Venezuela: A Social Impact Game
This project was created during my time in university as a way to better understand and raise awareness about the socioeconomic crisis in Venezuela. At the time, Venezuela's crisis was dominating the news, but I realized how little I actually knew about the lived experience of its citizens. I chose this project to challenge myself to learn more and help others do the same.
The result was a digital narrative game that lets players experience life through two fictional perspectives: Luis, a doctor working in one of the few operating hospitals, and Nathaly, a single mother facing severe poverty. Players are randomly assigned a character and must navigate a branching storyline, making difficult decisions that affect the tone, length, and outcome of the experience.
The goal was to educate players about the social and political challenges Venezuelans face while encouraging empathy and awareness by putting them in emotionally complex scenarios where every decision has weight.
Research and Approach
I read academic papers, news reports, and firsthand accounts. I also conducted interviews with Venezuelan residents living in Miami to better understand the cultural and economic realities from multiple perspectives.
While I initially considered a board game, I decided on a digital narrative format to better support emotional immersion and storytelling. This also allowed me to simulate branching decisions and moral dilemmas in a more personal, text-based experience.
The Two Stories
I wanted players to feel the weight of their decisions—and the near-impossible choices Venezuelans were facing at the time. The game presents two character-driven narratives shaped by those realities.
Nathaly's Story
Focuses on food scarcity, crime, and the daily struggles of providing for her family as a single mother facing severe poverty.
Luis's Story
Centers on corruption, resource shortages, and the collapse of the healthcare system through the eyes of a doctor working in one of the few operating hospitals
Initially, I planned to include a third storyline featuring a wealthy character to contrast the class divide. But during my research, I learned that most of Venezuela's wealthy population had already left the country as the crisis worsened. Those who remained were typically middle class—still affected by the instability, though with slightly more access to scarce goods. Without enough firsthand insight to do that story justice, I chose to focus on the two perspectives I could represent more authentically.
Playtesting and Iteration
First Playtest
I tested Nathaly's story first. Players became emotionally invested, and many expressed anxiety over the decisions they had to make. Feedback was positive—they felt transported into the character's world and appreciated the depth of the writing.
Second Playtest
When I introduced Luis's story, testers pointed out a few narrative issues. For example, they suggested moving a high-stakes decision (reporting poor conditions to a journalist) later in the story—after players had a better understanding of the stakes. I also added historical context to the introduction and clarified the player's goal. Other refinements included improving tone, highlighting hospital resource scarcity, and showing the effects of hunger more vividly.
All feedback was incorporated into the final version of the game.
Reflection
What I Learned
Designing with Empathy
This was one of my first experiences designing with empathy at the core. It taught me how to balance storytelling with social impact and how to use research to ground creative decisions.
Research as Foundation
I learned that authentic representation requires deep research and humility—knowing when I didn't have enough insight to represent a perspective (like the wealthy character) was as important as the stories I chose to tell.
While it's an older project, it still represents the kind of work I care about: designing experiences that help people better understand each other.