The Ocean is a video game that dives into the mysterious and omnipresent underworld of data brokers. Millions of data points are exchanged every day, privately and peer-to-peer, according to unwritten and volatile rules. The Ocean flips the perspective and asks the following question: what institutional forms would emerge if data brokerage were not a black market, but a mediated and "legitimate" exchange, comparable to the stock market? What if datasets were traded like financial products?

In this speculative universe, players embody Keller, A., a data trader working for the fictional company OmniQuant, an institutional entity situated at the intersection of data commerce and technological development. The experience unfolds through two interfaces: OmniQuant's latest proprietary trading terminal, where you can trade datasets, track price fluctuations, and consult relevant news; and a physical phone, through which the player receives data requests from colleagues and clients alike. The narrative follows a seemingly ordinary workday that gradually destabilizes when a new anonymous client slowly involves Keller in a deeply personal quest, searching for answers to questions that remain obscure.

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The Ocean is a video game which delves into the mysterious, omnipresent underworld of data brokers. Millions of data-points get exchanged daily on a private peer-to-peer basis governed by unwritten, volatile rules. The Ocean flips the script and asks the question: what institutional forms would emerge if data-brokerage were not a black-market but rather a mediated and “legitimate” exchange similar to the stock market? What if datasets were traded the same way financial products are?

In this speculative world players take on the role of Keller, A., a data trader, working for the fictional OmniQuant corporation, an institutional entity operating at the nexus of both data commerce and technological development. The experience unfolds across two interfaces: OmniQuant’s latest proprietary trading terminal, where users can trade datasets, track price movements, and read relevant news updates, and a physical telephone over which the player receives data requests from colleagues and clients alike. The story follows a seemingly routine workday which slowly destabilizes when a new, anonymous client gradually implicates Keller in a deeply personal search for answers to questions which remain unclear.