Sasui: A Journey of Love
2021
Video game for Oculus and desktop, made in Unity
Sasui: A Journey of Love is a poetic adventure simulation game made for Oculus and desktop. The gameplay follows the 12th century Sindhi story of estranged lovers, Sasui and Punnhun, as told by Sufi saint and poet, Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai. The essence of the story is that Sasui recognises the divine within Punnhun and in her perilous journey searching for him, discovers the divine within herself. The game and original tale are both set in the provinces of Sindh and Balochistan (modern-day Pakistan.)
Participants journey across the landscapes of Sindh and Balochistan as a first person player, unlocking Bhittai’s verses. The player is prompted to answer questions about their relationship with themselves through people they love, blurring the boundary between reality and fiction.
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The game was designed and built by the creative team SOFT GAMeZ, in Unity. Originally designed for Oculus, and then adapted for desktop, the game is deeply immersive, combining multiple types of animation, sound design, and text interactions.
SOFT GAMeZ project advisor for Sasui was Miyö Van Stenis. Under project direction of Zahra Mansoor, Tessa was mainly responsible for creative direction and game building, with assistance from Federica Toja, Olivia Brazier, Aya Abu Shaqra, Selin San, and Gaia Livay.