A messaging app interactive fiction…

Contrary to lots of other interactive fictions, your choices in Bury me, my Love really have an impact on the story. This is, for us, a very efficient way to render the complex situations migrants are in, and the weigh their choices often have. Our three core mechanics aim at reflecting this reality.

Time (and money)

The voyage from Syria to Europe does not have a predefined length. It might be done in a few days only, but also take months, sometimes years. The app will make sure to keep track of time, and signal every new day, as if it were the beginning of a new chapter.

Nour may report a temporary closed border, she may complain that someone she was supposed to meet is nowhere to be seen, she might be cheated by a smuggler… In those cases, what would the best advice be? Should she wait and wait again, or change her mind and rethink her plans? With every passing day the risk of going bankrupt grows…

Roads

Nour leaves Homs with an ideal itinerary on her mind, but things quickly become complicated. Soon after her departure, she begins to hear lots of rumors on the ground – hearsay that is often contradictory. She is going to have to improvise, and seek possible ways to continue her trip once she reaches a destination.

Should you advise her to do so, Nour might eavesdrop for precious knowledge: new means of transportation, places where, according to rumors, a trustworthy smuggler might be found… Reacting to Nour’s reports, Majd will then automatically post maps of new possible destinations in the discussion thread, thus allowing the couple to make the best next decision available.

Nour’s variables

Nour will obviously be affected by the events that are happening to her on the road. But this process will also work the other way around: she may or may not be able, or be forced to perform some actions depending on her state of mind at a specific time. Nour’s profile will be determined by four different variables:

  • Her MORALE
  • Her RELATIONSHIP level with Majd
  • Her BUDGET
  • The presence or absence of specific objects in her INVENTORY