About
The game is set in Tehran, Iran, during the post-election riots that took place this summer. You play a father and mother looking for their lost daughter, amidst crowds of protesters and police. It's a puzzle/action game, set from a 3/4 overhead perspective in 2D. Characters on the street will react to the father and mother differently (because of their gender). You have to get past the obstacles of crowds and police barricades taking into account these differences, sneaking past police, and occasionally having to fight or avoid violence. The game is meant to be about 2 hours of play, downloadable via PC and Xbox.
I'm sure many people In the U.S. had a similar reaction to watching the riots in Iran - sympathy, solidarity, and the hope for the safety of the protesters & those opposing the regime. But the truth of the matter is always more complex. The front runner of the opposition, Mir-Hossein Mousavi, has not been the supporter of reform (like women's rights) that we in the west might assume. It's worth remembering he was part of the fundamentalist revolution in Iran in 1979. The fact of the matter is today in Iran women have greatly reduced civil rights. Their testimony is worth half a man's testimony in court and they lose rights to custody of their children in divorce, just as a couple of examples.
Games have the power to put people in other's shoes, to illustrate what effect roles have on a person. Meanwhile, there are those in the game industry that argue that games cannot or should not approach such controversial topics. Games, as preeminent art form of the 21st century, must and will bring to light difficult issues, in ways that can inform, entertain, make us question the world around us, and hopefully inspire us to change it.
The money will help me pay for the game's artwork, sound effects, and music. It will help me focus more of my time on making them game - right now I'm working on it part time as I do contract work to help pay the bills. It will also go to research, to pay for books and perhaps travel.
I have over 9 years experience making games, and have an extensive network of friends and colleagues that can help me find the other resources I need to finish the game with the funding provided through Kickstarter. If you'd like to know more about me you can check out my blog about video game design & meaningful games, The Plush Apocalypse: http://www.plushapocalypse.com/borut
Lastly, at least 5% of royalties from sales of the game will go to two charities, Children of Persia (http://www.childrenofpersia.org/index.html) and the Iran Human Rights Documentation Center (http://www.iranhrdc.org/httpdocs/index.htm)