A Palestinian game developer successfully wraps up a crowdfunding campaign, surpassing its target by nearly $50,000

Rasheed Abueideh, a game developer from Palestine, has successfully surpassed his initial crowdfunding target by nearly $50,000 for Dreams on a Pillow, a pseudo-3D stealth adventure game drawing inspiration from a traditional Palestinian folk story.

Facing significant challenges, Abueideh opted for the crowdfund platform Launch Good after encountering a decade of refusals and avoidance from potential funders and publishers who considered the support of a Palestinian endeavor too risky or divisive.

The crowdfunding campaign's page mentions that the team repeatedly attempted to obtain publisher financing and cultural grants, but faced consistent rejections. While one publisher known for tackling sensitive subjects showed some interest, they too ultimately found the risks associated with a Palestinian narrative too great.

The initial funding goal for Dreams on a Pillow was approximately $195,000. However, the campaign concluded with a total exceeding $244,000. Despite this success, Abueideh noted that an additional $495,000 will be necessary to cover expenses related to salaries, outsourcing, and asset creation in order to complete the project. The funds raised will facilitate the transition of the game from its pre-production phase into full production.

In a post on BlueSky, Abueideh expressed his gratitude to the 3,336 backers who supported his project, stating it has the potential to "make history in the games industry."