Palestinian Developers Finally Get Their Platform

Palestinian Voices in Games (PVG) represents a groundbreaking initiative designed to empower Palestinian game developers by providing essential professional support and combating their underrepresentation in the global gaming industry. Launched in September, this program brings together over fifty industry professionals from studios like Lizardcube and Santa Ragione, focusing on direct mentorship and resource allocation for creators.

The concept for PVG took root at the Amaze festival in Berlin during May 2024, against the backdrop of ongoing regional conflict. Organizers, preferring anonymity to keep attention on the developers, recalled initial discussions centered on how their specific skills could make a meaningful difference. What began as informal conversations evolved into a structured framework for assistance.

Though not a formal organization, PVG operates through a network of approximately one hundred participants. The process involves matching volunteers, ranging from artists to publishing experts, with Palestinian developers based on project needs and volunteer availability. Each volunteer undergoes careful vetting to ensure reliability and respect. Two primary contacts maintain consistent communication between creators and supporters throughout the development cycle.

The program’s long-term objective is to leverage the gaming community’s unique capabilities where they are most effective. Organizers acknowledge that many urgent needs arising from conflict fall outside their scope, yet emphasize that countering dehumanization through creative expression remains a powerful contribution. Palestinian developers, both within Palestine and throughout the diaspora, often possess compelling stories but face significant barriers like limited infrastructure, funding, and technical expertise. PVG’s established networks with press, publishers, and distributors directly address these gaps.

One of the first projects to receive backing is Dreams on a Pillow by Rasheed Abueideh. This 2.5D stealth adventure draws from a historical Palestinian folk tale set during the 1948 Nakba, following a mother who accidentally flees with a pillow instead of her infant. The game explores themes of trauma and survival, with nightmares manifesting whenever the protagonist sets the pillow down. A LaunchGood crowdfunding campaign has already raised over $240,000, roughly half the amount needed to fully fund the project, support Abueideh’s team, and provide for his family.

Abueideh, speaking from his home in the West Bank, described the overwhelming support the project has received. His prior game, Liyla and the Shadows of War, also addressed Palestinian lived experiences. After launching his crowdfunding effort, he was contacted by PVG through mutual industry connections. Eager to collaborate with a platform centering Palestinian narratives, he accepted their support, which has included contract refinement, resource acquisition, and pro bono consulting.

For Abueideh, creating such games has shifted from passion to profound responsibility. He notes that current events have intensified the importance of sharing these stories, even amid the financial and personal risks of full-time development. He reflects that creating something within his ability feels essential, regardless of eventual audience size.

Yasmine Batniji, a Palestinian American artist in Brooklyn, shares this sense of duty. Her project Pomegranates, a first-person narrative experience, also benefits from PVG’s support. Batniji observed that before recent escalations, many dismissed her work as “too political.” Her games focus on real, often difficult, subject matter rather than traditional entertainment.

Inspired by Afrofuturism and the online memorial “Martyrs of Gaza,” Pomegranates uses digital archiving and 3D modeling to resurrect destroyed landmarks. Batniji became interested in this approach after encountering the NewPalmyra project, which digitally reconstructed an ancient Syrian temple demolished by ISIS. A 2019 travel grant allowed her to experiment with 3D scanning in Palestine, though returning for further research proved impossible.

Batniji always hesitated to create a game about Gaza due to severe access restrictions, Google Maps doesn’t operate there, and travel is nearly impossible. However, she decided there was no better time than the present. After presenting on political game development in May 2024, she connected with a PVG organizer. Following discussions, PVG adopted Pomegranates as an inaugural project, pairing Batniji with a narrative designer in France whose involvement she describes as invaluable.

According to Batniji, PVG’s greatest impact lies in providing motivation and accountability. She doubts she would have continued developing Pomegranates into a full release without their encouragement. Now, with volunteer assistance, she is expanding the game to version 2.0, where players experience the perspectives of three Palestinians inside al-Ahli Arab Hospital during military invasion.

Just days after PVG’s September launch, ten United Nations member states extended official recognition to Palestine. While such political developments may eventually ease partnerships and funding, organizers remain cautious. They report that many media outlets, even those sympathetic to Palestinian causes, decline coverage fearing reader backlash over blending serious topics with gaming.

Nonetheless, PVG participants hold onto hope for broader acceptance. They believe that as more nations recognize Palestine, support for programs like theirs will grow. Many potential allies currently hesitate due to the perceived controversy, but increasing international acknowledgment may gradually reduce this stigma, allowing Palestinian developers to share their stories without fear.

(Source: Game Industry)