Path Out
A downloadable game for Windows, macOS, and Linux
Path
Out is
is an autobiographical adventure game that allows the players to
replay the journey of Abdullah Karam, a young Syrian artist that
escaped the civil war in 2014. Camouflaged as a Japanese RPG, Path
Out is a tale full of surprises, challenges and paradoxical humor,
giving insight in this real-life adventure, on which Abdullah
comments through youtube-style videos in the game.
Features:
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JRPG based on real events
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Relive Abdullahs escape from war-torn syria.
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Unique neo-orchestral electronica music with oriental influences by wobblersound.
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Meticulously researched pixel art style inspired by classic 16-bit games and Syrian art
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Video commentary by Abdullah Karam
Path Out is an episodic game. In this very first chapter of the adventure , Abdullah recalls life before the war, a family decision that led to his departure and the perilous journey from his hometown Hama to the Turkish border through the war-torn Aleppo province. In its final version of up to five episodes, the game should take the player on a journey from Syria through Turkey, Greece and the Balkan until he finally arrives at his destination (and current whereabout) in Central Europe.
Path Out is a collaboration between Abdullah Karam, the developers of Causa Creations, Wobblersound and the Austrian-American graphic designer Brian Main.
Press voices:
Path Out's first episode is a straightforward but eye-opening work.
- Edwin Evans-Thirlwell, Eurogamer.net
... one of the most honest & clever games I've ever played, by & about a Syrian refugee.
- Rami Ismail, Twitter
Yet in asking a person to assume his place in a game, Karam makes his story engaging on an individual level, and his appearance in the videos further humanizes his story, especially through his humor...
- Allison Meir, Hyperallergic.com
More infos and media:
http://causacreations.net/press/sheet.php?p=path_out
Supported by Kupf Innovationtopf 2016, the Federal Chancellery of Austria and the city of Salzburg.
Download
Click download now to get access to the following files:
Development log
- Testing for Linux!May 10, 2018
- Post Mortem & FutureMar 19, 2018
- Official Release!Nov 02, 2017
- Bug reports? Polish suggestions?Oct 09, 2017
- Quarantine!!!Oct 02, 2017
- MAC fix is in!Aug 16, 2017
- Best Game Award at Reversed Festival!Jul 14, 2017
- Release the kraken!!!Jun 30, 2017
Comments
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Let me know if I can help add Arabic. I realize RPG maker probably doesn't support Arabic to begin with, but still, let me know!
To say that this game is enjoyable would be callous to the developers. But I'd say this is a meaningful game, albeit on the short side. I'm interested in seeing what else the developers have planned.
Story - N/A - This is also something that can't really be rated. As a telling of personal experience, it's done well and there's a clear sense of the danger one can face. It does rely greatly on the personal narratives to hit home, not that that's a bad thing.
Mechanics - 3.5/5 - It's very easy to navigate, the puzzles don't feel like puzzles as much as the next natural step. It would've been nice to be able to move around a touch faster.
Visuals - 3/5 - There's nothing wrong with it. The game ran smoothly and everything was clear. Still, this is an area where I feel an improvement could lead to a more impactful story.
Sound - 2.5/5 - Solid.
Overall - 3/5 Difficulty - Very Easy
Progress - Completed (30 min)
How many games make you cry in the first few minutes?
So far just this one. What a powerful statement. A testament to the power of games tbh.
Thanks for making this very touching and beautiful game! It shares a look into the life of a refugee in a very innovative manner and I appreciate that. Is there any news about further content for the game?
Thanks for playing! We are currently planing an educational version to bring the game in schools, starting with a few European countries. Let's see if the pandemic will allow that, all budget situations are highly volatile. Plans for a full version of the game that portrays the entire journey do exist as well, but we are still seeking support for that.
I'm glad to hear that! An educational version is a nice idea that can also help educate children & families about such situations. Good luck!
Thank you!
By "seeking support," surely you mean a platform like Kickstarter or Indiegogo, right? I'm sure many people would eat this up and be willing to help!
That too, but we would like to make a full version with a much more sophisticated art style and therefore a bigger budget ... that is a tricky undertaking in these days.
Oh, that's what I mean; those platforms could get you the $ needed to complete the game, through fans! The biggest problem would probably be marketing, and you could already have a lot of them through places like https://www.reddit.com/r/itchioJusticeBundle.
A very interesting topic, and efficient gameplay and videos to convey it, which I'll certainly mention to other people. This type of experience is really welcome. Good luck for th next part!
Very short but otherwise great game!
Thanks for playing, very appreciated!
5 stars, hated the engine, but the sory was nice, just amazing, followed too so I know when it's time to hear the rest of your story
I did a full playthrough of this game a while back. The game was great and im sorry the production value of these videos are not as high as they currently are now.
Hey, thanks for your kind word ... we will still take at least a year, since we are currently lacking the funds to make the game, at least in the way we really want to make it. But we are working on that!
This is a truly amazing, and eye-opening experience. I intend to do a full playthrough of this game.
Thank you so much!
How Do I Play This?
This game is great. I am a junior high teacher in the U.S. I hope to use this game with my students to help them learn empathy as well as connect with more recent events in the world. Thanks for making a great game that engages and entertains the player.
That's great to hear. We have been told on numerous occasions, that the game could function quite well with students. Do let us know, how the game was being received by your pupils!
The gameplay is very simple and that's how it should be, not to get in the way of the (touching & terrifying) story.
So congrats, good game and very good idea to talk about this subject this way.
I read on some comments advising to do localisation, I think the first thing (and easiest) would be to just add english subtitles when Abdullah talks. I'm not an english speaker myself and sometimes had some trouble understanding.
Good luck with the game ! (and the rest)
Thanks a lot, Dewal! Localisation and subtitles for the video parts are really on top of our list right now!
I really liked the idea! Hoping anxious for the next episode.
Wonderfulf game. There is no need for high end grafics if you have a story to tell. Especially Abdullahs comments are great. Maybe we need more games and stories like these to appreciate all we got in Europe...
This comment isn't really abot the game, but I was still wondering if you were still living in Turkey. And if so, did you happen to be in Eskisehir yesterday? Because we were in the Esparkk shopping center and I saw someone who looked EXTREMELY like you.
I ended up having a crisis about not being able to ask you right in the middle of a clothing store, so I really need to know.
Full disclosure: the game will eventually show the rest of the trip, crossing the sea and leading through numerous treacherous lands until safety ...
Uh... Is that a yes?
That's a "the journey eventually continued all the way to Austria" ;)
So you were at Eskisehir yesterday, shopping at Espark?? I swear, if I don't know, I'm going to have to live the rest of my life having crisises about not asking.
No :) left Turkey in 2015 ...
Thank you for the game! It was great. I like the old rpg-style and the music, combined with the serious story. Hope there will be a continuation.
I actually like this game a lot! It's a shame the developers haven't uploaded it to indiemarket.net the community there would love it :)
A "game" that needs to be played by far more people. Especially by those "refugees out" *******.
I think it would be good if you could go even more into detail in the "why you don't fight for your country" matter, or why you didn't take some other family members with you, because that are the first things the "anti refugee movement" comes up with. Like some explanation videos when you encounter the different groups the first time, or leave your parents behind.
And german Subs would be awesome. :)
Hope to see the finished story here one day , not only because I'm curious, but also hope that this project helps you deal with all the shit you experienced. :)
Thanks for the kind words! You have some good points there and since this is just a demo for now, we'll try to make those points more clear in the next iterations. Other languages and localisation is also a valid point, we hope to have additional funds to get that started soon too.
I made a German Let's Play... noticing that my english ain't that good ;-)
No comments? Huh...
Hi, I really like the game! It's a great concept and executed very nice. Can't wait to play the rest of it. :)
Congrats on First Blood :)
And thanks for your kind words!!!