Game 1: Project Honduras 

I felt very confused playing project honduras, there was no real tutorial and the information the game gives you is very minimal. I kept getting lost in the menus, I kept opening the email and getting stuck and having to restart. Overall I have to say I did not enjoy this game at all. I did not learn anything, I felt there was no objective, and I didn’t enjoy it. If I had to say what could improve this game is that there has to be a very clear objective that drives the gameplay, or else the player doesn’t understand what is happening. I have to say I was very disappointed by this game, the game design and music were both really nice, but at the end of the day gameplay is what matters.

Game 2: Sleep deprived mom 

This game was very interesting and very relatable for me. My parents have been divorced since I was 12 and so I’ve watched my mom struggle to handle our household by herself for years. She was definitely exactly like the sleep-deprived mother in the game, and she always lost sleep over tantrums, wetted beds, and the works. I wouldn’t say I learned anything, but that’s ok b/c I had fun. In terms of improving the game, my only suggestion would be that I wanted some way to see my score or something, some type of marker for how well I did. But at the same time, I don’t really know if that type of thing makes sense for a game like this. 

Game 3: Syrian Journey

During the Syrian journey I really sympathized with the stress the refugees must have felt when going through a journey like this. I chose to leave the other family behind, and I couldn’t imagine how something like that must happen everyday. I learned this rule about seeking asylum that I hadn’t heard before; apparently you can only seek asylum in the first place you reach as a refugee. I don’t really have any suggestions for the game other than it was a little too short, but I also think that may have elevated the experience slightly because it’s short, sweet, and to the point. 

Game 4: Spent 

So I played Spent once in class, and it is by far the best choose your own adventure games I have ever played. The game is equal parts fun, stressful, and informative. There were so many nuances to low income life in the US that I had never understood before playing this game, like that the Affordable Care Act stipulates that you HAVE to get health insurance. On my second time playing Spent just now, I somehow beat the game and made it to the end of the month but that didn’t come without a myriad of tough decisions where I put myself over my child or my friends multiple times. Overall I have no notes on this game, Spent is amazing and is the biggest influence on the game that I plan to make for part 3 of the project. 

Game 5: There’s a party going on

The game was interesting and I found it fun to live vicariously through a scenario that I would never get myself in, but I wouldn’t say I learned anything in particular. I don’t have much to say about this game, which is not an indictment against it or anything, I think it was just a fun little game. 

Game 6: When someone you love is depressed 

I felt very bad for both Khaled and Noha throughout the course of the game, especially b/c I think I can empathize with Khaled a bit as when I am in a down period I tend to get avoidant as well. This game really showed me how stressful it can be for those around someone who is depressed and how depression does not affect people in a vacuum. My only suggestion for this game is that I wish the choices you make affect the story a bit more. 

Game 7: The Voter Suppression Trail 

This game was also short, sweet, and to the point, like Syrian refugee. I wasn’t aware that many states don’t mandate paid leave for voting, to my knowledge my state had that law and allowed for people to vote. In my run at the game I had to leave the polls or else I’d be fired, which was incredibly frustrating. My only suggestion for this game is that I wanted it to be a little longer and to show more in depth the extents the GOP went to to try and suppress voters, especially in minority communities. 

Brief Comparison: 

To compare all these games together, I don’t really know where to begin. I think that the games are all so different so they’re kind of hard to compare, but what I will say is that I definitely enjoyed the games which were able to convey an experience authentically, and put you in the shoes of someone in a particular situation, and therefore help you learn about this particular issue. So Spent did a great job of creating that experience for the user and teaching them along the way, same with sleep deprived mom, and also When Someone You Love is Depressed.