Spent

Spent was one of the most realistic games I played. At the beginning, I had no money, then I started to make some, but in the end, I lost everything on the 28th day because of a car accident. That moment made me realize how unfair and difficult life can be for people who struggle financially. The game forced me to think critically about every small choice, like paying rent or buying food. It was stressful but powerful, and it really made me understand how one accident or bad event can destroy a person’s whole month of effort.

BBC Syrian Refugees

This was another very realistic game that also made me think deeply. I had to make choices as a Syrian refugee trying to escape the war. Every decision I made went wrong — I lost my money and couldn’t survive. Even though I failed, the experience showed me how impossible and painful life can be for refugees. It was stressful because there was no “right” choice, only dangerous ones. That’s what made it so real and emotional. Out of all the games, this one and Spent were the most serious and meaningful for me.

On Domestic Abuse

This student-made game was about domestic violence. I understood that it tried to raise awareness about an important issue, but I found it very extreme and not realistic. The story felt forced, and the options didn’t show how real people might act in that situation. Because of that, I couldn’t connect with it emotionally. It would be better if the story was written in a more believable way that reflects real-life situations.

On Gender Equality

This game focused on gender equality and how people think about gender roles. I noticed that most of my answers were on the feminine side, which I think reflects the kind of woman I respect or would want to marry.

Peer Destruction

Peer Destruction was about bullying and body shaming. I liked the idea behind it, but the game didn’t feel realistic. The answers were too limited, and none of the choices really fit what I would personally do.

Know Yourself

This game was about self-awareness and decision-making, but many of the choices didn’t make sense. For example, there was a situation where a young man in a Ferrari crashed into my car, and all the answers assumed he was spoiled or careless. I didn’t like that because we don’t know his story: maybe he was speeding for an emergency. The game felt like it wanted to force me to think in a certain way instead of letting me decide freely.

Empathy Toy

This was a group game we played in class, and it was completely different from the others. One person was blindfolded and had to follow instructions from a partner to build something. It seemed easy, but it was actually very hard and required a lot of patience.

Summary

After playing all these games, I realized that Spent and BBC Syrian Refugees were the most realistic and powerful. They made me think critically, and I felt emotionally connected to them. The student-made games were creative but often too extreme or unrealistic, which made it harder to take them seriously. Still, each one had an important message about empathy, equality, and understanding others. In the end, I learned that games can be a strong way to make people think about real-life problems, as long as they stay close to reality.

https://playspent.org/html/ https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-32057601 https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScyWGr3tk8-K8KwH4Mayw6Iblia9ep4TUnAcpwCT_D_WXnnQg/viewform http://mabouelfath97.blogspot.com/2017/10/gender-equality-game-final.html https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1HYmijh0HYM2blrnyHtbwQeje85VnvQ0K4RKxocaVhSY/edit?slide=id.p#slide=id.p