Manar Elbaz

DUBAI: ‘Dreams on a Pillow’ is Palestinian video game creator Rasheed Abueideh’s upcoming game that showcases the distress and the impact that the 1948 Nakba had on Palestinians. 

Set to release in 2026, the game follows a Palestinian mother’s life before and after the Nakba. When she was forcefully displaced, she accidentally carried a white pillow, mistaking it for her son. 

Abueideh, who is currently still developing the game from the West Bank, told Arab News Japan that the story is based on a true story and has multiple witnesses. He specifically chose to highlight the mother’s story to make players deeply feel the traumatic impact of Israel’s ethnic cleansing of Palestinians. 

“The Nakba has a lot of tragic stories,” he said. “We are talking about 750,000 people who were displaced brutally. There were so many stories that one can highlight, but from my point of view, the mother-son relationship is the strongest relationship in the world.” 

“When we think about the circumstances that made her mistake her son for a pillow, it reflects how difficult the situation was, so that made me want to spotlight this story,” he added. 

In the game, there are two modes. During the first one, the player wanders around pre-Nakba, witnessing the ethereal beauty of Palestine.

The second mode showcases Palestine after Nakba, where the vibrant colors become grayscale and the only color remaining is the red hues from the fires caused by Israel’s attacks. Abueideh purposely wanted to reflect the huge contrast to immerse players more in the emotional effects of the war. 

Thinking it’s her own child, the character becomes emotionally attached to the pillow. If she drops it, she can move freely but will eventually start to hallucinate. If she carries the pillow, her movement is slowed. Players have to determine what to do while helping the character escape to Lebanon following the Tantura massacre that happened during the Nakba.

“I want people to know our story,” Abueideh reflected. “So many people are sympathizing with Palestine now, but they don’t know the details.”

“The game will not be a detailed recalling of everything that happened, but it will give (players) an idea of what truly happened in Palestine, how people lived, and what they went through. My ultimate goal is for people to take action and help however they can.” 

This is not the game developer’s first game. In 2016, he released ‘Liyla and the Shadows of War,’ which follows a young girl who lived in Palestine during Israel’s violent attacks in 2014. The game was initially rejected by the Apple Store for including political content. 

“The story (of the 2014 attacks) was being ignored by social media. Social media channels were not letting the Palestinian voices go through the Western media and the world. They were always shadowing the story of the Palestinians from their audience,” the developer reflected. 

“So I wanted to go through a different medium that is engaging and when players try it, they have a deeper experience. They get attached to it more and the game raises awareness about what’s happening on the ground,” he added. 

Abueideh took two years to create the 2016 game, as it had no funding. “There was no other option at the time,” he reflected. “We didn’t have exposure or big relationships back then. I didn’t have an option to raise funds or connect publishers.”

“We are not exposed to the gaming industry. We are living in a different universe. We don’t know how the process of making games is happening in other parts of the world,” the developer said. 

Despite all the challenges and setbacks, ‘Liyla and the Shadows of War’ received positive reviews from critics and players worldwide.

“It was my first experience (releasing a game) so I wasn’t expecting anything. I didn’t expect any of this exposure. When I saw all the feedback and how people understood the game, it meant so much to me. It showed me how important games are,” he told Arab News Japan.

Now, almost 10 years since the release of the game, Abueideh is preparing to release ‘Dreams on a Pillow’ with proper crowdfunding. He launched a fundraiser on LaunchGood, a platform that is dedicated to supporting Muslim fundraisers.

“I never wanted to take a break from releasing games, but making games is not sustainable, especially in Palestine. A lot of publishers turned down ‘Dreams on a Pillow’ because of the context. We faced a lot of problems, but when the genocide happened in Gaza, I felt like I had more responsibility to raise awareness about Palestine. I’ve had the idea in my mind for seven years,” he said.

Video game enthusiasts proudly supported Abueideh’s campaign for the upcoming game, raising more than ¥35,531,078 in around six months. 

“The support is overwhelming,” he reflected. “I didn’t really imagine. It’s so encouraging. I have this idea that games can be more impactful than other mediums. All this support confirmed that and made us want to create something meaningful for so many people.” 

“We reached our goal but that was only 50% of the total of the game because it is too high and we couldn’t risk putting in the full amount. What we have right now will cover us for a year,” he shared. 

Abueideh is preparing to launch a second fundraiser for the game before the game launches in late 2026. He will be releasing demos and other materials until the release date. He told Arab News Japan that he would love to exhibit the game after its release at Japan’s Tokyo Game Show.

‘Dreams on a Pillow’ will be first released on PC before getting released to other consoles. It will be available in English and Arabic. Players can support the game here.