A coproduction by The Pixel Hunt, Figs and ARTE France, and published by Playdius Entertainment, Bury me, my Love is inspired by real events and imbued with themes of love, hope and migration.
Bury me, my Love tells the story of Syrian refugee Nour and her husband Majd as Nour undertakes a perilous journey to safety. The title of this story-driven interactive fiction comes from the Syrian goodbye phrase that roughly translates as ‘Take care, and don’t even think about dying before I do.’ This phrase takes on a deeper meaning as players take on the role of Majd, who is forced to stay behind and can only communicate with his wife through their smartphones. By reading instant messages and choosing response options, players help Nour overcome the hardships she will encounter, with the story featuring multiple endings.
Designed to be experienced on a mobile phone, Bury me, my Love can be played in real-time, with messages arriving in intermittent intervals, sometimes stretching for hours. A fast-track option, which allows the story to be played without pauses, is also available.
Bombs have been falling for years on Homs, Syria, tearing the city to pieces and spreading death. So when her younger sister is added to the list of casualties, Nour can’t take it anymore. She decides to leave for Europe, with hopes of a better life.
Her husband, Majd, can’t come with her. He recently lost his father, too, but his mother and grandfather are still alive – if he leaves, they won’t be able to make it without him.
Bury me, my Love is reality-inspired interactive fiction featuring 50 different locations and 19 different endings with widely divergent outcomes. As Majd, you can communicate with Nour and follow her journey, just as if you were chatting with her via WhatsApp. You will text each other and exchange emojis, pics and selfies, and relevant links. You’ll also be asked to make important choices as Nour will regularly seek help and ask for your advice. However, she won’t systematically do as you say, sometimes hiding things from you as she risks her life.
Choices in Bury me, my Love really have an impact on the story, matching the many complex situations that migrants are in, and the weight their choices often have. Nour may report a temporary closed border, complain that someone she was supposed to meet is nowhere to be seen, or be cheated by a smuggler. In those cases, what would the best advice be? Should she wait, or change her mind and rethink her plans? With every passing day the risk of going bankrupt grows…
Also, Nour will obviously be affected by the events that are happening to her on the road. But this process will also work the other way around: she may or may not be able – or be forced – to perform some actions depending on her state of mind at a specific time.
Bury me, my Love is available on Android and iOS. You can discover more about the game at the ARTE website.
Just started this yesterday!
Stressful, but in a good way.
I like what I’ve seen so far. Great to see such a story told as interactive fiction.
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