It’s not often that side-scrollers capture my attention, but I am infinitely glad this one did. Ayo: A Rain Tale appears to be one of those unique treasures that captures real life experience and translates it faithfully into a game.
In this instance players take on the role of Ayo, a young girl tasked with gathering water for her family alone for the first time. In order to achieve her goal she must face the harsh conditions of the Sahelian droughts, as well as the fears and doubts dwelling in her own mind.
Some of the current statistics in relation to access to reliable drinking water globally are that:
- 319 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa are without access to improved, reliable, drinking water sources.
- Women and girls are responsible for water collection in 7 out of 10 households in 45 developing countries.
Ghaith Fleifel, founder and lead designer at Inkline said the following:
“Waking up at dawn knowing your whole family depends on you would make most adults weak in the knees. The brave girls who walk miles and miles for clean water every day do so without complaints. They, like Ayo, are the real heroes, and deserve our ongoing, unconditional support.”
It’s these sorts of endeavours that show just how powerful video games can be as a medium to create awareness. Graphically and musically engaging, and with an almost tribal/spiritual feel to it, Ayo: A Rain Tale is now available on Steam and the Mac App Store.
About the Author
Jakob Quilligan
Jake hails from Bendigo where his console of choice is the PS4, closely followed by the Nintendo 3DS. Anime and volunteering tend to keep him occupied, though his staffy/ rotty/ husky cross named Iris keeps him busy first and foremost.
