Path Out is an episodic game. In this very first part of the
adventure (“The Walls of Silence”), Abdullah recalls life before the war, a family decision that led to his departure and
the perilous journey from his hometown Hama to the Turkish border through the war-torn Aleppo province. In its final version
of up to five episodes, the game should take the player on a journey from Syria through Turkey, Greece and the Balkan until
he finally arrives at his destination (and current whereabout) in Central Europe.
The game is deliberately
designed in the style of classic role playing games, a graphical language which stands in sharp contrast with the portrayed
sujet and the dramatic events of the game. Despite politicizing a genre that is mostly known for fantasy and horror themes,
the game doesn’t want to appear moralistic or educational, but create a radically different way to tell the story of a young
Syrian refugee from his very own perspective.
The main tool for this strategy is the ongoing presence of
Abdullah as a youtuber style video commentator in the game itself, such as scolding the player for getting “himself” killed
or making snide remark on oriental design elements that might be too stereotypical. His relationship with the player character
is kept ambiguous on purpose. While the journey is clearly based on Abdullah’s personal path, the player character will also
experience stories by friends and relatives. Again, this narrative freedom will be commented on via video.
Currently the game is in early development, a demo version of the first chapter will be published in 2017 for PC, MAC and
Android devices.
Website:
www.causacreations.net/portfolio/path-out/