Maiamama, captivated her live-stream audience as she delved into the immersive world of Dot’s Home during these captivating episode of Gaming4Justice in January 2023. The game itself, a single-player masterpiece, revolved around the life of Dorothea “Dot” Hawkins, a vibrant young Black woman in her late twenties who resided in the bustling city of Detroit, Michigan, alongside her beloved grandmother, Mavis Hawkins. This interactive narrative, which merged gaming with the themes of housing and racial justice, proved to be a thought-provoking and enlightening experience.
The game commenced with a cryptic conversation between Dot and her grandmother, unraveling a hidden family secret. This revelation triggered the bestowal of a mysterious key upon Dot. As she unlocked a door within her own home, a portal to another era in her family’s history was revealed. Time and space intertwined as Dot embarked on a journey through the annals of her ancestry, a journey that held the key to her return to the present.
To find her way back home, Dot discovered that she must interact with and influence the lives of her family members: Mavis Hawkins, her wise grandmother; Karl Hawkins, her ambitious father; and Alma Hawkins, her resilient mother. By guiding them through crucial life decisions, Dot sought to earn her passage back to the present. Yet, she soon discovered that her voyage into the past had profound consequences on her current reality and even the future that awaited her.
Dot’s Home, an integral part of the visionary Rise-Home Stories project, emerged from a groundbreaking collaboration that aimed to redefine our communities’ past, present, and future by reshaping the narratives that surround them. In 2018, a group of multimedia storytellers joined forces with housing, land, and racial justice advocates to embark on an unprecedented co-creative endeavor. Their collective efforts birthed a suite of five multimedia narrative projects, including Dot’s Home, with the intention of validating the experiences of young BIPOC individuals, challenging profit-centric narratives, and showcasing the vibrancy and interconnectedness of communities of color.
During the enlightening conversation between Claudia Alick, producer and guest artist, they marveled at the exquisite design of Dot’s Home. Its immersive graphics, intricate details, and captivating storyline resonated deeply with both Claudia and Maiamama. As avid enthusiasts of gaming, they reveled in the opportunity to discuss the implications of the game’s setting in Detroit and other communities where housing justice holds significant impact. The narrative provided a platform for heartfelt exchanges, sparking insightful conversations surrounding the challenges faced by marginalized communities and the importance of equitable housing.
Beyond the weighty themes, both Claudia and Maiamama found joy in the gameplay itself. The interactive nature of Dot’s Home provided an engaging and entertaining experience, seamlessly blending the elements of storytelling and gaming. Through its inventive mechanics, the game not only fostered a sense of agency but also encouraged players to reflect on the consequences of their choices.
In conclusion, Maiamama’s captivating playthrough of Dot’s Home on the Gaming4Justice show offered a profound exploration of housing and racial justice within the gaming sphere. This thought-provoking game, with its time-bending narrative and immersive design, showcased the power of storytelling to convey important messages. As the conversation between Claudia Alick and Maiamama illuminated, Dot’s Home successfully intertwined entertainment with social awareness, captivating players while shedding light on the intricate tapestry of our communities’ histories.