"I Like to Be More Empathetic" : Exploring Refugee and Resident Perspectives on Games Designed to Foster Empathy for Refugees

Abstract

Studies show that evoking empathy can positively affect the host society's acceptance of refugees, whose numbers are increasing due to political instability and environmental disasters. To examine how commercially available serious games designed to foster empathy with refugees are perceived by refugees and residents, we invited both groups to play two games: Path Out and Bury Me, My Love. Following the gaming session, we used semi-structured interviews, creating a safe space, with the refugees (n=6) to ask about their personal experiences. Residents (n=5) joined a focus group to facilitate a broader discussion. Our results show that the employed game mechanics, such as decisions with unclear consequences and narratives, generally evoked empathy. Yet, the residents missed a more extensive background on the circumstances to create a deeper connection with the games’ protagonists, and both groups wished for more agency, leaving them with a feeling of passivity. These aspects are crucial to take into account when designing new games to foster empathy for marginalized groups.