Digital Narrative Games
Spent
Spent is a web-based game McKinney for Urban Ministries of Durham created, a nonprofit organization dedicated to ending homelessness and fighting poverty. The game is designed to put the players in the position of a father struggling to make it through the end of the month without going bankrupt.Â
While playing the game for the first time during class, I paid attention to neither the money I had nor my spending. In fact, I only recognized the amount of money in the upper left corner of the screen halfway through the game. This explains why I went out of money on day 14. The second time playing the game, I was more cautious with my money and spending decisions. I read the text and choices carefully this time, trying to avoid unnecessary expenses. Also, I tried to avoid the mistakes I made while playing for the first time, such as paying the car expenses, not spending money to have internet at home, and not going for cigarettes to relieve stress. Therefore, I made it to the end of the month with $154 left in the account.Â
Overall, the game gave me anxiety while trying to survive the month. I had to use the money very wisely for the important expenses only. As a privileged kid, I feel empathy toward the families who are living in such conditions daily. Moreover, the game has taught me that adult life is a roller coaster that requires hard decision-making on a daily basis. Therefore, I need to be more mindful of my decisions. My only suggestion for improving this game is adding more options to choose from, since some scenarios had only two options that were totally different from one another.
Syrian JourneyÂ
Syrian Journey is an interactive game by the BBC that simulates decisions a Syrian refugee must make to escape the violence in their homeland. The player must decide where to flee, how to get there, and who to trust, all while navigating dangerous and uncertain conditions.Â
Playing this game was more challenging than I anticipated in the beginning. As instructed, I played the game twice, deciding totally different scenarios. On the first attempt, I made more smart decisions. My family and I chose to take the safer, yet more costly, route to escape. We placed our trust in a smuggler to help us reach Europe, but he fled with the money. Along the journey, I chose to prioritize my family and not help others. Despite facing numerous dangers, we were rescued and arrived safely in Europe. On the second attempt, my decisions were random and opposite to the ones I made the first time. I took the cheaper yet more dangerous route; therefore, I ended up in a refugee camp after the Turkish coastguards dragged our boat to Turkey.Â
This game made me feel emotionally drained by the end of the first attempt, even though I reached Europe safely. However, each decision came with tension, knowing that the wrong choice could lead to capture, starvation, or worse. I felt empathetic towards those refugees who had to go through such circumstances, having to decide between bad or worse decisions, like trusting a smuggler or staying in Syria. My only suggestion for this game is to include the option for refugees to remain in Egypt or Turkey legally.Â
Domestic Violence by Jana 2017Â
Domestic violence is a game created by a former colleague named Jana Khalifa. The game is a Google document with real-life scenarios about domestic violence from the husband to a wife, and you choose how to respond to each situation.
As someone who experienced emotional abuse, this game frustrated me and triggered flashbacks to that period of my life. The game had various choices, and I consistently chose the ones where the women left the relationship or spoke up about what was happening. I really liked the statistics about domestic violence in Egypt that Jana included after each question. Moreover, the detailed questions and images helped me visualize the situations more clearly.Â
When someone you love is depressed by Alia 2022
This game was designed by Alia Ghoneim to help people who have friends struggling with depression. The game placed you in scenarios where you interact with a friend who is struggling with depression. The choices you make influence how your friend responds, allowing you to see firsthand how different approaches can help or harm.Â
As a people-pleaser, I was trying to make the decisions that were going to benefit Khaled, the depressed friend, and try to get him out of the mood. However, the game taught me that sometimes the best thing you can do is simply listen and be there for a friend without trying to fix their problems. I really liked the visuals that Alia had in her slide, yet there were too many scenarios that made the game very long. Additionally, the feedback section on the choices I made was a creative way to help me understand how my actions could impact someone with depression.
 Gender Equality by Mohamed and Fatma, 2017
This game was designed to raise awareness for Egyptians on how their unfair treatment of females, their words, their unrepresentative stereotype-based beliefs and the dictated cultural gender roles put females through hardships and emotional pain on a daily basis. The game places you in scenarios where you experience the societal pressures, stereotypes, and discrimination faced by women in Egypt, from being a toddler to a grown woman.Â
It was a stark reminder of the everyday battles many women face in Egypt. I liked that the game is short, straight to the point and covers different ways of thinking. Additionally, as a female in Egypt who has experienced similar situations, I would say that this game is very realistic. My only comment is that the game could benefit from providing real-life statistics and resources on how to combat gender inequality, furthering its impact as an educational tool.
Orphan by heart by Pansee, 2018
The purpose of this game is to make people sympathize with orphans who grew up in orphanages by putting the players in their shoes.
This game was my least favorite. Throughout the game, I felt a deep sense of empathy and sadness, especially since I visit an orphanage with a volunteering club. Every time I play with the children, I cannot help but think about the content of the game. I feel privileged having parents, knowing my last name, and having biological siblings. My only suggestion for this game is to add visuals.Â
Reflection on the games:
Emotional impactÂ
The Syrian Journey and Supporting a Depressed Friend games stand out to me as emotionally impactful, mainly due to the life-and-death decisions that I had to make. The Gender Equality game brought out anger and frustration that females are still going through similar situations due to noneducational members of society. Spent felt like a realistic examination of financial difficulties; I was always afraid of going bankrupt. Lastly, the Orphans game made me feel sad and empathetic towards those children who were abandoned from birth.Â
Each game uses an interactive storytelling way to create empathy and awareness about different social issues. Spent and the Syrian Journey provide real-world challenges and offer insights into crises that many individuals might be encountering today. For example, the Syrian Journey game can be related to the Palestinians currently attempting to flee their homeland. The Gender Equality and Supporting a Depressed Friend engaged players on a more emotional and personal level. Finally, the Orphans game uses emotions to highlight a specific group’s struggles.
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