Pacifist war games and heroes with depression - social engagement in the world of games

Did you know that there are video games that are not only ambitious works bordering on art, but also a tool in the hands of educators, ludologists or cultural studies scholars? They tackle difficult social issues, such as harmful ideologies, inequalities, addictions, environmental problems or mental health. They educate while entertaining. These are socially engaged games, which rarely break through to the awareness of a wide audience. Which does not mean that no one has heard of them. 

The world of researchers carefully selects titles that are nominated annually for awards at the Games for Change Awards, a New York festival dedicated to them, as well as many other events. Discussions about them, getting to know the creators' environment and asking important questions gives an idea of the application of productions of this trend in therapy and education, as well as their impact on society. After all, their task is not only to draw attention to specific problems, but also to indicate, sometimes non-obvious, ways of solving them. 

We present a subjective list of titles that should not be overlooked when trying to get interested in the phenomenon. They can illuminate the problems of the modern world, enrich historical knowledge and develop empathy. From here it is a small step to use them in campaigns aimed at harmful stereotypes or hate speech.

Pacifist war games

11-11 Memories Retold is a production set against the backdrop of World War I. Its heroes are two men who end up on the front for completely different reasons, but certainly not to fight. It is a clear manifesto against war actions, uncompromisingly showing violence in a strongly post-impressionist form. Instead of realistic visual setting, the player is enchanted by a riot of colors and the message hidden in them. Add to this ambiguous moral choices and reading the aggressor's intentions on a psychological level, and you get a game by DigixArt, which caused a lot of stir with its educational value.

The second title dealing with historical themes is Attentat 1942. The title brings the audience closer to the dramatic struggle against Nazism, showing the bold action of the Czech partisans: the assassination of Reinhard Heydrich, and the revenge on the civilian population for its execution. However, we learn about the course of events in an unusual way - by talking to people who remember them. The title does not shy away from difficult questions, non-obvious decisions, from the intimate dimension of these interviews. Moving archival materials are interwoven with staged shots. Perhaps that's why the production was appreciated at the Independent Games Festival, Games for Change, TIGA Awards and was named the best Czech game of 2017.

Heroes with depression

Moving away from the strictly historical trend (although we will return to it), it is worth looking at games that address psychotic and depressive disorders. They do not moralize, they do not provide ready-made solutions, they only present diseases that the characters, Senua and Tomasz, have to deal with every day.

The first of them is the heroine of the game Hellblade. From her first steps in the digital world, Senua experiences hallucinations, hears voices suggesting various, often contradictory solutions. The contradiction of images and acoustic experiences overwhelms her to the extent that while traversing various locations she can stop, engage in dialogue with them or shout out her frustration. One of the pillars of the marketing of the described production was to emphasize the theme of disorders, faithfully reproduce their symptoms and consultations, both with doctors and with people experiencing similar states. To better understand this, we recommend experiencing Hellblade with headphones with a spatial sound effect.

The simultaneous attempt to focus on exploring the game world accompanied by internal dialogues can translate into an unprecedented experience. The game is so authentic that Charles Fernyhough, a professor of psychology at Durham University, describes schizophrenic states as a mandatory example... Hellblade.

The hero of the game Indygo, Tomasz, is a man suffering from depression in a very advanced stage. He consciously resigns from contact with the world, locks himself in his studio and severely limits relations with his partner. He is a man who is cruelly and silently consumed by depressive states, who cannot function in society. Presenting the symptoms of the disease is important regardless of the medium, it can be books, plays or games. Indygo is an emotionally difficult title, but extremely necessary, painting the emotions of a deeply ill person. It is a production that defies classifications, representing socially engaged games with dignity.

There are many more proposals focusing on the empathy of the audience and more are still being created. An example could be the excellently announced, although currently suspended in production, game The Cost of Recovery. Its creators wanted to present the story of a nine-year-old who has a stroke, and four different ways of dealing with the problem, using audiovisual transmission. The game was to present different perspectives, which are united by a common denominator: understanding one's thoughts and feelings. Let's hope it will be completed someday. And since we're on the subject of children's diseases.

Parent, child and cancer 

Regardless of whether you're a gamer or the described environment is completely foreign to you, play That Dragon, Cancer. This title was created by the parents of little Joel (Ryan and Amy Green), Josh Larson, and Numinous Games, and it differs from similar ones in that the story presented really happened. It's a very personal, overwhelming story that saw the light of day thanks to the OUYA team, which donates proceeds from the sale of the title to charitable organizations.

The Green family documented their struggle with their son's cancer and their grief after his death in the game. But not only that. The title reminds us of what really matters in life, speaks with original recordings, fragments of poetry, explains how to familiarize a healthy child with the loss of a beloved sibling. It's a title that literally grounds the sensitive recipient of the medium.

Moral puzzles

My Child Lebensborn by Teknopilot studio can certainly be classified as socially engaged games that address difficult topics. The production deals with the topic of children born as a result of the Nazi Lebensborn program, which aimed to increase the number of "pure blood" Germans through the appropriate selection of future Aryan mothers and fathers. The action focuses on the lack of acceptance for them from the environment. Hatred, at best ostracism, spitting - this is the daily life of little Klaus, who after all did nothing wrong. It's a title worth recommending, at the same time morally complicated. The production focuses on hostility towards the individual, anxiety, but also forces reflection. The game can engage emotionally due to the setting of the action in a hateful environment. A position that should not be passed by indifferently.

About war without pathos

Our list is closed by This War of Mine. The game from the Polish studio 11bit tells the story of a group of civilians involved in the war, and its action takes place in the fictional city of Pogoren in Yugoslavia. The Warsaw developers not only referred to the siege of Sarajevo, but also - which was perhaps the first such procedure - reversed the narrative pole, placing the victim of war making difficult moral choices in the role of the main character. And they broke the bank with it. The emotions that govern the game are hard to describe, and stubbornly sticking to your position is doomed to failure from the start. After all, there are no good solutions during the war. The game itself clearly makes the recipient aware that armed conflicts are closer to us than it might seem. 

The described video games testify to the power of a medium that is still rarely taken seriously as an educational tool. But this is changing, because games can help develop critical thinking and tolerance, as well as smuggle socially important topics. Even if the title is relatively light in reception and aimed at a younger group of consumers. 

It remains to believe that socially engaged games will eventually break into the mainstream and stand up to the most recognizable positions available on the market. And if this does not happen, perhaps they will at least instill in the teams creating them the tools of social change and important ideas, which implemented into AAA segment games will sensitize the mass audience.