However, despite being lauded with praise, Abouida told the Guardian that he was having difficulties with the funding process for this next game. “It was always taboo to talk about the Palestinian story,” he said, adding that he had been rejected about 300 times for highlighting the genocide.
The folktale from which the game is inspired tells the tragic story of a war-torn woman, who in the chaos of an evacuation accidentally picks up a pillow instead of her child. The game follows her struggle to get to Lebanon after the Tantoura massacre as she mourns her losses. The pillow is a key variable within the game, as the player’s choice to carry or leave it affects the character’s state of mind.
“The goal is for the player to feel and understand what happened to the Palestinians during this dark period, which still shapes our daily lives,” the developer said. “I want to convey a message that the ethnic cleansing of the Palestinians is an ongoing process that began in 1948. At that time, [players] He will be able to understand what is happening today and will be able to take a stand.”
Due to the genocide not happening in his homeland, Abu Aida was never too committed to the project. With the help of a small team of developers and advisors, he launched a crowdfunding campaign to support Pillow Dreams. However, according to him, the problem has been that major crowdfunding platforms fail to recognize Palestine.
The team eventually turned to Muslim-led platform LaunchGood, which enabled them to raise the required amount by January 7, covering half of the development costs. “The support on social media and on the campaign page has been overwhelming, which shows how much people care about the Palestinian story … I did not expect this level of success,” he expressed.
The game will take at least two years to complete. According to the official page, a policy has been put in place to ensure the completion of the game should Abu Aida be harmed due to the ongoing genocide, such as disappearance, injury or death.
Ten years ago, Abu Aida created Layla and the Shadow of War, a play about a father navigating war and hopelessness. According to Wired, the game received several nominations at the first International Mobile Gaming Awards, including an award for Excellence in Storytelling.