Sign up to receive each week’s Playlist e-mail here!

Also check out our full, interactive Playlist section.

1979 Revolution: Black Friday (PC, Mac)

BY iNK Stories

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but what about a videogame? The first episode of 1979 Revolution, a game that places you in the middle of the Iranian hostage crisis, speaks to just how important visibility can be when corruption and misinformation run rampant. You play as Reza, a photographer tasked with capturing the chaos of the regime change and subsequent protests. In this context, a picture becomes as dangerous as a stray bullet, rendering you a big target. A well-researched passion project from creator Navid Khonsari, 1979 takes you back to this important moment in history with a Telltale-style branching narrative. The consequences of your actions are palpable, your choices affecting the families and the splintered factions forming around you. Pushing both the medium and player to new heights, 1979‘s first episode can not only educate an unaware American audience, but also help us see our own role in the turmoil.

Perfect for: history buffs, Telltale fans, the unaware

Playtime: about 2 hours