[larissa]

So I teach a college class on protest art and literature--The Jungle, Martin Luther King, Harvey Milk, the feminist movement, etc. In two weeks I have a unite coming up on "Protest for the 21st Century", about using the internet and new media to protest. Stuff like protesting via twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and so forth.

Question: Does anyone know of a video game that could be considered a political protest? I'm sure there's something out there, but I don't game enough to know. Any ideas are welcome, though it would be especially great to have something that's amateur/freeware and short so kids could actually play it.

Thank you!

[fov]

I don't know about games created as a form of political protest, but there have been games with political themes that might work. Check out the list of serious games here for some ideas.

[Fantasysci5]

Now I don't know if this will work exactly, but it seems to me that parts of "Dreamfall" were political commentary about occupation of the Middle East, but I'm not sure.

[rayvio]

most games tend to be more subtle than other forms of media about things like this. but possibly the best place to try would be the video games section of TVTropes Anvilicious article

[larissa]

Thanks for all of the ideas!

Edit: fov, that list was great (I just got killed foraging for water in Darfur), and the other list looks useful too. I agree about Dreamfall's political message, but I don't want to make them play through all 20+ hours or whatever it is.

[Christian IV]

The most useful and valid form of "protest" is to take affirmative action no matter how small on one's own or with a few trusted fellows. Sadly a serious study of politics and governance going back 1000 years and more shows that humans tend to "politicize" things that they are afraid to face personally and seek strength in numbers and rabble rousing, slogans, movements and speeches when a single act of kindess or contstructive sharing would go much much farther. You might try teaching that instead of seeking to entertain your students with games and famous figures. Take them on real help missions and show them that real action is far far better than all the talking and thinking in the world.

A game with an activist theme is Beyond Good and Evil tho again you have to play quite a bit of the game to get to the issues.. Mostly politics and activists dont have the patience to "play" enough of a game to get into the issues.

[Origami]

Metal Gear Solid games. Surprised no one mentioned them.

[larissa]

Christian IV--actually, one of the protest writers I teach--Thoreau--agrees with you. The rest--Martin Luther King, Harvey Milk, Cesar Chavez, Frederick Douglass, Thomas Jefferson, Susan B. Anthony, John Kerry, Eugene Debs--could hardly be accused of favoring talk over action.