What is the Palestinian game ‘Dreams on a Pillow’ about the Nakba? , Al-Nakba News

Can a video game make you realize the importance of history? That’s the ambitious goal of a new pseudo-3D stealth adventure game called “Dreams on a Pillow” launched by Palestinian game developers.

The game is inspired by the events of the 1948 Nakba or “catastrophe”, referring to the ethnic cleansing of 750,000 Palestinians from their homes located in what is now the State of Israel.

It is scheduled to release in 2026.

So what do we know about the game that launches at a time when Palestinians are hoping for a ceasefire agreement this week between Hamas and Israel for Gaza, where 15 months of Israeli bombardment of the strip killed 46,000 More people have died than will actually hold?

Who is behind the game and what is its goal?

The game is the brainchild of Rashid Abuideh, a developer from the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

“We’re trying to make this game a masterpiece,” Abouideh, the game’s director and designer, told Al Jazeera. Their last game, Leyla and the Shadows of War, based on the 2014 Israeli attack in Gaza, was a big hit.

“It is a heavy story. And we want to incorporate all this information through a gameplay that resonates with players,” he said.

Abuideh, who lives in Nablus in the West Bank, says he wants the world to understand that the Israeli war on Gaza is a direct result of past events and decisions beyond the October 7, 2023 incident.

He says the game is also an effort to highlight and share Palestine’s rich history.

Despite their past success, they have struggled to obtain funding from traditional sources. So they turned to crowdsourcing on LaunchGood, a global crowdfunding platform focused on supporting Muslim communities around the world. Dreams on a Pillow reached its funding goal of $194,800 on January 7. At the time of writing, the video game project has raised $218,272.

The existing funding for the game is sufficient to begin development and should cover the first year’s costs including salaries, outsourcing, and asset creation.

According to Abouideh, LaunchGood emerged as one of the few viable options for fundraising efforts, as many mainstream crowdfunding platforms declined to help.

Palestine-related content often faces strict scrutiny and, in some cases, an outright ban. Censorship or even shadow banning of pro-Palestinian content has been well documented.

In May 2023, a YouTube video made by Palestinian officials, which was to be presented at a UN Human Rights Council meeting, was removed from the platform. This platform has been accused of violating the digital rights of Palestinians.

Investigations by rights organizations and media outlets have revealed the removal and suppression of pro-Palestinian content from social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook.

Netflix removed almost all 32 films about Palestine from its platform. The streaming giant attributed the removal of the films to the expiration of a three-year licensing agreement. However, according to broadcaster TRT World, the sudden removal sparked outrage from human rights groups and individuals on social media platforms.

Why @netflix Removing many of its films and content related to Palestine and Palestine?

Check out all the Palestinian stories that are “going away soon.”

Israel is already trying to wipe out the Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. Why @netflix Eradicating Palestine… pic.twitter.com/rXEmcVqvJ8

– Sanjeev Bery (@Sunjeev_Bery) 13 October 2024

What is the story behind Dreams on a Pillow?

The game’s central theme is based on Palestinian folklore surrounding the legend of Om, a young mother who fled the 1948 Israeli massacre in Tantura, a Palestinian town now part of Israel.

While fleeing other Palestinian villages and refugee camps on her way to Lebanon, she witnessed the events taking place in these communities and cities along the way.

According to Abouideh, the journey serves as a lens through which we view the broader historical context and individual experiences of displacement during this difficult period.

Om’s husband becomes a victim of the Israeli invaders. Distraught, she runs home to save her newborn child. In her haste and panic, she flees the city, but later discovers that she had mistakenly held the pillow instead of her child.

The conclusion of the story varies greatly depending on the storyteller and the audience. In most productions the mother descends into madness. Other versions depict either her assassination or her successful evasion from Israeli patrols and military units, causing her to flee her homeland – a place she would never see again.

In a recent Ask Me Anything (AMA) live on Reddit, Abouideh explained why Om was chosen:

“The young mother’s experiences highlight how devastating the Nakba was, particularly its psychological impact on her. “It adds a deeper layer to understanding what happened, shedding light on the emotional and mental toll that is often overlooked when discussing the crimes committed,” Abouideh explained.

Zionist militias committed more than 70 massacres resulting in the killing of more than 15,000 Palestinians and the creation of Israel in 1948.

What was the theme of Leela and the shadow of war?

In 2016, the small team of developers from Abuideh in Palestine released Leyla and the Shadows of War for PC and mobile platforms, based on Israel’s 2014 Gaza invasion.

The Israeli military operation, codenamed Operation Protective Edge, resulted in the deaths of 2,300 Palestinians and 73 Israelis.

According to Abouideh, Leyla and the Shadows of War was successful enough to receive millions of downloads and was awarded first place for Excellence in Storyboarding at the International Mobile Gaming Awards for the Middle East North Africa.

The game was built around the tragic experience of a Palestinian family during the Israeli military campaign in Gaza, as they struggled to survive amid the conflict and destruction.

“We followed the story of a young girl living in Gaza. During these attacks, we try to create an emotional story. We connect people to what’s happening in Gaza, and we show them the decisions you have to make as a Palestinian during a war, and survival is hard no matter what decisions you’re making, ”says Abuideh.

Apple initially rejected the game but later reversed its decision after public pressure. Abouideh says that Leyla and the Shadows of War faced rejection due to their powerful political themes.

“Players will have to deal with the harsh realities of life amid the conflict, challenging them to navigate through constant bombings and shootouts in search of sanctuary. The game mechanics are no different from other games, although it is set in the Gaza Strip,” he says.

How is Dreams on a Pillow different from its previous games?

Although Dreams on a Pillow is set in Palestine, like Leyla and Shadows of War, the dynamics of the game are different.

“For the gameplay element you are playing with this character (Omm) who is holding a pillow, which limits her ability to do things in the environment, but this pillow provides her with protection,” Abouideh said.

The psychological effects of the Nakba are clearly portrayed through the game’s narrative-story-building and mechanics.

Om finds solace and security when carrying the pillow, which symbolizes his childhood. However, when she calms down, her mental state rapidly deteriorates. She may suffer from nightmares and hallucinations, a reflection of the constant danger and trauma she experiences.

His psychological horror is manifested through the game’s mechanics. At each level set during the Nakba, she enters a dream state. In this dream, which also takes the form of a game, we see Om’s life before the Nakba, which provides a stark contrast with his current experience.

“This is our opportunity to show the culture of Palestine, the nature of Palestine. How beautiful were people’s habits and nature before Nakba. A lie told in the Western media about Palestine is, ‘Land without people, for people without land,'” Abouideh says.

“We need to show that Palestine was rich in history and culture, full of its people and their habits, before what happened in 1948.”

According to Abouideh, the game will require two years of development with a planned release in 2026. Due to the sensitive nature of the topic, it is unclear from the development team which platforms will accept the game.

What happened during the Nakba and the creation of Israel?

On May 14, 1948, shortly after the end of the British Mandate, Zionist leaders announced the establishment of the State of Israel. This declaration ignited the first Arab–Israeli war, After which Zionist forces gained control over 78 percent of historical Palestine.

The remaining 22 percent was divided between two areas: the West Bank, now occupied, and the Gaza Strip, which has been reduced to rubble due to more than 15 months of non-stop Israeli bombardment.

Approximately 750,000 Palestinians were forcibly displaced from their homes and areas following violence by Zionist militias.

Decades of continued Israeli military control over the Palestinian territories have had a negative impact on the daily lives of Palestinians. The prolonged occupation and expansion of Israeli settlements on Palestinian lands threatens the feasibility of a two-state solution – Israeli and Palestinian states existing side by side.