no one leaves home unless
home is the mouth of a shark

- Warsan Shire

Sri Lanka, 2023.  We talk of migration all the time. We talk of brain drain - of doctors, lawyers and engineers fleeing for greener pastures. They are friends, colleagues, family. They complain about the lines at embassies and obscure government rituals and the humiliation of visas.

But what about those who leave because life cannot go on this way? Of those who launch themselves on perilous journeys because the world crushes them underfoot? How can we empathize with them if we never walk in their shoes?


Team Watchdog brings you "Salt Water Pilgrims", an interactive visual story bringing to life the hard choices, heart breaking circumstances, and life threatening journeys faced by Sri Lankan migrants.  Step into the shoes of Jeevan, Kavindi, Ruban and Suresh, and see how long you can survive as you look for a home away from home, if you ever do. 

Based on interviews conducted for our story "The Boat People",  this web of Sri Lankan stories is an amalgamation of many true events and characters that live, hope and despair, even today. 

How to play

This is a click-based interactive experience based on the visual novel format. It will work on most browsers, including that on your iPhone or Android device. 

  • Simply tap the screen to navigate to the next scene.
  • When presented with choices, tap the button that contains your choice.

*Wear headphones for the optimal audio experience.

Credits

Game programming by Sachintha Adikari
Art by Joshua Perera
Sound design  by Ishan Marikar
Story by Andrew Fidel Fernando and Yudhanjaya Wijeratne
Game design by Yudhanjaya Wijeratne

Additional programming and art by Ishan Marikar and Tineeka de Silva

A project by Team Watchdog, Sri Lanka (https://watchdog.team)

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