Video games have become a powerful medium for storytelling and raising awareness on social, political, and environmental issues. Games like That Dragon, Cancer, This War of Mine, and Life is Strange are examples of how developers attempt to blend meaningful narratives with gameplay, often aiming to enlighten players on real-world problems. But as this trend grows, a fundamental question emerges: Are these games truly impactful, or are they simply indulging in mundane preaching that ultimately fails to spark genuine change?
The Rise of Awareness Games
In recent years, video games have shifted from pure entertainment to vehicles for serious messages. Developers have started to see games as an opportunity to tackle social injustices, mental health, war, climate change, and more. Titles that prioritize raising awareness can allow players to explore empathy, witness the consequences of systemic problems, and even assume the roles of marginalized individuals. The hope is that through immersive experiences, players will not only engage with these narratives but also be compelled to take action beyond the screen.
Shortfalls of Awareness Games
While the intent behind such games is noble, there are numerous shortfalls that hinder their effectiveness. These include:
- Preaching to the Choir: Many of these games attract an audience that already agrees with the message being presented. Players who purchase a game about climate change or social inequality are often those who are already aware of and concerned about these issues. Instead of broadening perspectives, these games can end up reinforcing existing beliefs without reaching new, potentially indifferent audiences.
- Superficial Engagement: Awareness games often oversimplify complex issues to make them digestible for a broader audience. In doing so, they can lose the depth required to provoke meaningful understanding. For example, a game that focuses on the refugee crisis might present the player’s journey in a linear, overly moralistic fashion, reducing intricate real-world issues to basic choices that offer little in terms of real-world insight.
- Preaching vs. Playing: There is a fundamental tension between gameplay and messaging. Games are meant to entertain, yet when they try to impart a message, they often become preachy or heavy-handed. This can lead to a disjointed experience where players feel like they are being lectured instead of actively engaged. It may also lead to a lack of enjoyment, causing players to abandon the game entirely, undermining the very goal of raising awareness.
- Lack of Follow-Through: Simply making players aware of an issue is not enough. Raising awareness without offering clear calls to action or ways to support the cause can lead to a sense of complacency. Players may feel that by merely playing the game, they have “done their part,” when in reality, no tangible impact has been made. This phenomenon, sometimes referred to as “slacktivism,” is prevalent in many digital platforms, including video games.
The Illusion of Impact
One of the core criticisms of awareness-raising games is that they often give the illusion of impact without creating actual change. Developers might create a game that tackles environmental destruction or systemic racism, but unless these narratives are tied to concrete actions players can take in their own lives, the message remains confined within the game world.
Additionally, the gaming industry itself is not immune to ethical shortcomings. Games are often produced under exploitative labor conditions, contributing to environmental waste through excessive hardware production, and even perpetuating harmful stereotypes. This contradiction undermines the potential moral high ground that awareness games often try to occupy.
Toward More Meaningful Engagement
If awareness-raising games are to evolve and be truly effective, several changes need to be considered:
- Interactive Solutions: Games should offer more than just narratives about problems. They should allow players to explore solutions within the game world and provide guidance on how to support those solutions outside the game. For example, after playing a game about environmental conservation, players could be directed to organizations where they can volunteer, donate, or advocate for change.
- Nuanced Storytelling: Developers need to resist the temptation to reduce complex issues into black-and-white scenarios. Life is messy, and real-world problems rarely have clear solutions. Awareness-raising games should reflect this complexity and challenge players to think critically rather than presenting moralistic sermons.
- Target New Audiences: Developers must find ways to reach beyond their core base of sympathetic players. To truly raise awareness, these games need to engage people who may not already be invested in the issue at hand. This could be achieved through creative marketing strategies or by embedding these messages in genres that appeal to a broader, more diverse audience.
- Tangible Calls to Action: Games need to offer more concrete calls to action. This could be through fundraising partnerships, embedded links to advocacy groups, or post-game summaries that outline steps players can take in the real world. The goal should be not just awareness but actual, measurable action.
Conclusion
While awareness-raising video games have good intentions, they often fall short of their desired impact. By failing to deeply engage with the complexities of real-world issues or reaching new audiences, many of these games come across as mundane preaching rather than meaningful activism. For video games to become true vehicles for change, developers need to rethink how they balance gameplay with messaging and focus on driving tangible actions beyond the digital experience. Only then can these games fulfill their potential to inspire real-world impact.
