GameSMIths' Air Raid Survival

This is the game Air Raid Survival by team GameSMIth for the Cultural Heritage Global Game Jam of November 2021

The team members of GameSMIth come from the Mediterranean island of Malta. 
A densely populated country visited by millions of tourists every year, coming to experience its rich cultural heritage.

In this game we pay homage to two distinct episodes in Malta's rich history.

• The bombardment suffered by the Maltese civilians at the hands of the Axis forces during World War II
• and the mysterious people of the Neolithic period who left behind a vast legacy of temples, artefacts, statues and paintings.

These two episodes come together as the Maltese people dug underground war shelters to take refuge from the enemy bombardment. But some citizens of Hal Saflieni, sought shelter in the then recently discovered underground complex of the Hal-Saflieni Hypogeum. A network of interconnected caves where alluvial deposits of human and animal bone, together with pottery sherds were found.

In this game players take on the role of a group of citizens seeking resources to survive the continuous air raids over the island. However, fear of the bombardments as well as fear of the unknown prohibit the citizens from fully exploring the entire complex to find the necessary resources. 

By engaging with the site, by understanding, or rather, give meaning to its mysteries they overcome their fears and manage to gather the much needed resources. 

Or will they?

A board game for three to five players to be played in 1 hour or less.