Dreams on a Pillow offers a journey through a pivotal and heartrending moment in history: the 1948 Nakba. During this event, approximately 700,000 people found themselves uprooted from their homes and lands due to the Zionist occupation.
Developed by the talented Palestinian game designer Rasheed Abu-Eideh, this game is characterized as a “pseudo-3D stealth adventure” that explores a land transformed from a people’s home to a void of homelessness. But before delving further into his latest project, let’s take a moment to revisit his earlier work.
Back in 2016, Abu-Eideh introduced us to Liyla and the Shadows of War. This game casts a spotlight on the 2014 assault on Gaza, known as Operation Protective Edge, from the perspective of a young Palestinian girl and her family as they try to survive amidst the chaos surrounding them. Though brief, the game packs an emotional punch, ingeniously merging platformer elements with choose-your-own-adventure style narratives. In 2021, Liyla was included in an Indie Bundle Pack that succeeded in raising nearly $900,000 for Palestinian aid through UNRWA USA.
Today, Liyla and the Shadows of War is available free on both mobile and Windows platforms. However, its journey to the Apple App Store was not without hurdles. Back in 2016, Apple initially refused to categorize it as a game, insisting instead that it be labeled as “News” or “Reference” due to its political content. This decision sparked some controversy. Eurogamer highlighted the inconsistency in Apple’s decision when they classified Liyla as a non-game while allowing a title called Israeli Heroes in the game section. Following a strong response on social media from Abu-Eideh and others, Apple eventually relented, allowing the game to be listed appropriately.
Currently, Abu-Eideh is crowdfunding Dreams on a Pillow through LaunchGood, with the campaign running until January 13. The money raised will support asset development, outsourcing, and pay for the nine-person team working on the game. The planned release window for this intriguing new title is set for the last quarter of 2026.
