Welcome to the third installment of Student Twine Games for UW-Milwaukee's Anthropology 150: Multicultural America class.
Once again these games were made in Twine and the stories are taken from the experiences and observations the students made while completing 20 hours of service-learning (i.e. volunteer work) in Milwaukee, WI and the surrounding areas.
We will also be streaming a playthrough of some of the games on Tuesday May 8th, from 5-7 PM central time on the Serious_Play Twitch channel.
The Life of Josh - In this game you will be playing as a recent UWM graduate named Josh. You go to a party and meet someone there you have never met before. You andthat person do something that will soon change your life. Soon after the party is over, you begin to figure out that you have contracted HIV. Now you must live with this condition and figure out the correct steps to take that will best benefit your health and life.
Determined to get GED - This game is about a young African American woman who has been working hard, taking adult classes to obtain her GED. Recently, she found out she is pregnant. Your goal is to prioritize her life so that she continues to work, visit with her tutor, and attend classes and doctor appointments. There are a few obstacles to overcome, but with the right choices you’ll be on your way to helping her achieve her goal of receiving her GED
Will's Story - You will be playing as a volunteer at an adult care facility. Here you decide to spend an afternoon with a kind elderly gentleman named Will. Will is very talkative and likes to tell stories but he has Alzheimer's making it a difficult to keep him on track sometimes. It will be up to you to use your memory so you can learn more about Will and his story.
El Centro de la Comunidad - In El Centro de le Comunidad you have the option of choosing which character you would like to play while at El Centro. Two of the players are clients at El Centro who are struggling with stress and are trying to find a way to lower their stress levels. One of the characters takes on a volunteer role and ends up with the struggle of whether or not he should translate a session. The fourth and final option is an acupuncturist who only speaks English at this natural healing facility, CORE El Centro.
Life of a Burmese Refugee - In this game you will be playing as a Burmese refugee named Ku Ku Paw. The goal of the game is to support your family by achieving self sufficiency. If you fail to achieve independent living, you and your family will be deported back to your home country of Burma.
Alex’s Astonishing Adventure - In this story, you play Alex, a 3rd grader who just moved to a new school. Your goal is to graduate high school; the choices you make along the way will affect multiple aspects of his life. Only you can decide Alex’s future.
Devonte Road to the Playoff - In this game you play as a 14-year-old boy named Devonte. Your goal is to guide Devonte through school and life trying to get him to the Championship basketball game and hopefully get recruited by a high school. Will you choose the right path for him?
Chris gets Tutored - Our game, “Chris gets Tutored”, is a series of scenarios you go through as the child, Chris, putting the player of the game in the shoes of a Milwaukee Public School Student at the Brown Street Academy, as a second grader. As the game continues, you will choose as the player if you either allow Chris to start his work and therefore further his education, or continue to rebel and make Chris stay at the same low academic level as before.
Dealing with Alzheimer’s - In this game you will become an elderly version of yourself, making the move into a senior care center known as the Ovation Center. As the game progresses you will follow through scenarios representing the worsening stages of Alzheimer’s disease (the most common form of dementia or memory loss) and experience how an individual may react to the progressing symptoms.
Juvenile Justice - In this game you will be playing the role of a 17-year-old boy named Alex. Alex is trying to navigate his way through a court diversion program. You will have to make choices on various opportunities that he is presented with, and decide what his outcome is that will affect his future.
Logan’s Redemption - In this game you play as Logan Smith: A young man with a history of drug abuse. You are let out of juvie on parole on the condition that you put in a certain number of community service hours at the local food pantry. Your goal is to stay out of trouble while also trying to balance your social life.
Billie's Life - In this game you will be playing the role of Billie, a 40-year-old African American male. You must work through discrimination issues and falling in and out of poverty in order to make a living and have a stable life. How you handle people and situations will affect how your life will turn out.
