There’s this new choose your own adventure game that’s all about the pandemic. This game, developed by Smita Venkat, allows you to answer questions in a multiple-choice format as you dive into the world of parenting during this chaotic time.
The game is called Parenting in a Pandemic Simulator (PIPS) and it’s opening many conversations among parents of young children ever since she shared it on Facebook on July 20, 2020.
This pandemic computer game allows parents to choose answers to questions that many of us are facing during this stage of pandemic parenting.
PIPS explores every subject from getting the kids fed and dressed to giving presentations at work and trying to talk to friends without children about your current frustrations.
Every answer will lead you down a path that leaves you with a response that makes you feel guilty, less productive, or perhaps laugh at real-life scenarios you’ve experienced. That is, according to our research.
This pandemic computer game is meant to showcase the issues that working parents are facing during the pandemic, especially parents with younger children.
We decided to give this game a try and see how the story ends …
Introducing The Parenting in Pandemic Simulator
This is your little welcome message you get when you click to play this Parenting in Pandemic Simulator game …
Below is my scenario for round 1 and you have to accept the challenge with this parenting profile or not …
So round 1 is ON and this is the scenario. Answer the question based on what you’d do. I enjoyed answering one way, then another way just to see where this simulator game would bring me.
What can I say? It’s a fun way to distract yourself on a stressful day.
And I made it to round 2, where I was given another scenario with two options. These are really tough decisions, but answer them to the best of your abilities and enjoy seeing how your story goes while playing PIPS …
Oh, the fun days of meltdowns! I do not miss those days and have empathy for any parent out there who’s in the position of pandemic parenting toddlers or kids on the spectrum.
And then I moved onto another round, but alas I wanted to keep some of this Parenting in Pandemic Simulator a surprise! That means I didn’t screenshot the rest of my experience with PIPS.
As you can see the game continues and provides you with different options based on what you select as a response. I will note that this pandemic computer game may be a nice little distraction from your current stress that the pandemic has caused, but it’s not really that helpful.
By the way, I didn’t share every question and answer because each of you will see the same scenarios, so I didn’t want to spoil all of the fun for you!
Overall PIPS allowed me to feel as if I’d be a decent parent to younger kids during the pandemic, but alas I’m the parent of teenagers and one recent high school graduate.
While the pandemic computer game isn’t totally relatable to me at this time, I can see how many working parents of young children will see just how impossible it is to handle everyday life during a pandemic with younger kids.
Perhaps you’ll enjoy the sense of humor and responses as you continue to complete each round of questions based on any given scenario PIPS highlights for you. Since the pandemic hit our world last year, many parents have an increased level of stress and parenting anxiety as they continue to find new ways to handle parenting and working full time!
I conclude that Smita Venkat developed a simple yet fun and interactive game that may help your childless friends comprehend what it’s like living in your world as a working woman with kids who are home full time during the pandemic. You can try out PIPS by clicking here, good luck!