Domestic violence prompts new mobile game

Australian game developer creates a friend in need.

A South Australian developer is using her own experience around domestic violence to create a new mobile game to support those in need.

Susannah Emery, who heads a new game design and digital media course at the University of South Australia, has based “Hannah: A Friend in Need” on her own personal domestic violence experience and the importance of supportive friends and family.

“My background is in games for educational and social change and how we can use them to make life better,” Emery said.

“I actually decided to make Hannah when I experienced domestic violence myself and I was trying to describe what I was feeling to friends and family through Messenger and they were having trouble understanding.”

Emery has spent several years working with a team to develop the game using the fictional character Hannah, and will test the game on her own family and friends before making it available on Android by the end of this year.

Her goal is to have domestic violence support services provide the game freely to those affected.

The game works by allowing people to chat with Hannah about the non-physical, coercive domestic violence situation she is experiencing, allowing players…