1000
Days
of Syria.
According
to Huizinga's Homo
Ludens,
war shares many characteristics with play. Undoubtedly war games are
one of the widest games genres, ranging from chess to Call of Duty,
counting thousands of titles. In an age of relative peace it has
become clear that enjoying war in a playful way has nothing to do
with raising young soldiers, but covers, more likely, a metaphoric
function representing everyday struggles against life, at work, at
school and in family.
War
in games is often fictional, and even when it's inspired by a real
war it is represented in a very stereotypical way. That's why the
Nazis are so widely exploited in games and fiction: they are perfect
example of stereotypical villains in the real world.
Reality
is more complicated and real contemporary wars are a very delicate
subject that can't be handed lightly. War games set in conflicts
still happening would be politically incorrect, disrespectful or
even dangerous.
On
the other hand games about
ongoing conflicts can be very interesting and instructive. It's the
case of 1000
days of Syria a text based historical fiction game. The author,
journalist Mitch Swenson, has
been in Syria in September 2013 and what he saw was so enormous
confronted to the lack of interest for this conflict in the West,
that he had to do something. That's how 1000 Days of Syria is born.
Says
Swenson: “My
intention is neither to entertain players with, nor benefit from, the
deaths that have resulted from the instability in Syria. In fact my
aim is just the opposite. Sometimes the word "game" can be
misconstrued into something that seems removed and reductive in the
context of real life danger and death. In that way some might say
that 1000 Days of Syria should not be considered a game at all, but
rather an interactive education. That is for you to decide.”
I
played this game, this “exercise
in transmedia storytelling, part electric literature; part newscast;
and part choose-your-own-adventure”
and it literally broke my heart. It is not particularly pathetic, or
tragic, if so it wouldn't work. It is simple and sincere and with its
clean narrative can make you feel and live the Syrian war. When the
game starts you cross the Syrian border. And with “you” I mean
the player, not his or her character. What you see after the crossing
will never leave you, it will follow you at the end of the game and
accompany you in your everyday life, wherever you live. 1000 Days of
Syria is an overwhelmingly immersive game or, at least, it has been
to me.
Mitch
Swenson is reluctant to call hi creature a “game”, word that too
often is associated to something opposite to “serious”. In my
opinion serious games like this are probably the better way to look
and understand conflicts that, even if far away, can be also very
close.
I would like to thank Gabriele Ferri for suggesting me 1000 Days of Syria.
