Relationship abuse is bad. Doesn’t matter how you twist or turn the subject. It’s bad and needs to stop. Unfortunately, that’s significantly easier said than done, but even so, we can still spread awareness, and hopefully even provide assistance. “How”? Well, if you fancy making video games, the Life.Love. Game Design Challenge might be a good place to start.
Technology being what it is today, relationship/dating abuse is no longer a ‘behind closed doors’ (for the most part) ordeal. Don’t get me wrong, I do love things like social media/smartphones, and what they make possible. Shame that some of it is downright terrible though, with cyberstalking, nasty emails, heartbreaking text messages and the like being a genuine issue. Add all the troubles that existed in this area prior to the entire world being accessible through a single networked device, and… it almost becomes too easy to become a predator, really.
Fortunately, a wealth of people – groups, in fact – all over the world have taken it upon themselves to deal with this task, helping alleviate the problem somewhat. If only it was something that could be eliminated, but alas, that’s not the case, and I doubt it ever will be. Such would likely involve living under constant surveillance after all, which is something many, if not most, would oppose; even those with nothing to hide.
But enough of that, for there are games to make! Games with a clear message about this rather troublesome topic. That said… before you get to drawing, animating, putting together sound effects and such for your creation, keep in mind that Life.Love. Game Design Challenge ends on June 1. Oh, and I’d recommend perusing the FAQ for details like content requirements, as well as How It Works on the topic of judging. Would be awful to have an otherwise great submission discarded for something that could have been avoided, after all.