We. The Refugees: Ticket to Europe
- May 1, 2023
- Act Zero
Get on SteamWe. The Refugees: Ticket to Europe is an interactive fiction adventure game about refugees, set in contemporary Europe and North Africa. Illustrated with dreamlike comic-book graphics. Inspired by true events - the creators actually visited a refugee camp, interviewed dozens of refugees and made their stories the foundation of the game.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features exceptional writing and a complex, engaging narrative that encourages multiple playthroughs with meaningful choices.
- It provides a nuanced perspective on the refugee crisis, blending educational elements with entertainment while prompting players to reflect on their own views.
- The visuals are lovely, and the developers clearly invested significant effort in research to create an immersive experience that resonates emotionally with players.
- The game suffers from numerous bugs and design flaws, which can break immersion and lead to frustrating experiences for players.
- Some players found the protagonist's perspective problematic, feeling that it oversimplifies or misrepresents the experiences of refugees.
- There are significant spelling and localization issues that detract from the overall quality of the writing and gameplay experience.
- story54 mentions
- 19 % positive mentions
- 76 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The game's story is praised for its complexity and depth, featuring branching narratives that encourage player engagement and emotional investment. While the perspective of a European protagonist in a refugee narrative raises some discomfort, it effectively challenges players' preconceptions and fosters empathy. Overall, the writing is described as engaging and well-researched, making it a standout interactive novel with significant replayability due to its intricate choices and multiple story paths.
“This game provides an excellent story with abundant research and details, along with great visual materials and music.”
“The story choices seem incredibly complex, often branching off into long, detailed substories from seemingly inconsequential decisions, all forming an intricate network of factors that influence the main story down the line.”
“Overall, judging from the quality of the story and the writing alone, this is one of the best interactive novels I have come across.”
“I felt somewhat uncomfortable with the story of African, Arab, and West Asian refugees being told through the lens of a white European, but admittedly as a westerner that did help orient me. To the credit of the game, the protagonist's inner thoughts are capable of reflecting that same discomfort if one so chooses.”
“I thought that the protagonist was kind of an asshole for cosplaying as a refugee in order to write a story, while the people around him were there because they had (almost) no other options.”
“… into anything but the story and even that is flawed and doesn't truly represent the reality as described by a pair of Iranian refugees I briefly worked with at the time.”
- graphics10 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game are widely praised for their outstanding quality, particularly the lovely 2D illustrations that enhance the storytelling experience. While some users note that certain aspects of the graphics may feel unpolished, the overall visual presentation is considered eye-pleasing and effectively complements the game's themes and characters.
“The visuals are truly outstanding, and I would love to have an album showcasing the illustrations.”
“Providing you a view that not everyone is dealt with the same cards, coupled with gorgeous artwork and depressing, yet fleshed-out characters.”
“The game is a text-based role-playing experience with incredibly lovely 2D graphics that strikes the ideal tone between being educational and entertaining.”
“The 2D graphics are decent, but most other aspects are unpolished.”
- gameplay8 mentions
- 13 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The gameplay centers around the player's role as a journalist, where they must sift through facts and decide what to include in their book, fostering curiosity through its mechanics. Players experience a blend of emotional exploration and adventure, although some may find themselves more focused on personal introspection than engaging with other characters' stories. Overall, the gameplay offers a unique narrative-driven experience that rewards curiosity and personal reflection.
“However, after a few chapters, I realized that this perspective offers a rare opportunity to encourage (and reward) players' curiosity through gameplay mechanics.”
“My time is elevated (I was letting this run on the deck), but even while behaving, I feel like I've spent hours of gameplay studiously avoiding learning about anyone else's lives or desires, while getting in touch with my own emotions and having an unusual bit of adventure travel.”
“Since you play as a journalist, part of the gameplay is to digest the facts as you go, choosing what will and won't make it into your book at the end.”
“However, after a few chapters, I realized that this perspective offers a rare opportunity to encourage (and reward) player's curiosity through gameplay mechanics.”
- replayability6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The game offers high replayability due to its numerous story paths and meaningful choices, encouraging players to explore different endings and approaches. While fans of text-heavy games will appreciate its value, those less inclined may want to wait for a sale. Overall, players express a strong desire to replay the game to experience its varied narratives.
“Because there are numerous story paths and meaningful choices, the game is highly replayable.”
“With the choices and endings that add to replayability, I'm fine with its price; but if you're not super into text-heavy games, wait for a sale.”
“The developer certainly delivers on the promise of replayability, as I definitely will play the game more than once just to see how some of the other story branches and approaches turn out.”
“With the choices and endings that add to replayability, I'm fine with its price, but I'm also into these types of games. If you're not super into text-heavy games, wait for a sale.”
- humor4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is highlighted by its unexpected focus on cuisine descriptions, which adds a unique charm to the narrative. While some players find the spelling mistakes amusingly bad, they can also detract from immersion due to bugs. Overall, the humor is appreciated for its quirky elements, despite some technical flaws.
“I thoroughly enjoyed the touch of humor, particularly the unexpected focus on cuisine descriptions, which turned out to be a great share of my character's final book.”
“Aside from annoying (not necessarily game-breaking, but definitely immersion-breaking) bugs, there are also some really, erm, stupid spelling mistakes so hilariously bad they're good.”
- music4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is highly praised for its appropriate accompaniment that enhances the storytelling experience, complementing the deep inner monologues and rich visuals. Overall, it contributes significantly to the immersive atmosphere and interactive literature.
“This game provides an excellent story with abundant research and details, along with great visual materials and music.”
“Excellent interactive literature, deep inner monologues, appropriate musical accompaniment, eye-pleasing graphics, and animation.”
