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For the first time ever, Polish students will be recommended a game as part of their official school reading lists. The critically acclaimed game This War of Mine shows an honest and unflinching look at what it’s like to live in a city caught up in the midst of warfare.
This War of Mine is a critical step in gaming as a medium
Games as a medium have gone through a number of phases throughout its maturation. While there is still progress to be made on that front, games have been further honing their ability to tell meaningful stories that rival, or even rise above, those told through film or the pages of a book.
In general, storytelling mediums follow a series of steps as they grow up, beginning first as a novelty, then as more pulp entertainment, later as more complex displays of ability, and finally as mature works of art. That is not to say that every game needs to be a fully artistic phenomenon, but that the medium as a whole is now capable of it.
This War of Mine shows that the artistry of a game does not need to rely on its budget, and that games are uniquely poised to allow players to experience a topic in a way completely unavailable to any other medium. As players make difficult choices in the name of survival, This War of Mine allows players to experience the difficulties of life in a war zone.
Poland adopts This War of Mine as part of its official reading list
Poland’s Prime Minister, Mateusz Morawiecki, confirmed This War of Mine's inclusion for the 2020-2021 reading list, although the recommendation will be limited to readers 18 and up due to the game’s content and age rating. It will be especially recommended for students of sociology, ethics, philosophy, and history, and will be provided to students of those subjects free of charge, according to reports from GamesIndustry and Eurogamer.
With this official endorsement, This War of Mine opens the door to a new chapter for the medium of gaming. Perhaps it will not be long before additional scholastic outfits begin including games in reading lists or as part of their curriculum.
Players from all countries can find This War of Mine on any major console, Android devices, and available through almost all online games retailers.
