The Red Cross takes its message to gamers

The Red Cross has created an alternate reality game in an attempt to increase awareness about the turmoil of civilians caught in the middle of war and famine.

The Red Cross has created an alternate reality game in an attempt to increase awareness about the turmoil of civilians caught in the middle of war and famine.

The game, titled “Traces of Hope”, is described by the charity to be a cross between a role-playing game and a treasure hunt.

British Red Cross editorial manager Charles Williams told itnews.com.au the game is like a puzzle. “It will put players in the shoes of people in conflict situations who have to make difficult decisions.

“For a teenager alone in a war zone, it’s very disorienting, very scary, very difficult to know what to do. There are no easy decisions,” Williams says.

Once a player signs up, the game starts when a character named “Joseph” contacts them via telephone or an email asking them to help him in his quest to find his mother in the midst of war-torn Uganda. The player must search for clues on websites and news services to gather information.