I never really thought about games as something that could influence the way I understand people or the world around me. I usually associated games with entertainment, competition, or simply completing certain tasks. However, after thinking about the activities we have done in class and exploring different narrative games, I started realizing that games can communicate ideas in ways that sometimes feel more personal than simply reading about an issue or discussing it in class.
What I find interesting about these games is that they do not always allow us to remain outside the situation. They encourage us to participate, make decisions, communicate, and sometimes experience the consequences of our choices. This made me think about how much our understanding of other people depends on what we are exposed to. We often believe that we understand someone’s situation because we have heard about it, seen it in the news, or formed an opinion about it. However, there is a difference between knowing that something exists and understanding what it might actually mean for the person experiencing it.
I chose five games that approach empathy and understanding from different perspectives: the Empathy Toy, Virtue Reality, Orphans and Society, Liyla and the Shadows of War, and Bad News. Although these games explore different issues, they all connect to one idea that I have been thinking about throughout this course: how easily we can misunderstand people when we only see one part of their story.
Empathy Toy
Physical game played in class
Out of all the activities we have done in class, the Empathy Toy is one that genuinely stayed with me. When we played it, two people were blindfolded and I remember it was Habiba and Huissen where they had to build something using wooden toys. Habiba was the one guiding Huissen, the others and I were observing. I remember finding the activity extremely challenging, but what surprised me was that being an observer sometimes felt even harder than the one being blindfolded. Watching Habiba and Hussien struggling to understand each other was frustrating. I kept wanting to say something, explain what they should do, or simply help them get through the activity. But I had to remain quiet and allow them to figure it out themselves. I found that surprisingly difficult. It almost felt uncomfortable to watch something that I believed I could help with but not be allowed to interfere with.
I also started thinking about how often we approach other people’s problems with the intention of helping, without necessarily understanding what they need from us. Sometimes, we assume that because we can see a solution, the other person should be able to understand it too. However, this activity showed me that communication is not simply about explaining something. It also requires patience, listening, and recognizing that people might experience the same situation in completely different ways.
One thing I disliked was how frustrating it felt to remain silent when I wanted to help. At the same time, I think that was what made the activity meaningful. If I had been allowed to interfere whenever I wanted, I might not have realized how difficult it is to step back and allow someone else to work through a challenge in their own way.
If I could improve this activity, I would allow others to switch roles so that everyone experiences both being blindfolded and observing. I would also give everyone more time to discuss their reaction after
The biggest thing I took away from this experience is that wanting to help someone does not automatically mean that we understand them. Sometimes, empathy begins when we recognize the limits of our own perspective.
Virtue reality- Islamic Relief
by Islamic Relief
The second game I chose is virtue reality, created by islam ic relief. What interested me about this game is its focus on humanitarian work and the different challenges faced by communities experiencing difficult circumstances. It introduces players to humanitarian projects and the work involved in supporting people affected by poverty, conflict, and other crises.
I think this is an important perspective because we often hear about humanitarian issues from a distance. We see images of people who need assistance, read about organizations providing support, or hear about donations and relief efforts. However, we do not always stop to think about everything that happens behind those efforts or how the people receiving help experience these situations themselves.
One thing I wanted to explore through this game was the difference between feeling sympathy for someone and understanding what actually needs to be done to support them. I think sometimes we associate helping with having good intentions, but good intentions alone are not always enough. Understanding people’s needs, respecting their circumstances, and considering the consequences of our decisions are equally important.
This also made me think about how humanitarian stories aee usually presented in the media. Sometimes, people experiencing poverty or conflict are represented mainly through suffering. We see them as people who need help, but we do not always see their personalities, independence, abilities, or the lives they had before those circumstances. I think this can unintentionally create another single story, where someone’s entire identity becomes defined but the difficulties they are facing.
This connects to something I previously explored through Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s TED Talk about the danger of a single story. It reminded me that even when we are trying to understand or support someone, we need to be careful not to reduce them to one part of their identity.
One improvement I would suggest is including more opportunities to hear directly from the people within the communities being supported. I think the game could become more meaningful if players could understand their personal experiences, listen to their concerns, and see how they participate in decisions affecting their own lives.
What I take from this game is that empathy should involve more than feeling concerned about someone. It should also involve listening to them and understanding what they actually need.
Orphans and Society – Joe (2022)
I wanted to include this game because it explores a social issue within our own society. According to the assignment description, the game is based on real Egyptian orphans’ experiences.
When thinking about orphans, I realized how easily society can define someone through one aspect of their life. People might immediately associate an orphan with sadness, loneliness, or vulnerability without considering that this person has an entire identity beyond their family circumstances.
This reminded me of my previous reflection on The Fault in Our Stars. Before analyzing the story, I mainly associated cancer with sadness and suffering. I had not really considered everything else that made the characters who they were. I think the same thing happens when we define people through their circumstances instead of seeing them as individuals.
What I find important about this issue is that even when people have good intentions, they might unintentionally make someone feel different by constantly treating them through the lens of their circumstances.
One improvement I would suggest is including more individual experiences and different perspectives because not every orphan has the same personality, needs, or experiences. I think showing these differences would make the game more realistic and prevent the players from developing another single story about an entire group of people.
This game reminded me that someone’s circumstances should never become their entire identity.
Liyla and the Shadows of War
I chose Liyla because I wanted to explore a game that approaches conflict through the experiences of ordinary people rather than focusing only on political events. The game follows a Palestinian family trying to survive during the war in Gaza.
I think this perspective is important because when we discuss war, we often focus on political decisions, different sides, and numbers. Sometimes, we forget that behind every headline there are actual people whose everyday lives have been completely changed.
Growing up in Egypt, I have always been aware of what happens in Palestine and the wider Middle East. However, I also recognize that being familiar with an issue does not automatically mean that I understand every person’s experience of it. Following the news or seeing images of conflict cannot fully explain what it feels like to live through it.
What I find particularly meaningful about this game is its focus on survival. It makes us consider how ordinary decisions become completely different when someone’s safety and family are at risk.
One improvement I would suggest is including more moments that show the characters’ lives beyond the conflict, such as their relationships, memories, and hopes. People experiencing war should not be represented only through their suffering. They are individuals with entire lives beyond what is happening to them.
This game made me think about how easily we become accustomed to seeing suffering through screens. Sometimes, we see something heartbreaking, feel upset, and continue scrolling. I think we need to remind ourselves that these are not just stories or images; they represent real human experiences.
Bad News
Unlike the other games, Bad News approaches the idea of perspective through misinformation. In this game, players take on the role of someone creating and spreading fake news to gain followers and credibility.
I found this concept interesting because it connects directly to our course and the way information influences our understanding of the world.
We are constantly exposed to information through social media and news platforms, but we do not always question where it comes from or why it is being presented in a particular way. Sometimes, we form opinions about people, cultures, or events based on information that only shows one side of a situation.
The game made me think about how easily people’s opinions can be manipulated through emotional language, exaggerated claims, and misleading information. What I find concerning is that misinformation does not only affect what we believe; it can also influence how we treat other people.
One improvement I would suggest is including a final reflection showing how the misinformation created by the player could affect real individuals and communities. I think this would make the consequences feel more personal.
This game reminded me that understanding others also means questioning the information through which we understand them. We cannot claim to have an informed perspective if we never question the stories we are being told.
Comparing games
When I compare all five games, I realize that they approach empathy and understanding in very different ways, but they share one important idea: our perspective is often limited.
The Empathy Toy focused on communication and the difficulty of understanding someone when we are not experiencing the same situation. Virtue Reality explored the responsibility involved in helping others, while Orphans and Society challenged the way society defines people through their circumstances. Liyla focused on the human experiences behind conflict, and Bad News showed how the information we consume can influence our opinions.
I think the biggest difference is how the games involve the player. The Empathy Toy was a physical experience where I could directly observe people struggling, while the digital games introduced situations through storytelling and decisions. However, I do not think one method is necessarily better than the other. Each one made me question something different.
What connects them most is the realization that feeling sympathy, wanting to help, or simply knowing about an issue does not mean that we fully understand it. We can hear someone’s story without knowing their entire experience, and we can see someone’s behavior without understanding what led them to act that way.
I also noticed that some games focused on individuals while others focused on larger systems, such as humanitarian organizations and media. This made me realize that understanding people also means understanding the environments and circumstances that influence their lives.
For me, the most important lesson is that empathy is not simply about feeling sorry for someone. It is about questioning our assumptions, listening to different perspectives, and accepting that we might not always have the complete picture.
After reflecting on these games, I realized that empathy is not something we achieve simply because we have participated in an activity or learned about a social issue. It requires continuous effort, curiosity, and a willingness to question our own understanding.
I found myself returning to something I wrote in my previous Soliya reflection: sometimes, we think we understand something simply because we are familiar with it. However, being familiar with a situation does not mean we understand the people experiencing it.
I do not think we can ever completely experience another person’s reality. We all have different backgrounds and experiences that shape the way we see the world. However, we can become more aware of the assumptions we make and more willing to listen before forming an opinion.
Maybe empathy does not mean that we can completely put ourselves in someone else’s shoes. Maybe it means recognizing that we have never truly walked in them, and being willing to listen before deciding that we understand.
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