Can video games make you feel the weight of history? That’s the ambitious goal of a new pseudo-3D stealth adventure called Pillow Dreams from Palestinian game developers.

The game is inspired by the 1948 Nakba, or “Nakbak”, which refers to the ethnic cleansing of 750,000 Palestinians from their homes in what is now the state of Israel.

It is expected to be released in 2026.

So, what do we know about the game, which launches as the Palestinians hope for this week’s game? ceasefire agreement Will the conflict between Hamas and Israel over the Gaza Strip really continue? Israel’s 15-month bombing of the Gaza Strip has killed more than 46,000 people?

Who is behind the game? What is its goal?

The game is the brainchild of Rasheed Abueideh, a developer based in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

“We are working hard to make this game a masterpiece,” game director and designer Abueideh told Al Jazeera. His last game, Liyla and the Shadows of War, set during Israel’s 2014 offensive on Gaza, was a huge success.

“It’s a heavy story. We want to infuse all of that information with gameplay that resonates with players,” he said.

Abu Eid, who lives in Nablus, West Bank, said he wants the world to understand that Israel’s war on Gaza is a direct result of previous events and decisions that followed the events of October 7, 2023.

The game is also an attempt to highlight and share Palestine’s rich history, he said.

Despite his past success, he has struggled to secure funding from traditional sources. So he crowdsourced it on LaunchGood, a global crowdfunding platform focused on supporting the global Muslim community. Dreams on a Pillow reached its funding goal of $194,800 on January 7. As of this writing, the video game project has raised $218,272.

The game is currently funded enough to begin development and should cover first-year costs, including wages, outsourcing, and asset creation.

With many mainstream crowdfunding platforms refusing to help, LaunchGood is one of the few viable options for fundraising, Abueideh said.

Content related to Palestine often faces heavy censorship and, in some cases, outright bans. Censorship and even shadow banning of pro-Palestinian content are well documented.

In May 2023, a YouTube video produced by Palestinian officials was scheduled to be shown at a meeting of the United Nations Human Rights Council, but was removed from the platform. The platform has accused Violating the digital rights of Palestinians.

Investigations by human rights groups and media organizations have revealed that pro-Palestinian content is being removed and suppressed on social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook.

Netflix has 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, the sudden deletion prompted an outcry on social media platforms from human rights organizations and individuals, broadcaster TRT World reported.

why is @Netflix Purging so many movies and content about Palestinians and Palestine?

Look at all the “leaving soon” Palestinian stories.

Israel is already trying to exterminate Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. why is @Netflix Destroy Palestine… pic.twitter.com/rXEmcVqvJ8

— Sunjeev Bery (@Sunjeev_Bery) October 13, 2024

What is the story behind “Dreams on the Pillow”?

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

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

The journey is a lens through which we view the broader historical context and personal experiences of displacement during this tumultuous period, Abued said.

Aum’s husband fell victim to Israeli invaders. She rushed home frantically to save her newborn child. In a hurry and fear, she fled the town, only to later discover that she had mistakenly grabbed a pillow instead of her child.

The outcome of a story varies greatly depending on the storyteller and the audience. In most renditions, the mother descends into madness. Other versions describe her being murdered or successfully evading Israeli patrols and military forces, leading to her fleeing her home country – a place she may never see again.

In a recent Q&A (AMA) live Abueideh explained on Reddit why he chose Omm:

“This young mother’s experience highlights the devastating nature of the catastrophe, particularly its psychological impact on her. It gives us a deeper understanding of what happened, revealing the emotional and emotional aspects that are often overlooked when discussing the crimes committed. The mental toll,” Aboued explained.

Zionist militias carried out more than 70 massacres, killing more than 15,000 Palestinians, until the establishment of Israel in 1948.

What is the theme of Lila and the Shadow of War?

Released in 2016 by Abueideh’s small development team in Palestine Lila and the Shadow of War Available for PC and mobile platforms, based on Israel’s 2014 Gaza offensive.

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

According to Abued, Lila and the Shadow of War It was highly successful, garnering millions of downloads and winning first place in the MENA International Mobile Gaming Awards for Excellence in Storyboarding.

The game revolves around the harrowing experiences of a Palestinian family during Israel’s military operation in Gaza, as they struggle to survive amid conflict and destruction.

“We followed the story of a young girl living in Gaza. During these attacks we tried to build an emotional story. We connected people to what was happening in Gaza and showed them what it was like to be Palestinian during the war. The decisions you make, no matter what decision you make, it’s hard to survive,” Abouaid said.

apple Rejected the game initially But the decision was later reversed under public pressure. Abouid said Lila and the Shadow of War was rejected because of its strong political themes.

“Players must deal with the harsh realities of life in a conflict that challenges them to find shelter amidst relentless explosions and hail of gunfire. Although the game is set in the Gaza Strip, the game mechanics work no differently than other games,” he explain.

How does Pillow Dreams differ from his previous games?

Although Pillow Dreams is set in Palestine like Lila and Shadow of War, the game dynamics are different.

“In the game element, your character (Omm) is holding a pillow, which limits her ability to do things in the environment, but the pillow gives her a sense of security,” Abueideh said.

Nakba’s psychological impact is vividly depicted through the game’s narrative story building and mechanics.

Orm finds comfort and safety in hugging a pillow that symbolizes her childhood. However, when she put it down, her mental state rapidly deteriorated. She may be plagued by nightmares and hallucinations that reflect the ongoing danger and trauma she has experienced.

Her psychological fears are expressed through game mechanics. In each level during the Cataclysm, she enters a dream state. In this dream, which also takes the form of a game, we witness Orm’s life before the Holocaust, in stark contrast to her current experience.

“This is our opportunity to show Palestinian culture and the essence of Palestine. The habits of the people before the Nakba, and how beautiful nature is. There is a lie about Palestine circulating in the Western media, that ‘the land has no people and the people have no land’,” Abued said.

“We need to show that Palestine has a rich history and culture, full of its people and their habits before the events of 1948.”

Abueideh said the game will take two years to develop and is scheduled to be released in 2026. Due to the sensitive nature of the subject matter, the development team does not yet know which platforms will receive the game.

What happened during the Nakba and the founding of the State of Israel?

On May 14, 1948, after the expiration of the British Mandate, Zionist leaders declared the establishment of the State of Israel. This announcement triggered the first Arab-Israeli war, Since then, the Zionist military has controlled 78% of historical Palestine.

The remaining 22% is divided into two areas: the West Bank (currently occupied) and the Gaza Strip (which has been reduced to rubble due to more than 15 months of non-stop Israeli bombardment).

Some 750,000 Palestinians were forced from their homes and territories after violence by Zionist militiamen.

Decades of continued Israeli military control of Palestinian territories have had a negative impact on Palestinians’ daily lives. The long-term occupation and expansion of Israeli settlements on Palestinian land jeopardizes the viability of a two-state solution – a coexistence of Israeli and Palestinian states.