SAFWAT SALEEM

A New Home

Multiplayer board game

A New Home (tentative title) is a multiplayer board game where players compete as civilians in a fictional war-torn country. The objective of the game is to escape the conflict and get their families safely to another country that is willing to accept them.

As players make their journey, they face challenges like hunger, loss of valuables, deterioration of mental and physical health, and existential threats to their family. The game focuses on the emotional toll on civilians as they try to find a way out of a conflict and move from one refugee camp to another in hopes of finding a new home. In addition to being an unconventional educational and empathetic experience, the game invites players to reflect on the absurdity and frustration of resettlement processes. The game format is also intended to be commentary on global policymakers’ lack of realization that they might be playing with refugees’ lives.

A New Home will be exhibited publicly in a series of performances where players read aloud  their journeys inviting the general public to watch and follow along. The game can also be played by anyone in a public or private setting.

A New Home is a project in progress.

Safwat Saleem is a Pakistani-American visual artist, graphic designer and filmmaker. He's best known for making politically-charged satirical art. His artwork has used a variety of media, including illustration, writing, animation, audio, film and sculpture. He often combines several media to create multimedia storytelling experiences that get his audiences talking -- and laughing -- about subjects that tend to otherwise make people feel uncomfortable. Safwat is also the founder of Bandbaja, a Pakistani music magazine that promoted the use of modern popular music as a socio-political tool.

Safwat’s work is shown regularly in galleries around the United States and has been featured in publications such as Wired, BoingBoing and Brainpickings. He is a TED Senior Fellow.