the authority of algorithms and fluctuating demand.
Through *Cherry Picker*, GigU extends both a learning exercise and a subtle critique, enabling players to understand in a matter of minutes what typically consumes drivers’ entire livelihoods. Beyond entertainment, it is meant to provoke reflection on both the structural design of gig platforms and the hidden costs imposed on those laboring under them.
Sourse: https://www.businessinsider.com/gigu-cherry-picker-game-meant-simulate-a-gig-work-driver-2025-8
