New Palestinian developer crowdfunding game

Palestinian game developer Rasheed Abueideh launched a crowdfunding campaign to cover production costs for Dreams on a pillowits new title inspired by historical events. Dreams on a pillow takes place during the Nakba, a central event in the 1948 Palestine War, which saw approximately 700,000 Palestinians violently displaced and dispossessed of their lands and possessions.




Abueideh, who lives in Nablus, a city in the occupied Palestinian territory of the West Bank, previously released Liyla and the Shadows of War. Available on mobile and PC platforms, it depicted a Palestinian family's struggle to survive during the Gaza War of 2014. It gained national attention after initially being denied listing as a game on Apple's App Store, and went on to gain both positive reviews from critics as well as a number of awards. The game was also a centerpiece of a Palestinian Aid 2021 fundraiser organized by independent developers, which raised nearly $1 million for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency in Gaza.

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According to the campaign page, the developer's new project is a retelling of a Palestinian folktale set during the Nakba. It follows a woman trying to save her child after her husband is killed by Zionist forces during the purge of Palestinians from the territory that would eventually become Israel. In her haste, the woman accidentally grabs a pillow instead of her baby, but still must navigate hostile territory as she tries to preserve both her life and her damaged sanity. Like other developers in Arab countries, Abueideh hopes to present his own experience in a way that defies traditional representations of the region.



The developer returns to gaming with a renewed vision

Abueideh's game development career faced significant obstacles. Even after the critical success of Liyla and the Shadows of Warwas unable to secure funding for future projects. Instead, he opened a nut roaster in the West Bank, a business that was eventually made untenable by the ongoing conflict in the area. Returning to his game development aspirations, Abueideh eschews traditional funding sources, instead following the crowdfunding route used by many indie developers. The funds sought are intended to cover salaries, asset creation and outsourcing and will enable Abueideh and his team to relocate Dreams on a pillow from pre-production.


With a healthy collection of gameplay photos, concept art, and other development material on the campaign page, Abueideh looks set to create a graphically compelling game that tackles challenging material. As indie games prove to be a viable medium for raising social awareness, the team behind Dreams on a pillow they can reach a wider audience by gamifying their cultural perspective. The LaunchGood crowdfunding campaign raised over $50,000 from nearly a thousand backers. The campaign ends on January 13, 2025, with the game slated for release in Q4 2026.

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