Preteen girl looking at a cell phone with her parents

Personalized picks at your fingertips

Get the mobile app on iOS and Android

Get the app
Parents' Guide to

Mission US: Flight to Freedom

By Christy Matte, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 10+

Riveting sim where choices decide fate of enslaved teen.

Game Mac , Windows 2012
Mission US: Flight to Freedom Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this game.

  • Mission US: Flight to Freedom Game: Screenshot #1
  • Mission US: Flight to Freedom Game: Screenshot #2
  • Mission US: Flight to Freedom Game: Screenshot #3

Community Reviews

See all
age 18+

Based on 1 parent review

benjamink
benjamink Adult
February 14, 2015
age 18+

Misguided & Detrimental

History is made up of a collection of choices. The legacies of our choices remain with us today. This game on the other hand communicates that if slaves had just made the right choices, they too could have been free. It distorts and manipulates history and takes the responsibility of enalavement, abuse, and the opportunity for emancipation out of the hands of white officials- who were the ones with that power. Celebrating bravery and courage is important. Slaves who ran for their freedom were brave. Slaves who didn't were brave. This game sends inaccurate, damaging messages about how/why freedom was obtained.
See all 1 parent review

What’s It About?

MISSION US: FLIGHT TO FREEDOM follows the journey of 14-year-old Kentucky slave Lucy as she leaves her family behind in a quest for freedom. She begins on the plantation, where she has chores such as laundry, feeding the pigs, and collecting eggs from the chickens. When things go catastrophically wrong, she must run away to avoid being beaten or sold to a different plantation. You lead Lucy as she runs, making decisions that control the course of her fate. She befriends abolitionists and joins their cause, putting her own life at risk in the process. And when her friends are in need, she can step up to help out. But will Lucy ever really be free? Will she see her family again? It's your story, based on the choices you make. As you progress through the story, you'll help develop Lucy's personality. Is she self-reliant? Family-oriented? Rebellious? In the end, it's these traits that allow you to make the final decisions to tell the end of Lucy's story.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1 ):
Kids say (3 ):

Mission US: Flight to Freedom is a powerful and compelling simulation about one girl's attempt to flee slavery and reach freedom. It requires kids to make some difficult decisions in a gaming world where there are no right or wrong answers. Unlike in some simulations, the choices aren't obvious, and what seems like a reasonable decision could have very negative consequences. The result is an ongoing sense of peril, especially for kids who are able to relate in some way to the lead character. Because no simulation can or should adequately convey the full depth of slavery or the escape to freedom, this shouldn't serve as a stand-alone experience. But when it's paired with a strong curriculum unit -- or discussions and research as a family -- Flight to Freedom has the ability to humanize the people of the time and can serve as a springboard for further learning and conversation.

The experience can go even deeper as you replay with different choices. Since your decisions result in different "badges," or personality traits, they can subtly or radically change Lucy's fate. Kids can experience how each choice they make can impact Lucy's life, a lesson that's valuable even beyond the constraints of the activity. Although "fun" isn't the right word to describe the simulation, it's certainly engaging in a way that typical history lessons aren't. This means that kids will connect more deeply with the subject matter and gain a greater understanding of the challenges of the time. Mission US: Flight to Freedom also offers a complete set of teacher materials, including activities, historical context, vocabulary, and primary sources, which make it useful for school and after-school programs as well.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about slavery. What would it be like to have someone own you and make all your choices? How would you feel?

  • When is it OK to disobey someone? Name some situations where you should stand up for yourself and disobey. When should you listen and follow the rules? How do you know the difference?

  • What do you think life was like on a plantation for the plantation owner's family? For the slaves? Did you learn about history by playing this game?

  • Can you think of a time when you stood up for or helped someone else? Why did you do it? How did it make you feel? Why do you think the abolitionists helped Lucy?

Game Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

See all recommended game lists

Related Topics

Want suggestions based on your streaming services? Get personalized recommendations

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate