Change the Ref made a video game where you try to survive a school shooting

WARNING: The videos in this article contain footage that may be disturbing to some audiences. Viewer discretion is advised. As harrowing as it may be to consider that students in America have to endure drill after drill to prepare for the event of a school shooter, there is nothing that compares to the horror of living through one. It’s an experience that is so traumatizing and unique that it is hard for anyone who has not endured it to understand its gravity. And yet the number of those who can relate is growing. A new campaign from Change the Ref and Energy BBDO provides perspective about what it’s like to experience a mass shooting firsthand by simulating a mile in a survivor’s shoes. The nonprofit organization launched “The Final Exam” at TwitchCon on Friday, a video game set during a mass shooting. Created with Webcore Games and Druid Creative Gaming, the game has a simple objective: try to survive the school day during a shooting by hiding, running, barricading and collecting legislative gun safety bills until you can safely escape the building. Challenges along the way include highly realistic simulations of locked doors, short escape timeframes and trying to quiet the sound of your breath. Change the Ref worked with developers to make the game as realistic as possible, from the sounds and alarms to the messages on the wall and objects left behind. The game, sadly, was designed based on real data gleaned from school shootings. “The Final Exam’ is based on a harsh reality for many young people in the U.S.,” said Josh Gross, chief creative officer at Energy BBDO. “Via gamification, our goal was to challenge gamers and present something that really highlights the horrors of gun violence, especially in schools, and to inspire young audiences to enact change on the subject, especially during an election year.” The goal of the campaign is to educate gamers on key bills and to inspire them to act and advocate for gun safety. The game is also meant to simulate the real experience and is not in any way a cosign for arguments that suggest video games inspire gun violence, said Patricia Oliver, co-founder of Change the Ref. “I’ve noticed some American politicians diverting the conversation by attributing gun violence in our country to video games, but this argument is flawed. It ignores the millions of gamers worldwide, many of whom have no access to firearms. In these cultures, guns are far from glorified and often become irrelevant," she said. “Anyone outraged by this video game and the fact that someone developed such an absurd form of entertainment is actually overlooking the exponentially more absurd reality behind our nation's lack of effective gun laws.” As players make their way through the map, five different bills are featured to educate players on how legislation can prevent future tragedies and inspire them to take action politically, including Ban of Assault Weapons, Secure Storage Ethan’s Law, Ban of High-Capacity Magazines, Background Checks for All Gun Sales, and Raise the Minimum Age to Purchase. Throughout the map, players will find additional data hidden in schoolbooks, boards and maps, providing information about school shootings in the U.S. If a player collects all five bills, then they have the option to survive and escape to “win.” (See the gameplay below). It’s a devastating game. And underlying its clear message for gun reform lies another, more sinister truth. The biggest takeaway I took is that while the odds of survival increase with each “bill” found, the time it takes to find them is time wasted on another life lost, begging the question: Why wait until another life is lost? The message couldn’t be more timely. Amid an election year when the Second Amendment is once again in the spotlight, the campaign follows another recent mass shooting in Georgia. On Sept. 4, a 14-year-old student at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, opened fire, killing two students and two teachers and wounding nine others. Officials charged him as an adult on four counts of felony murder. Since the attack, students have remained out of school, as parents and counselors work with officials on the investigation. As of Sept. 17, the school said it will open its doors beginning with half days from Sept. 24 to Oct. 4. “The Final Exam” is designed to be played on computers and will be available for download on a dedicated website. See more images of the game below: More Creativity coverage from Ad Age: Sign up for our daily Creativity newsletter to see the best stories of the day.

Change the Ref made a video game where you try to survive a school shooting

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