I Feel Ya!

After playing 6 of the Digital Narrative Games, I can frankly say that I was able to put myself in someone else’s shoes to a certain extent. The games provided several pressuring scenarios of different cases, which showed common issues that are comparable to reality. As I advanced in each game, I was able to take decisions and make choices for the character I was playing. Don’t let this fool you into thinking that I was able to take my character through the path I desired in every game, as the choices were limited to pressure me enough to feel myself in their shoes. 

The first game I played was Spent, where I was an unemployed American with $1000 in my wallet. The aim of the game is to make it through the month without spending all my money, getting fired, and literally staying alive.

(https://makeameme.org/meme/what-how-is-5c44e1)

The first choice I made was to work in an office, in which the monthly pay was based on 40 hours per week with a pay of $306. As I advanced through the game, I faced several problems that, obviously, involved taking decisions that may decrease the money in my wallet. However, being absolutely realistic and nearly heartless, I took decisions at a minimum cost, while trying to satisfying the needs of my kid, surviving pain, and not killing my pet. Luckily, I made it through the month and still had $273. I found this game, very educational, as I never imagined that there were people that were unable to live a happy life due to low-paying jobs. Spent also gave me a glimpse of what our parents go through every day, making choices in the hopes of providing the best life for us. I also enjoyed that the game gave statistical information about most of the decisions, which added an educational angle to the game. I would have been a bit more amused if I got an interpretation of how the choices I made affected the month after the 30 days I played. 

Quite different from the first game I played, BBC Syrian Refugees is a game that aims to accentuate the difficulties a Syrian refugee faces on the journey of fleeing the country,  in the hopes of finding a better life for himself and his family. What makes this game extremely tedious, is the fact that all the given choices are awfully risky. Although I did make it to the final destination and I, fortunately, did not drown, the game still got me very empathetic for the Syrian refugees who sadly have to go through these situations on a daily basis. The game vividly shows the struggles of these refugees, giving me limited choices that show me how risky their lives are, and how hard it is for real-life Syrians to escape the terrors in their countries and reach safety. To be honest, I played this game a number of times and there is nothing that I want to improve. The game successfully raises awareness about the difficulties Syrian refugees face, from low supply of food, to  jumping out of a boat to escape militia; what I mean is that the game gives a attention to tiny details that shaped my perception.

Raised by a single mother, I was not surprised that 2 of the games that caught my attention were games related to mothers. The first one I played was Sleep-Deprived Mom, this game encourages feeling empathy with sleep deprived moms. Throughout the game I had to make choices that either way didn’t lead to a good night sleep, yet there was always a situation where the number of hours increased. For instance, the decision I made in this case was limited, since there was an option of “waking up daddy” but I chose to keep my character single to make it as relatable to my life as possible. I’ve got to admit that I’m considerably good at these games, as on day 3 I chose to give my child a fever-reducing suppository while they sleep. 

What frustrated me the most about this game was that whatever I did I never got enough sleep. I know the game is called Sleep-Deprived Mom, but it wouldn’t hurt to give the player a break in the middle with a wise decision, I got so angry that I kept thinking about every decision for about a minute, I even tried different scenarios but they all led to less sleep. I know there were choices better than others, but how come do I lose sleep every single time. All in all, this game sheds the light on how tiresome mothers get trying to fulfill our every need, while not always having what they want; such as, having a Skype call with a friend or reading a book. The other game I played was Single Mothers, and to be very frank after the first few questions I could not relate at all. Given that I was raised by a single mom I felt that this game would be very relatable; however, all the choices were discouraging and pessimistic. Every situation was unrealistically harder than the one before, baring in mind that the choices were limited and every step made you jump into another dilemma. This was not one of my favorite games, because it made me feel that a woman cannot survive on her own and I totally disagree. This game can be improved by providing more choices and decisions, while keeping it realistic. Also, there was no defining ending of a situation I’m in, as a player. After all I may be exaggerating, and these scenarios may actually happen with less fortunate single mothers.

The fifth game I played was Responsible Partying, which is a game that takes you through a night in the shoes of a teen at a party. As soon as I started playing, I instantly got the idea behind the game, how peer pressure doesn’t always end up well. I didn’t take any of the bad decisions such as drinking or hooking up, yet I was still perceived as drunk from a picture that was posted with a caption that implied that we were drinking. What I liked about this game is that when I chose the wiser decision, it still took me to a situation where a friend was going through a tough time. Emphasizing the importance of consent through the game is somewhat smart, being able to understand through the statistics provided in the game. The only thing that I think can be improved is to try to summarize some of the paragraphs as by the end of the game it becomes a bit boring.

Last but not least, I played Bad News, and let me say that this was by far my favorite game. This game focused on showing the player how easily a rumor can spread as news and that doesn’t lead to anything good. The aim of the game is to gain credibility and followers, and GOOOD was I good. Knowing that it was a game I killed all my moral obligations and let myself reach the extreme. I reached 7,497 followers, a relatively high credibility, and I unlocked the 6 badges of being a skilled liar. I enjoyed this game as it is very educational, you get to understand how the news get manipulated and how they spread. Yet, I can say that they can add more choices to make the game more engaging.

Featured image: (https://twitter.com/classdojo/status/792723486565363712?lang=en)