Palestinian Stealth Game “Needs on a Pillow” Poised to Surpass £150K Crowdfunding Goal Early
“A nation brimming with individuals transforming into a populace devoid of territory.”
An online game narrating the factual history of the Nakba, the ethnic cleansing of Palestinian Arabs in 1948, has obtained three-quarters of its fundraising initiative with more than three weeks remaining.
Dreams on a Pillow – a “pseudo-3D stealth adventure game depicting a nation filled with individuals transforming into a populace without territory” – follows Omm, a young mother hailing from an olive farming lineage in al-Tantura. Through Omm’s journey, players can explore the historical events and narratives of the Nakba as she strives to escape to Lebanon in the North.
The crowdfunding page indicates that Palestinian game developer Rasheed Abueideh is “requesting your assistance and support as he embarks on his most significant game project to date, which has been a vision of his for nearly a decade.” To date, it has achieved £104.5K of the £155,823 Abueideh aims to raise and is set to conclude on the 13th of January.
“Nearly precisely ten years ago, as an Israeli incursion ravaged Gaza, Rasheed Abueideh recognized the influence of games: they enable players to immerse themselves in another person’s experience,” the description states.
“Shortly afterwards, Rasheed commenced the development of Liyla & The Shadows of War, a game that vividly depicted the challenging realities of living under siege, apartheid, and occupation. The development encountered numerous challenges and rejections: Apple deemed the game ‘too political’ and temporarily prohibited its distribution – while funding for publishing in the gaming sector was often aggressive.