Reflections on Playing Ayiti: The Cost of Life

Abstract: Ayiti: The Cost of Life is a role-playing video game in which the player assumes the roles of family members living in rural Haiti. At the start of the game, the player chooses a primary goal for his/her family: achieve education, make money, stay healthy, or maintain happiness. During the course of the game, the player encounters unexpected events and must make decisions that contribute to or detract from achieving the chosen goal. After students have played the game they will need to reflect upon as well as share their experiences. The discussion questions are designed to explore: The correlation between choices made, their respective outcomes, and the constraints faced within the game. How the students' own lives and situations compare and contrast with those of the family members in the game.

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