PART 1:

  1. Spent: https://playspent.org/ 

Playing this game at the beginning was so confusing when I started because when I saw the initial scenario I pressed exit because in my mind I thought it was exiting the country because I couldn’t imagine someone living with these givens in life. Then I tried to find a job and went through the game day by day I realized the complications that came with every step in the one month, so imagine the rest.

I survived the whole 30 days in the second try, but it was so hard going from choosing a place, rent raises from the landlords, taking care of my child, my dog, or even myself to barely survive. The decision that I changed in the second round and what also shocked me was even how a small decision, like having a petition on raising wages, would make me completely fired from the job and suddenly losing everything. Even trying to get the basic needs for my home just to simply survive for my child and I was very depressing. Also, the part where I had to forbid my child from basic children’s activities like going to a friend’s birthday party was so dreading.

What I really liked about this game was that with every decision you take it gives a fact about what is happening around us. Lastly, I learned a lot from the game and it was truly an eye-opening experience so I don’t think anything should be changed about it.

 

2) Syrian Refugee Simulation: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-32057601

My first attempt in this game was losing in the fourth round because I chose going to Alexandria and thought Ahmed, the smuggler, ran away after 4 days not answering and sent my brother to get us food so we all got caught. I learned here that I should have waited and not take the risk of sending one of us out.

In the second try I survived until the sixth round, I chose to go to Libya and tried the sea path in which I knew was even more risky because it involved being caught by the military but nevertheless, I decided to try. I indeed ended up diving in the darkness of the sea and ending up in Libya once again with no money because in the point where there was shooting on the boat, I chose the option to jump and not stay.

This whole experience was so dreading and stressful as with every decision there is a risk of losing something, but you must take it right here and instantly. Having to pressure yourself to take trust in people not just on your money but also on yourself and family and choosing to take paths like sea or land and each with different risk aside from the financial one of each step is truly hard. This game showed me a living experience of refugees generally and how every single decision there is a life and death option honestly hurt me deeply.

Both this game and Spent, made me feel blessed about simply having a stable life and sincere comfort. On the other hand, comparing both games, I would’ve liked this game to be more educational like Spent by giving facts about refugees just to know real life analysis and academic outcomes.

 

3) Bury me, my love: https://burymemylove.arte.tv/

This game had led me through a real-time experience in the form of a chat between Nour, a doctor in Syria, and Majid, Nour’s husband. The story occurs during the bombing period in Syria, and it shows us how a female doctor experiences daily life crisis.

What I liked about it was the chat format and how her husband got to have the news step by step and the shock I had with every “Oh, crap” said like I was living the moment with them. The most important part for me was when the bombing occurred and Nour had to go to the rubbles and eventually finding out her sister under there. It showed me how hard it is for doctors to experience such things especially she lost her mom and siblings in the same form. Honestly, doctors are the real superheroes these days.

What I absolutely disliked about this game was how long and boring at first it was. It was very slow-paced and there were many filler words at the beginning in which I think it would’ve been easier to go into the plot right away. This honestly made me zone out and shift my focus on something else rather than game, so making it shorter and to the point would be the only change recommended.

Comparing it to the past two games, it was a different type of game with not so much of critical decision making, maybe that’s what made me bored, but it definitely had an important purpose after all. Similarly, they all had the “living the experience” type which is truly incredible.

 

4) September 7, 2020: https://caitkirby.com/downloads/Fall%202020.html

This is a simulation talking about a university student during COVID-19 experiencing a day of face-to-face classes after a long period of online sessions. It talks about the struggles he encountered starting from the unease he was in when he saw someone joining him in the same elevator to the struggles he encountered in the academic part.

Honestly, this story was the most personal one so far as I, as a student, lived this experience day by day. I quite literally saw myself in each choice I took for him as if it was me. The point where it is hard for teachers to explain something to a student just because people are shouting to each other to hear them, whether from the mask or from the spacing between desks, was such a huge academic barrier during those days. Also, the concept of the online was a way to survive but wasn’t a way to learn. A huge amount of people truly was harmed from this “online period” in different ways. Lastly, I truly connected with this game in every decision I took.

The only thing I recommend in this game is to improve the visuals as it was pretty standard and it didn’t make me feel like I was playing a game. Other than that, I enjoyed this game so much and it was truly touching.

 

5) Gender Equality: https://mabouelfath97.blogspot.com/2017/10/gender-equality-game-final.html

This game was talking about gender inequality and how women are judged from their choices at every stage starting from choosing a toy as toddler up until their choice of either entering a university or marriage.

These scenarios are real life experiences we are influenced by due to social norms repeated through the years. I intentionally chose the “odd options”, like a fire truck as a toddler and an engineer as a career in preschool, to see the responses that would be given and it ended up being exactly what I expected. The dad shouting to the toddler and making her choose the doll or the easy bake oven because they are “more beneficial for you as you’ll grow up to be a mother” and the teacher discouraging the career because it is a “job for boys” is truly sad. Despite all the women role models thriving in their careers and social media influences, this image of women manages to stay as is in people’s minds throughout the years.

I found this game a social experiment happening around us everyday and everywhere. I wouldn’t change a thing about it because it is simply to the point.

 

6) Peer Destruction: https://aliaelkadry.wordpress.com/2019/04/15/peer-destruction/

This game is about the situations and thoughts women think and encounter just because of how they look. I chose the option being of an underweight woman because many people look at this at a positive thing, but they don’t actually get to live in these people’s shoes.

When the girl was trying to get a dress for the wedding her mother suggested to “take your little cousins dress from 4 years ago” which was truly humiliating and degrading and when she insisted, she wanted to go, the mother said “your body just isn’t ready yet”. Even when she tries to overcome all this and go to the gym all she encounters are the people’s stares and the pity in their eyes which therefore makes her even more insecure and concluding that she will be skinny forever.

Games 5 & 6 are similar in ways of cultural and social norms towards women whether it is due to something just put as a fact like a woman growing up to be a mother or something you were born with like they way you look. Both games are very important, and every girl should know that they are beautiful as they are.

 

7) The Empathy Toy: https://twentyonetoys.com/pages/empathy-toy?srsltid=AfmBOooOMj0P9nXxj2FezCeHCes6kCRKEQRlW73PvDmnVBDgqnn2Jo4S

This game I played in class and my role was to be blind-folded and my partner would describe a wooden block figure, and I should reassemble it. Honestly, I had mixed feelings while playing this game, because it heightened my touch and feeling senses while giving me the space to listen and interpret. I have never tried something like this before so it was a wonderful experience and definitely would love to try it again.

 

PART 2:

Ikigai:

  1. What do you love?
  • Family, friends, basketball, meeting new people, and trying new things

  2. What are you good at?

  • Sports, listening to others, accounting, enjoying my “me time”

  3. What can you be paid for? What can you get credit for in your course?

  • Playing card games, storytelling, teamwork, and anything numbers

      4. What does the world need?

  • Less social media, less pressure, taking your time in doing things, and more empathy

 

VIA Survey Results: https:   //www.viacharacter.org/surveys/freeresults?sessionID=38136673

Link to ChatGPT chat: https://chatgpt.com/c/69a3280b-f914-8326-aa7a-4a62cf4b7b05

I gave my results to ChatGPT, all the narrative games were very interesting, but the one that really stood out for me was the “Full Court Balance”. The game’s main theme is balancing empathy and ego in competitive sports located in a high school basketball team championship season. I was out as team captain to practice the features of team morale, trust, and fairness. AI also told me about the specific characteristics in me, due to my results, like my interest in basketball, teamwork, empathy, and reducing social pressure theme. This was my first try to let AI do narrative games based on my personality, and I would definitely take more time to look into it.