I just read an article about an indy videogame, in the form of a text-based RPG titled Choice: Texas. The game is a political statement by a couple of Austin game designers, Allyson Whipple and Carly Kocurek, which puts players in the shoes of woman trying to navigate Texas' various bullshit anti-abortion laws in hopes of getting the procedure done.
I'm including some links to the Jezebel article I read about Choice: Texas, as well as the game's Tumblr and the Indie-Go-Go page dedicated to funding the game. I plan to support it with my next paycheck, and both as a game designer who deals with the same subject often, and as a pro-choice Texan I'm very, very curious what Choice: Texas is going to be like to play.
First, I want to see how a different design crew, working in a different genre approaches the same struggles that define Otherverse America. Whipple, Kocurek and I all are coming from different backgrounds and with different types of stories in mind (theirs, reality based drama, mine military sci-fi), but we're both telling stories about abortion. Its gratifying to see another artist- more specifically, other game designers- tackle abortion as the focus of a game.
Second,since this will be a dramatic video game, it inherently is going to get more public attention than my odd little tabletop RPG will. With an article on Jezebel, Choice: Texas has already got several hundred times the media exposure my own work has. Good for them- I'm hoping lots of people play this game and learn something, even if only empathy.
As promised, some linkage:
http://jezebel.com/video-game-would-make-players-navigate-abortion-access-1204576993
http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/choice-texas-a-very-serious-game
http://choicetexas.tumblr.com/
Finally, a link to a Penny Arcade: Extra Credits webisode I watched the other week, talking about video games as propaganda and its effectiveness. Normally, propaganda games teach some pretty fuckin' loathesome values, so here's hoping Choice: Texas can teach basic DECENCY half as effectively.
http://penny-arcade.com/patv/episode/propaganda-games
Blesssed Be (and go fund this thing)
CHRIS
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