Today marks the launch of our fundraising campaign for Choice: Texas. Please check out our IndieGoGo page, and contribute if you can.

Choice: Texas is an interactive fiction game about abortion access in Texas

Choice: Texas is an educational interactive fiction game which will be freely available on the web. Players will explore the game through one of several characters, each of whom reflects specific socioeconomic, geographic, and demographic factors impacting abortion access in Texas. Although billed as interactive fiction, Choice: Texas is based on extensive research into healthcare access, legal restrictions, geography, and demographics, and is reflective of the real circumstances facing women in the state.

Choice: Texas is being developed by Allyson Whipple (writer, editor, and poet) and Carly Kocurek (writer and cultural historian) with the help of illustrator Grace Jennings.

What Funding Will Cover

We are looking to raise $9,250 to fund the completion of the game. This amount covers web development, including design and hosting services; the promotion of the game through conferences; payment for professional illustrations; and, of course, all the neat swag we’re offering to campaign contributors. Funding will ensure the game is as accessible and polished as possible.

This is a flexible fundraising campaign, which means if we raise part of the money, we’ll still receive all funds raised. Because of this, we might wind up with only part of our budget. However, we have carefully prioritized our costs to ensure that we fulfill all our obligations to contributors and still produce a playable game that is published to the web. So, no matter what you contribute, and no matter what the total of funds raised, rest assured that you will be directly contributing to the success of the game.

Perks

We’re offering a lot of perks at varying levels, most featuring game artwork by Grace Jennings. Grace’s work is beautiful, and we’re thrilled both to be working with her, and to be offering her original illustrations as a perk at the $500 level. We’d like to draw your attention to a few in particular:

Tote Bags

We will be producing a limited run of reusable tote bags featuring the Choice: Texas logo. A tote bag will be mailed to everyone who contributes $50 or more.

Producer Credit

If you contribute $250 or more, you will be listed as a producer in the game credits on the official website, alongside the designer, illustrator, and other members of the development team.

Original Artwork

We have a very limited number of original, custom digital illustrations by Grace Jennings. to give away. Each illustration will be of the person or pet you choose, and will be delivered to you electronically for whatever print or electronic use you deem fit. To receive this perk, contribute $500 or more.

(Shipping is included in the price of all perks.)

The Impact

We are billing Choice: Texas as “a very serious game,” and we mean that. While the game is intended to be engaging, the issues it addresses are very serious. Women’s access to reproductive healthcare in Texas is significantly limited, a state of affairs that is especially true for women who are working class or poor, or who live in rural areas. One of the great strengths of games is that they can invite players to explore other people’s experiences; Choice: Texas is such a game, and asks players to seriously consider the plight of Texas women.

Choice: Texas has already gained some positive responses, including acceptance into the Future and Reality of Gaming (F.R.O.G.) 2013 Conference in Vienna. We will have a working prototype of the game prepared by the conference dates in late September, and look forward to completing the game by February 2014. Both Allyson and Carly have a long track record of successful creative projects, ranging from poetry chapbooks to blog posts, to conferences, websites, and public programs. We know we can complete this project. We have already invested the time necessary to complete research and preliminary drafts. Funding will help make Choice: Texas the best it can be.

Other Ways You Can Help

We know not everyone has the resources to contribute financially to this campaign, and that is completely okay. We’re already grateful that you took the time to learn more about our project. But, if you’re excited about the project and want to help out, there are a lot of things you can do, the biggest help of which is getting the word out. Post this campaign to Facebook or Twitter, e-mail your friends, take advantage of IndieGoGo’s social tools. Every bit helps, and is greatly appreciated.

Donate here if you can. And, at the very least, please, please reblog this.