"Dot's Home" is a unique video game that tells the story of a young Black woman living in her grandmother's home in Detroit. Through the use of time travel, players are able to relive important moments in her family's history, where issues of race, place, and home intersect and create difficult choices. This single-player, 2D game offers an interactive experience that allows players to see the harmful systems that dictate our relationship with race and place, through the eyes of those most impacted.
The game aims to shed light on the impact of redlining, urban renewal, and gentrification on communities, by placing players in scenarios where they must make choices about where and how to live. By doing so, it poses a thought-provoking question: "How did your family end up where they are today, and how much choice did they really have in that journey?" Through this, "Dot's Home" encourages players to reflect on their own family's history and the role that systemic issues have played in shaping it.
"Dot's Home" is a part of the Rise-Home Stories project, which is a collaboration between multimedia storytellers and housing and land justice advocates. This project has been in the works for three years and aims to reimagine the past, present, and future of our communities by transforming the stories we tell about them. By using the medium of video games, "Dot's Home" offers a unique and engaging way to explore important social issues and spark meaningful conversations.
In summary, "Dot's Home" is not just a video game, but a powerful storytelling tool that aims to educate and raise awareness about the impact of systemic issues on communities of color. Through its immersive gameplay and thought-provoking narrative, it challenges players to think critically about their own family's history and the larger societal forces at play. This game is a testament to the power of storytelling and its ability to bring about meaningful change.