Backway: the game about migration routes from sub-Saharan Africa
Designed by ASCS in collaboration with Popoli Insieme, the game was created within the project “Windows. Stories of Refugees” and invites participants to put themselves in the shoes of those facing the migration journey to Europe.
It is called Backway – Migrant Paths to Europe the experiential game we designed as ASCS and Popoli Insieme to offer a different look at the migration phenomenon.
The name recalls a term used by many people on the move, particularly in The Gambia, to refer to the route to Europe: “backway,” literally a back exit. An unofficial and irregular route that, for many, becomes the only option when legal routes are in fact impractical.
A project designed for schools and young people
Backway was born within the educational work of the project “Windows. Stories of Refugees” by Popoli Insieme. The idea behind it is to offer high school boys and girls a tool capable of flanking direct testimonies with an experience of deep empathy.
The game is designed to be used during meetings with students, scouts, or informal groups, serving as an interactive support to the stories of the witnesses who participate in our activities.
The goal: identification to understand
The goal is not only to convey information about the migration phenomenon, but to try-even within the dimension of simulation-to confront the choices and difficulties that many people face during the journey.
Through play, participants are invited to put themselves in the shoes of the departed, reflecting on the crucial decisions to be made and the unpredictable obstacles that may arise along the way.
How the Backway game works
Backway is a path and role-playing game in which participants move around a large map of sub-Saharan Africa. During the game, players follow the story of six boys and girls, each with a different background and motivations: from the search for opportunity to ethnic conflicts, from family pressures to arranged marriages.
The routes start from five countries-Gambia, Guinea Conakry, Northern Nigeria, Mali and Somalia-and run along routes to three European destinations: the Canary Islands, Ceuta and Lampedusa.
Real routes and first-hand accounts
The routes and stories of the characters are the result of intense in-depth work carried out by our operators together with those of Popoli Insieme. The stories told are inspired by real experiences: those shared by the witnesses of the Windows project and those collected in the reception centers.
“Personal stories have been reworked to protect privacy, but the situations and difficulties reflect experiences common to a great many migrants.”
The routes depicted are also real and among the most traveled, although they are constantly changing due to bilateral agreements and policy measures between the EU and African countries. As the team behind the project explains, Backway is a snapshot of the current situation, a living tool that helps to understand a constantly changing world.
