Cast an eye across the past decade or so, and you’ll find games that have something to say, a story to tell, or a moment in time to be captured. This could be historical documentation and digital restoration as we have seen in games likeAssassin’s Creed Mirage, which replicated 9th-century Baghdad; or it could be an indie game from a small team to document the trials of living with mental health conditions, as seen in titles likeFirewatchandCeleste.
Creators are able to use this medium to transport players to times we can never revisit, or educate them about historical moments otherwise left to the annals of time. More than that, it can provide a voice to those being shouted over, oppressed, or underrepresented. This industry, when compared to other forms of entertainment, is still in its infancy and yet it can do so much to broaden our horizons and show us a new point of view.
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Rasheed Abueideh
Dreams on a Pillowwill be a pseudo-3D stealth adventure game which will attempt to tell the authentic stories of Palestinians caught in the events of the “massacre of al-Tantura to the concentration camps of Atlit, she will later encounter the campaign of terror that led to the fall of Haifa, [and] the bioweapon poisoning of Acre.”
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Rasheed Abueideh
The crowdfunding page forDreams on a Pillowdetails a great deal about what we can expect from the game, but also the difficulty Rasheed Abueideh is facing with his vision. The page states that ten years ago, Abueideh recognised “the power of games: they let players step into someone else’s reality.” He has wanted to tell this story for many years, and we’re one step closer to seeing it.
Despite the success ofLiyla & The Shadows of War,Abueideh has been unable to firmly find footing within the games industry and attain a sustainable career. Instead, he opened a nut roastery near his home in Nablus, in the West Bank of Palestine. Sadly, he is unable to work currently due to the roads being unsafe for travel.
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Rasheed Abueideh
Now the crowdfunding target has been reached, work can begin on the game and shift focus from pre-production to full production for a team of nine to start creating. Of course, this means that there’s still some time before we can get the chance to play and step into the shoes of Omm. The aim for Abueideh and his team is to produce a playable slice of the game in order to secure further funding. It will also establish a clear plan for finishing the game should tragedy befall Abueideh during the current occupation of Gaza.
Topics:Indie Games
