Lastexitflucht is an online game made for young people and initiated by the UNHCR. It is designed to inform youth about forced migration and enable them to understand the life of refugees.

The project consists of three levels: an online-game, a “facts-web” and a site for teachers with lesson materials regarding refugees.

In the game, the player runs through three different stages in the “career” of a refugee. In the first stage, the player finds himself in the situation of a person persecuted in his homeland. Here, the player has to fill in a questionnaire regarding his political opinions in order to prevent being arrested by the military police. Then, the player has to pack his bag to flee, find the way out of town and out of the country.

The next stage describes the situation of the refugee that is in a transit country where he seeks protection. The player has to search for a shelter, a translator, has to be informed about his legal status and has to behave in a new culture whose language he doesn’t understand.

In the final stage, the player has to settle into his new situation. He has to arrange his life and learn to deal with prejudices and the perceptions of different cultures.

In general, the game describes a dark, sinister atmosphere. The player is not a hero but an average human being having to find his way through a hostile environment. The game strongly evokes empathy for being in the situation of a refugee.