Games for Human Rights: ICED
Struggling for human rights doesn’t just mean protesting on the streets. It can take many forms and reach audiences in a variety of ways.
The non-profit Breakthrough released the ICED video game to help end the arbitrary deportation of immigrants by the U.S. government. Immigrants enmeshed in the detention system may be deprived of access to a lawyer, basic medicine, food, and dignity.
ICED (or “I Can End Deportation”) features a 3-D gaming environment in which players control one of several immigrant characters in an attempt to win legal residency. But the odds are stacked against you: if one of the immigration officers catches you as you navigate the mean city streets, you will be hauled off to a detention facility. The choices are even more stark once you’re inside.
The game was designed on open source software through focus groups with immigrant children. It is accompanied by a full complementary course curriculum for educators.
While not flawless — it is very difficult to “win” the game and receive legal residency, and you can’t apply solutions to deportation within the gameplay — this is a fascinating foray into the world of gaming that teaches while it entertains.
And it’s not just for kids. Research suggests that many of the tens of thousands of downloads reached audiences into their 30s and above.
Visit the site and download the game here.
–Deji Olukotun
