Palestinian Dev Crowd-Funding New Game

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As a gamer who has witnessed and appreciated the powerful stories that games can tell, I find myself deeply moved by the work of Rasheed Abueideh, a Palestinian game developer with a remarkable journey. His latest project, Dreams on a Pillow, is not just another game; it’s a testament to resilience, a reflection of history, and a beacon of hope in troubled times.

Palestinian video game creator Rasheed Abueideh has started a fundraising initiative to help finance his upcoming project, “Dreams on a Pillow“. This new title is inspired by real-life events and is set during the Nakba, a significant event in the 1948 Palestine War. The Nakba resulted in approximately 700,000 Palestinians being forcibly removed from their homes and properties.

Abueideh, a resident of Nablus, a city within the occupied Palestinian territory in the West Bank, previously unveiled “Liyla and the Shadows of War.” This digital work is accessible on mobile devices and personal computers, portraying a Palestinian family’s resilience during the 2014 Gaza conflict. It drew significant attention following its initial rejection as a game on Apple’s App Store and subsequently earned praise from critics and several awards. The game was instrumental in a 2021 fundraising event for Palestinians, organized by independent developers, which managed to collect nearly $1 million for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency in Gaza.

As stated on the campaign site, the upcoming work by the creator is a modern retelling of a Palestinian folktale, taking place during the Nakba. The story revolves around a woman who seeks to save her child after the tragic death of her husband at the hands of Zionist forces while they were expelling Palestinians from the land that later became Israel. In her panic, she picks up a pillow instead of her child, but she must persevere and find a path through dangerous territory as she strives to protect both herself and her fragile mental state. Similar to other developers from Arab nations, Abueideh aims to challenge conventional portrayals of the region by sharing his personal narrative in this project.

Developer Returns to Games With Renewed Vision

Abueideh’s career in game development has encountered numerous challenges. Despite the acclaimed success of his game, “Liyla and the Shadows of War”, he struggled to secure funding for future projects. As an alternative, he established a nut roastery in the West Bank, but this venture was eventually compromised by the ongoing conflicts in the region. Now, Abueideh is choosing a different route for his finances, opting for crowdfunding like many independent developers do. The funds he seeks will cover employee wages, asset creation costs, and outsourcing expenses, enabling him and his team to progress “Dreams on a Pillow” beyond its pre-production phase.

With an abundance of game screenshots, design sketches, and other production assets displayed on their crowdfunding platform, Abueideh appears ready to create a visually captivating game that delves into thought-provoking themes. As independent games continue to demonstrate their potential for raising social consciousness, the creators of “Dreams on a Pillow” might expand their reach by transforming their cultural viewpoint into a playable experience. Their LaunchGood fundraising campaign has amassed more than $50,000 from close to a thousand backers. The campaign will conclude on January 13, 2025, with the game slated for release in the last quarter of 2026.

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2024-12-01 04:07