Soon after Israel invaded Gaza during the 2014 Gaza War, Palestinian game developer Rasheed Abu-Eideh set out to use the impactful storytelling capabilities of video games to tell a story that “brought to life the harsh realities of living under invasion, apartheid, & occupation.” He created Liyla & The Shadows of War, a 2016 2D adventure platformer about a Palestinian man who needs to help guide his family to safety as drones and missiles target defenceless civilians. Liyla, a game for mobile platforms, was initially rejected by Apple who stated that the title, due to its political nature, should not be considered a “video game;” a decision that was then rescinded after public outcry. 

Now, eight years after Liyla’s release, Abu-Eideh has returned with hopes to make a new, more ambitious title. Dreams on a Pillow looks to be a “pseudo-3D stealth adventure game about a land full of people being made into a people without land.” Set during the 1948 Nakba, when Zionist forces violently displaced more than 750,000 Palestinians, killing over 10,000 civilians and ethnically cleansing hundreds of villages, Dreams on a Pillow aims to, as their LaunchGood campaign states, “…not just tell the story of the 1948 Nakba, but to let people experience it through a game.” 

The campaign for raising nearly 200,000 USD in funds, which will be about half the total required to develop the game in full, ends on January 13th, 2025. As of writing, the campaign has already surpassed this goal, standing at 211,000 USD raised from nearly 3,000 backers. The game is inspired by the historical Palestinian oral folktale that tells the story of Omm, a young mother living in Palestine who had her husband murdered by Zionist invaders. 

The core mechanics of the game look to differentiate itself from other stealth titles, primarily using the idea of Omm being a frightened civilian as an anchor that inspires the gameplay. As the campaign reads: “Omm is not an action hero or a soldier – she is a scared civilian marked as collateral by ruthless Zionist brigades and gangs. While she is carrying her Pillow, she is further limited in her ability – while she can walk, she isn’t able to interact with most objects around her. Putting Pillow down enables her full range of abilities – including a jump, crawl, climbing ladders, and throwing rocks – but it triggers horrifying nightmares borne from the terrors she’s living through.”

With their goal funded, Dreams on a Pillow will now enter full production, with Abu-Eideh expecting two years of development required until the game’s completion.