Dreams on a Pillow raises $240,000 to spotlight ‘two decades of untold Palestinian history’

Palestinian developer Rasheed Abueideh has raised (just over) $240,000 to begin production on Dreams on a Pillow, a video game about the 1948 Nakba.

The project raised precisely $240,502 through crowdfunding platform LaunchGood, surpassing its target of $194,800 after receiving backing from over 3,300 people.

The title will take the form a “pseudo-3D stealth adventure” inspired by a Palestinian folk tale set during the Nakba. The United Nations explains Nakba means “catastrophe” in Arabic and refers to the “mass displacement and dispossession of Palestinians during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war.”

In a post on Bluesky, Abueideh thanked backers for their support and explained production on the game will commence imminently.

Abueideh said he hopes to “make history” in the game industry by bringing Dreams on a Pillow to market after initially struggling to secure funding via more traditional means.

As noted on the project page, Abueideh previously worked on a title called Liyla & The Shadows of War that sought to shine a light on the “harsh realities of living under invasion, apartheid, and occupation” in Gaza.

However he says he was met with setback after setback with both publishers and platform holders reportedly rejecting the title and even banning it in some instances.

Despite those challenges, he successfully launched Liyla but has struggled to make a living in the game industry ever since. Abueideh says publishers and investors feel supporting a Palestinian is “too risky” or “controversial,” but is determined to find a way to turn Dreams on a Pillow into a reality.

“Dreams on a Pillow holds the ambition and dreams of a Palestinian who was denied the right to make games like the rest of the world could, but persists regardless. It cannot be made with traditional games funding, because such funding cannot be accessed by a Palestinian,” reads the project page.

“It cannot be made with traditional crowdfunding, because most popular crowdfunding platforms do not recognize Palestine. To tell this story, to fulfil this impossible dream, to bring together a team of veteran game developers and incredible local creators.”

Abueideh estimates he will need roughly $495,000 to realize his vision for Dreams on a Pillow. The cash raised through LaunchGood will be used to move into a production state and create “a few core levels” while plotting out and prototyping the entire experience.

“This will ensure the mechanics and narrative work together to tell this powerful and sensitive story. Prototypes and ‘vertical slices’ will have ensured all pipelines have been tested, all required talent is on-board, and few (if any) risks remain to the production process,” adds an explainer.

“At that point, Rasheed and his team will endeavour to raise additional funding with a far more advanced version of the game in hand–a much more viable prospect.”

You can learn more about Dreams on a Pillow on LaunchGood.

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