So I just reported a game to Steam for being antisemetic!

[sqbr]

A while ago I bought the hidden object game Alchemy Legends: Prague Legends on sale on Steam. The description is:

Follow orphan Eva on a trip to mystical Prague in Alchemy Mysteries: Prague Legends. After a relative's mysterious death, Eva inherits an ancient house in Prague. Knowing nothing about her past, she goes looking for answers. There she uncovers secrets about the house, her family and an insidious plan of the black alchemist. A wonderful and dangerous adventure is about to begin. Are you ready?

Sounds pretty run of the mill, right? And then today I got around to playing it.

First, some historical context:

• The Golem of Prague is a Jewish myth from the 16th century: a rabbi created a golem to protect the Jews from being massacred/expelled by Emporer Rudolph II. This is where the idea of golems comes from, which is why a lot of Jews are iffy on them being used in fantasy as a generic mythological creature.
  
• The Blood Libel is a Christian myth: that Jews murder Christian children to use their blood in black magic. It has historically been used as a justification for massacring Jews.
  
• There are a lot of antisemetic conspiracy theories about Jews secretly running the world.

So. I started the game. It starts, as many such games do, with a bunch of evil hooded figures doing some sort of evil magic. And then they bring a golem to life.

"Uh oh," thinks I.

I played a little of the objectively very badly made game for a while before I had to go try and find out if it really was doing a The Golem of Prague is Evil plot. There's a bunch of bad reviews on Steam, but they're all about it's puzzles being confusing etc, plus a few vague comments about the plot being bad. Most gamers aren't familiar with the history of golems, so that didn't tell me much.

Eventually I found a review which describes the overall plot: "an insidious plan of a band of black alchemists that are working to creating a golem with [a descendent of Emporer Rudolph II]'s blood to rule the world".

And then I looked up how to make a complaint. I also left a negative review. I doubt anything will happen, but I feel better for having said something. Jesus H Christ. I mean Hidden Object Games can be pretty racist etc but this is the first one where it's felt like the primary aim.

EDIT: My refund request got denied since too much time had passed :/ (I mean I paid 50c for it but still) If you want to flag it click the flag symbol on the Steam page.

Comments

[lilacsigil]

Wow! That's just stunningly anti-semitic, right out in the open.

[sqbr]

But subtle enough to go over most people's heads. Perfectly pitched to appeal to antisemites and horrify Jews while getting past the radar of the average gamer :/

[lizbee]

It's not even subtle!

Jesus H Christ.

I'm sorry, I laughed.

[sqbr]

Blasphemy felt pretty justified as a response :)

[alchemia]

Uuuughhhhhh :-(

DO you have to have bought the game to file a complaint or just an account? IF anyone can, can u link me to where to complain?

[sqbr]

You should be able to flag it on the Steam page, it's the little flag symbol.

[lilysea]

Oh, for fuck's sake! :(

The whole point of the Golem of Prague myth was that the golem was created in *strict self defense* against antisemitic pogroms.

The golem was supposed to protect innocent Jewish people from being killed by antisemitic people (who were motivated by the myth of the blood libel).

So, this is such a twisted version of the story...

[sqbr]

Yeah it's like a horrible mirror image.

[bunny_m]

GAH!!!!

WT ENTIRE F is wrong with some people!?!?!

[sqbr]

I don't know :(