In a little bit of actual news on this April Fools shenaniganorama from every developer in the world, 11 bit studios wants to say 'Thank you' to all of the gamers who participated in the This War of Mine 'War Child' DLC.
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With your contributions, the company - with the aid of the international War Child charity foundation - was able to help 350 Syrian refugee children. By simply purchasing the DLC, you were able to provide "psycho-social support to recover from trauma, child friendly spaces to make sure War Child can reach a child before someone else does, informal education: school fees, livelihood support, teacher training and others."
Since civil war broke out in Syria back in 2011, over nine million men, women and children have been displaced, with many fleeing to neighboring countries but most displaced still at home. With such seemingly insurmountable number, 350 may seem like a drop in the ocean.
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But as David Mitchell said, "Yet, what is any ocean but a multitude of drops?"
Much of the conversation around video gaming is negative or cynical: there's Gamergate, our endless snark about the state of the industry, the further Balkanization of player bases even among established franchises. Rarely is the good heard or even acknowledged.
This War of Mine is available for PC, with an iOS port planned for later this year. The game lets you view conflict from the other side of battle, not as an elite soldier, but as the ones caught in the crossfire. The natives, the refugees, the civilians. It is not 'fun' in the traditional sense, but it is 'profound' and moving all the same.
There is still time to donate to the War Child fund. The event ends on April 3.
