Year Published: 2011
Game Developer: Tiza Papel Byte
Game Publisher: Tiza Papel Byte
Country of Origin: Argentina
Language: Spanish
Platform: Web
Genre: Puzzle, Quiz
Age Ranges: 9-11, 11-13, 14-16, 16-18
Subjects: Civics, Social Studies
Was slavery really abolished? That’s the central issue at stake in Humanos Recursos. The game starts by asking questions about the living and working condition of slaves before abolition, and proceeds to ask similar questions about current exploited workers. Drawing clear comparisons to modern and historical conditions, the game focuses on illegal workers, sexual exploitation and rural servitude.
Humanos Recursos introduces players to different workers, asking for evaluations about their working conditions and employer relationships. Answers are never binary but rather offer different degrees. For example: “Can he/she have bathroom breaks” can be answered by “Never / Sometimes / Most of the time / Always”. The comparison is not only between workers and employers but also between different kinds of workers and Eighteenth century slaves. The game’s main drawback is defaulting to a “correct” set of answers rather than encouraging the players to compare their answers and debate. This shortcoming, however, can be used as a great catalyst by teachers for classroom debate.
The game helps to illuminate the spectrum of working conditions typically unseen and undiscussed, drawing attention to the set of practices that continue to exist despite long-existing anti-slavery laws. By comparing the lives of different workers, the students can better understand global economies, civil rights, working rights and how social change is a process that cannot be reached by legislation alone.