'Players' turn virtual 'refugees' in UN agency's new smartphone game app

London, June 23 (ANI): The UN refugee agency has released a smartphone game, which shows refugees as players and is aimed at raising awareness about the experiences of refugees around the world.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) claims the game application "My life as a refugee", which takes players into a scenario of fleeing conflicts and searches for their family members, is based on the real-life accounts of refugees.

"[The game] brings to life the refugee experience and highlights some of the life-changing decisions and consequences faced by millions of refugees worldwide," the BBC quoted UNHCR, as saying, in the description of the game on its website.

By turning players into virtual refugees fleeing persecution or armed conflicts, the app takes them through a series of challenges or "true-to-life quests" while trying to find their families and reach safely, the report said.

The refugee agency said the game was developed to "entertain and educate players with interactive narratives based on real-life experiences of families torn apart by conflict or persecution".

For now, the app is available on Android phones, but an iPhone version will be launched in the future. (ANI)