Netflix Games Review: This is a True Story is making an impact

Netflix Games are often very casual or rely heavily on the success of a certain franchise, such as Stranger Things. But there are also sometimes more art-like pearls. We’ve talked about 12 Minutes before, but a game where you really feel like you’ve stepped into a work of art, that’s This is a True Story.

As the name literally says, this is a game that tells a true story. Or rather, true stories, because for many people this is still the reality. This is A True Story is about the scarcity of drinking water in Africa. However, the game itself is not necessarily very sad or melancholy, while you walk around you can hear quite cheerful music and you regularly hear a funny comment.

This is a True Story

The game is a collaboration between Frosty Pop and Charity:Water. It looks like a kind of sidescroller, but secretly it is an RPG that you can learn something from. You have to walk many miles in the South Sahara to find water. However, you often have to risk your life: there are poachers, there are storms and danger lurks around every corner.

The game world is painted by hand and you can see it: it is beautiful to see. What really attracted me, however, was the comments about how many people don’t have access to clean drinking water. It’s told in a very candid, kind of hopeful way and that’s very special. Spoiler alert: 771 million (!) people do not have access to clean water to drink.

Impact

The game is not long: you will get through it after an hour, but you will notice that the message will stick with you for a long time. Of course we all know that there are huge problems with clean water in Africa, but this game understands that you know that and takes it a step further. You really feel like you’ve learned something after playing.

Moreover, the game is also great and actually just long enough. It is quite monotonous, walking, but yes, that is also what those people experience every day. In addition, it is not just walking: you also have to solve puzzles along the way to get further. Ultimately, the game is more versatile than you might think. And yes, an hour of your time for a game that you can play for free as a Netflix subscriber. Why not?

Laura Jenny

When she’s not tapping, she’s traveling around the wonderful world of entertainment or some cool place in the real world. Mario is the man of her life,…