Against All Odds

About

Against All Odds is a narrative-driven simulation game where you follow the journey of a refugee fleeing persecution and seeking safety. Playing through 12 distinct stages, you navigate challenges like border crossings, language barriers, and legal hurdles. The gameplay blends decision-making with educational prompts, offering a structured look at the realities of displacement. Designed for classroom use, it clocks in at around 45 minutes, mirroring a standard lesson period. The game’s strength lies in its real-world context. Developed by UNHCR, it pairs the simulation with a facts database and teacher resources, making it a tool for discussion rather than just entertainment. While simplistic in mechanics, its straightforward approach focuses on raising awareness. Players get a condensed but impactful perspective on refugee experiences, supported by historical context and personal stories. The cooperative and multiplayer modes add little beyond solo play, but the core experience remains its most compelling feature.

Storyline

In Against All Odds, the player takes the role of a refugee and plays through twelve stages – depicting his persecution and flight from his native country, through to eventual integration into a foreign country as an asylum seeker. Complementing the game is a facts repository detailing the history of asylum and refugee testimonies. A teacher's guide section provides discussion points and lesson ideas for the classroom. The game takes approximately 45 minutes to play through, coinciding with the typical length of a lesson.[