We keep saying it over and over: there are more than 120 million people forced to flee worldwide right now. But what does it mean to be displaced by conflict and persecution? How do people end up in refugee camps? What does seeking asylum look like? Understanding the refugee experience is a challenge.
There is an interactive and immersive way for you to grasp what it means to be forced to flee: through video games. These five games provide insights into the complex and often harrowing journeys of displaced individuals. They serve as powerful tools to raise awareness, foster empathy, and educate the public about the realities faced by refugees.
Discover our top 5 video games related to the refugee experience:
1. Against All Odds: Become a refugee fleeing conflict
Developed by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), Against All Odds places players in the role of a refugee fleeing conflict. The game guides players through various stages of the refugee experience—from escaping a war zone to crossing borders and seeking safety in a new country. Players face challenges such as avoiding danger, seeking asylum, and adjusting to life in a foreign land. The game illustrates the difficult decisions refugees must make. As a player, you will understand the emotional and physical toll of displacement. The game is web-based and allows you to put yourself in the shoes of a refugee, highlighting why it’s so important to help those forced to flee around the world. It provides a firsthand look at the journey millions of refugees endure.
2. Bury Me, My Love: Take your loved ones to safety
This second game—Bury Me, My Love—tells the story of Nour, inspired by real events. Nour is a Syrian woman trying to flee her war-torn country for a safer life. Players assume the role of her husband, Majd, who communicates with Nour through text messages. The game’s narrative is shaped by player decisions, with each response affecting Nour’s journey, leading her toward either success or tragedy. It is developed by The Pixel Hunt, Figs, ARTE, and can be played on mobile, PC, and Nintendo Switch.
The interactive text-message format is key to creating a personal and immediate experience. You will feel the weight of your decisions when playing. You will also gain a deeper understanding of the emotional toll of separation, the uncertainty of migration, and the real dangers refugees face.
3. Path Out: The authentic refugee experience of Abdullah
The third game is called Path Out and tells the story of its developer, Abdullah Karam. It is a role-playing game (RGP), meaning you will assume the role of Abdullah. He is a young Syrian artist and game developer that must escape the Syrian Civil War. The game employs retro 16-bit graphics reminiscent of classic RPGs while grounding the story in real-life events and can be played on PC. Players guide Abdullah on his perilous journey from Syria to Europe, facing challenges and moral dilemmas along the way.
By combining personal storytelling with gameplay, Path Out gives players an authentic view of a refugee's experience, enriched by Abdullah’s commentary through videos and anecdotes. This adds an extra layer of personal connection, making the experience both informative and emotionally resonant.
4. Refugee Challenge: When each choice is an impossible one
The fourth video game you must play to understand refugees’ journeys is Refugee Challenge, developed by Amnesty International. Refugee Challenge is an interactive online experience that presents players with real-life scenarios faced by refugees. Through a series of choices, players must navigate these challenges, deciding whether to stay, flee, or seek asylum. The scenarios are based on true events, giving players insight into the difficult and often dangerous decisions that refugees must make.
When playing this web-based game, you will be faced with the complexities of decision-making as a refugee, showing how each choice you make can lead to unexpected consequences. It emphasizes the unpredictability and high stakes of the refugee experience.
5. This War of Mine: When ordinary people live at war
Last but not least, the game This War of Mine places players in the shoes of civilians trapped in a city under siege. It is not explicitly about refugees, but you will explore the day-to-day survival struggles—finding food, medicine, and shelter—while avoiding the dangers faced by those living in a city at war. You will have to make difficult moral choices, such as whether to steal to survive or risk your life helping others. The game is developed by 11 Bit Studios and can be played on PC, console, or mobile.
It vividly portrays the harsh realities of war from the perspective of ordinary people, illustrating the desperation that often drives individuals to flee and seek refuge. The emotional intensity and moral ambiguity provide insights into the mental and physical challenges faced by those living in conflict zones.
Fleeing conflict and persecution: a journey made of impossible choices
Do you ever wonder how you can help refugees? Raising awareness is one way, and you can do it much more effectively after having put yourself in the shoes of an asylum-seeker, a person living under constant threat, or a refugee—someone seeking safety for themselves and their family. It will never be the same experience as someone who had to flee, but you will be better placed to share what the journeys of displaced people can look like.
The global refugee crisis is a complex issue, and the first step to raising awareness is to dismantle the stereotypes surrounding refugees.
Through these immersive games, you can engage with the refugee experience in a manner that transcends traditional news stories. By stepping into the roles of displaced individuals, making challenging decisions, and confronting dangers, we hope your empathy will deepen toward the 120 million people forced to flee worldwide. The global refugee crisis is a complex issue, and the first step to raising awareness is to dismantle the stereotypes surrounding refugees.