We. The Refugees: Ticket to Europe
- May 1, 2023
- Act Zero
Get on Steam"We. The Refugees: Ticket to Europe" is an interactive fiction adventure game inspired by true events, in which you become a wannabe writer traveling to Europe and North Africa to learn about the refugee experience. The game features over 100 achievements, 20 NPCs, and 90 minutes of original soundtrack. With thousands of dialogue choices and multiple paths, the game offers high replayability and up to 3 unique playthroughs.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features exceptional writing and a complex, engaging narrative that encourages multiple playthroughs with meaningful choices.
- Visually stunning with great illustrations and a strong sense of immersion, the game effectively combines entertainment with educational elements about the refugee crisis.
- It presents a nuanced perspective on humanitarian issues, prompting players to reflect on their own views and the complexities surrounding the topic.
- The game suffers from numerous bugs and design flaws, leading to a frustrating experience for players, including crashes and spelling mistakes.
- Some players feel that the portrayal of refugees is unrealistic and that the game may come off as a cash-grab rather than a genuine attempt to address serious issues.
- The protagonist's perspective as a white European intruder may not resonate well with all players, raising concerns about the authenticity and sensitivity of the narrative.
- story27 mentions
- 22 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The game's story is praised for its depth, complexity, and emotional engagement, effectively exploring the refugee experience through the lens of a European protagonist. While some players feel uncomfortable with this perspective, many appreciate the intricate narrative structure and meaningful choices that enhance replayability. Overall, the storytelling is seen as a powerful vehicle for empathy, combining rich research with compelling visuals and music.
“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.”
“The story is super complex and engaging—it's like you're reading 3-4 novels all rolled into one.”
“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.”
“You get to enter this serious and intricate story as if plucked straight from your comfortable American or European living room, with all your stupid and naive notions intact as your baggage.”
“At first, the choice of a European protagonist for a story about refugees seemed strange.”
- graphics5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game are praised for their outstanding quality, with many users highlighting the beautiful 2D illustrations and eye-pleasing visuals that enhance the overall experience. While some aspects may feel unpolished, the combination of gorgeous artwork and effective animation contributes to a compelling and immersive atmosphere.
“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 features incredibly lovely 2D graphics that strike the ideal tone between being educational and entertaining.”
“The 2D graphics are decent, but most other aspects are unpolished.”
- music3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 33 % 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 visually appealing graphics. Overall, it contributes significantly to the immersive atmosphere of the game.
“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.”
- gameplay3 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The gameplay is praised for its unique perspective that encourages and rewards player curiosity through engaging mechanics. Players report a personal and emotional journey, balancing exploration with introspection, although some feel it may lead to a lack of interaction with other characters' stories.
“However, after a few chapters, I realized that this perspective offers a rare opportunity to encourage (and reward) player's 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.”
- replayability3 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 67 % 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 this aspect, others may want to wait for a sale. Overall, players are likely to return for multiple playthroughs to experience the 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. However, if you're not super into text-heavy games, wait for a sale.”
“The developer certainly delivers on the promise of replayability, as I will definitely play the game more than once just to see how some of the other story branches and approaches turn out.”
- humor2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is highlighted by its unexpected focus on culinary descriptions, which adds a unique charm to the character's narrative. While some players find the spelling mistakes amusingly bad, they can also detract from immersion due to bugs in the game. Overall, the humor is a mixed bag, offering both delightful moments and frustrating distractions.
“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.”
