2003.au
http://escapefromwoomera.org/
Escape From Woomera is a subversive game which responded to the history of "life within this most secretive and controversial place on the Australian political and geographic landscape". Escape From Woomera recreates the now-closed Woomera Detention Centre wihch was, at its peak, 'home' to 1400 illegal immigrants who awaited processing for periods of up to two years, in conditions which were so poor as to receive condemnation from the United Nations. A Federal Government media lockdown on Woomera, and its placement in the remote, South Australian outback ensured that Australians remained oblivious to the inhumane conditions. In 2002, reports of abuse and a hunger strike by 150 of the asylum seekers provoked a mass protest outside the centre - during which 50 detainees escaped.
The player must attempt to escape using actual techniques employed by detainees. Clues and tools in the game provide opportunities for players to dig tunnels, scale fences, or utilize the efforts of action groups and sympathetic lawyers. If clues are over looked, or if efforts come to a futile end, the player's hope-score degenerates until they eventually die of despair.
Escape From Woomera has received criticism from refugee advocates, who fear the context of a computer game trivialises the plight of refugees whilst depicting them as criminals, and has also been criticized by patriotic Australians who believe the game encourages unlawful behaviour. However, the Escape From Woomera development team are confident of the game's role as a mechanism for mobilising widespread information through an interactive, immersive experience. Although virtual, and although a game - the non-fiction, documentary purpose of Escape From Woomera provides a more truthful proximity to the actual plight of asylum seekers in Australia than any other media information source.
