In 2004 I attended the Portland International Film Festival in Portland, Oreg. Though I had heard of Darfur and seen peers wearing "Save Darfur" T-shirts, I didn't know anything about the war going on and the peoples' search for refuge. This all changed with a documentary at the festival called "Lost Boys of Sudan."
Hordes of Sudanese people attempted to escape the country, many dying along the way from starvation or being caught by the Janjaweed militia. Some escaped, and a few of those boys came to the United States as refugees. Their story is told in the documentary film.
The story of those who remain in Darfur, however, are not told. People attempting to do so have been turned away from the border. But five students who were turned away by government officials in 2005 heard the stories of refugees in Chad. The students took those stories and turned them into a game, Darfur is Dying, to educate anyone with computer access about the struggles of those who remain.
In the game, you choose citizens to play. It is up to you to keep enough water and food in the camp, as well as keep health up and the camp safe from Janjaweed attacks.
As someone who never played violent video games (or any other variety, for that matter) this game seems incredibly grim. On a first attempt, I was able to keep the camp safe and fed for one day. It was only one day before the rape and killing of my camp ensued. Not a very pleasant thought.
Because this game is based on grim reality, you cannot help but take in the information given to you. The people you can play are mostly children, because that is the majority of the population now--they're better at hiding, they run fast and don't require as much food. The game is incredibly difficult because the lives these survivors live are incredibly difficult.
I don't think I could ever play this game for fun, but it is informative and will get players thinking about the horrors in Darfur.
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