Parents' Guide to We Are Chicago

This game was a result of four years of work and research -- half the proceeds support two nonprofits in the Chicago area -- and was an attempt to "create a deeper understanding, motivate and inspire change, and cultivate a larger conversation surrounding the issues of violence and income disparity." That said, the game is not without its problems. It's fairly limited in what it can do to invite and incite empathy. Most of your interactions are either via dialogue trees, interactions with a cash register, or the activity of setting the dinner table. These actions all unfurl in similar fashion, which should sound weird as obviously you're deciding whether telling your mom about being jumped by kids at school has more emotional heft than where you put the fork and knife.

Countless serious issues are on full display: underage kids owning guns, families lying to each other daily about many things, and the ability and opportunity to give others a second chance. So at issue is less whether the game is good but whether it's interesting. We Are Chicago is interesting and at times effective -- for example, when you feel tension walking down the street about whether to cross to the other side to avoid another a confrontation with another neighborhood kid -- but ultimately is a somewhat flat experience. Perhaps We Are Chicago falls down most because it aspires to be like a Telltale adventure game -- with multiple fleshed-out environments, tons of voice work, and the like -- instead of feeling secure in going its own way. The team behind We Are Chicago did their homework, but the execution is somewhat stymied by the "video game" wrapper. But as it is, it's worth a look because this is a window onto something happening in our world. Hopefully it will get credit for cracking the door open and setting the precedent for other games like this to come out.