There is probably nothing more terrible happening in the world than the genocide in Palestine. The number of deaths is absolutely terrifying and the medical and humanitarian crisis facing the Palestinian people is unacceptable. That is why any form of aid for the Palestinian people is good. Well received. And it’s not like there are few.
If you need a little excuse to dare to take the step to help the Palestinian people, Palestinian Relief Bundle from itch.io is the excuse you were looking for. With content worth over $1,600, it is a bundle of 373 video games, comics, soundtracks, and other digital content, donated by their authors to help the Palestinian people. All proceeds will go directly to the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund, an NGO that aims to address “the medical and humanitarian crisis facing young Palestinians in the Middle East”.
In addition, to convince you, we have selected some of the most interesting games from this package. Those games that will convince you that it is a good idea to donate the minimum eight dollars that the Palestinian Relief Bundle asks for. And of course, if you want or can donate more, one thing is certain, Palestinian children will thank you for life.
A Short Hike
This game by Adam Robinson-Yu, A Short Hike, has two features that make it unique: it is a cozy game about hiking and it is an open world that doesn’t extend beyond three or four hours. With an adaptive soundtrack and a super beautiful world, we take on the role of Claire, an anthropomorphic bird, who wants to reach the top of a mountain. Whether we go straight to it or indulge in conversations with inhabitants and hikers, mini-games, and all the secrets that Hawk Peak Provincial Park hides will be up to us. But it’s hard not to want to spend a little more time in such a cozy place with such friendly people.
Zero Ranger
ZeroRanger is a side-scrolling shoot ’em up with a very unique color palette, based on orange, green, and black. In addition to having high scores, different shooting modes, and a story mode, this game has something else. Something different. It puts a great emphasis on narrative and story, using its mechanics to build something different and much deeper than what we expect from a shoot ’em up. Excellently written and designed, even if you’re not a fan of the genre, trust us: you need to play ZeroRanger.
Fatum Betula
Within the narrative, another standout game is Fatum Betula. It is an exploration game set in a strange place, where we have to collect and use objects, open doors, and interact with characters. All to unlock one of ten possible endings, in a world with the aesthetics of the original PlayStation and an evident tone of horror. Except that it’s not scary. More similar to the crazy LSD: Dream Emulator than to a horror game, in Fatum Betula we must let ourselves be immersed in its atmosphere. The strange beauty of its world. In return, we will receive an absolutely unique experience.
Brush Burial
Talking about really sinister games, if that’s what interests you, we have to talk about Brush Burial. A low-fidelity game where we embody a spider-cat devil that must hunt down its enemies with its unique movement abilities. All to kill them with its only weapon: a knife. Very stealth-based, focused on movement and the overall eerie and disturbing atmosphere, Brush Burial is one of those games that is hard to forget. If it’s even possible to do so.
Wandersong
Who wouldn’t want to be an animated and silly bard who makes the lives of those around him happier? Well, maybe it’s not something we dreamed of as children, but it sounds like a game that can be fun. Especially if it’s a musical, colorful, and extremely sweet platformer, like Wandersong. A game from a team that would later create a cult indie game called Chicory. Which we also highly recommend.
Beglitched
To finish, let’s close with another sweet game. Cuqui. Beglitched is a hacking game where we discover that our computers are filled with adorable magical creatures. Being a glitch witch, we will have to learn how to manipulate the computers and the creatures that inhabit them to delve into the depths of a peculiar computer. An excellent puzzle game that is also guaranteed to put a smile on your face.
