DinnerTime

Game Description: With sacrifice and gratitude, a son has to work through the pressures of the American Dream. How are you going to shape his character through the choices you choose? Are you going to accept the dream or build your character and identity?

Artist Statement:

When creating this game I knew what I wanted to do and the topic I wanted to focus my game around. Some of my work lately has been focused on Vietnamese culture, refugees, and the struggles of moving to a new place. This game continues on that topic of the pressure that comes with moving and the American Dream. A lot of this game is related to personal experiences of mine and also many other Vietnamese Americans that I know. The sacrifices of parents that went through poverty and struggles, trying to create opportunities for their children that they never even dreamed of. With that though also comes the stress and pressure that a child can experience from having to meet expectations or be able to capitalize on these opportunities. 

That is why I wanted my game to be persuasive and interactive to show people perspectives from outside of this reality. To be able to see how people that didn’t grow up in this type of environment would deal with it and the choices that they would make. The game also can be really relatable to people that have experienced this whether they were also Vietnamese Americans that were in the same situation or that they are going through this now. I used to always have to live up to my parents expectations when I was younger and being compared to my cousins as well. 

I never told my parents If I was struggling with education or if I felt overwhelmed from having to meet certain expectations or I would be looked down upon. As I grew older though I felt that those expectations weren’t as prominent as they were when I was young. I learned to speak to my parents about certain things that I was afraid of before. Once I did, my parents understood and have changed as well. I hope that the game can encourage players to communicate with their parents and that they can navigate their way through finding out their own selves, the sacrifices, and expectations that come with being from an immigrant family.