OKRE connects the film, TV, and gaming industries with researchers and lived experience to create entertainment that sparks real social change
Case Study
CultureVideo Game

Windrush Tales

Delving into the experiences of Caribbean immigrants in post-war Britain.
Set from 1948 to 1970, the game follows Rose, an aspiring nurse, and her brother Vernon as they navigate the pain and celebration of their new life in Britain. Through a visually engaging illustrated photo album and various different branching storylines, players make decisions which can shape the characters’ journeys. These journeys reveal both the challenges and the rich cultural contributions of the Windrush generation.

How did OKRE support collaboration

Windrush Tales captured the attention of the OKRE Fund because it combines entertainment with educational value, using gaming to offer an immersive experience into a crucial and oft-ignored part of history.

Chella Ramanan and Corey Brotherson are both descendants of the Windrush generation, so they led the project with a strong personal commitment to showcasing the truth. This, plus the game’s innovative approach to storytelling, aligned perfectly with OKRE’s goals of supporting projects with real social impact which both entertain and inspire.

How collaboration improved authenticity

Lived Experience Focus Groups

  • The project included focus groups organised with Dr. Jennifer Allsopp from the University of Birmingham, where firsthand accounts were gathered from discussions and workshops with Windrush era immigrants, their children and their children’s children.
  • This emphasised the generational impact of the Windrush Generation’s experience and ensured that the game would resonate deeply with the lived experiences of real-world people.
  • Corey Brotherson reflected that “the whole experience was so powerful that we came away from it very emotional … there were tears running down my face … it’s very easy to understate how important the game is to us personally”.
  • The facilitation of these special collaborations, enabled the integration of authentic voices and real-world research into the game’s development.

OKRE Focus: Windrush Tales

The OKRE Summit 2024 panel discussion is available to watch back now

Read more

Meet the team

Corey Brotherson

Writer & Narrative Designer, Windrush Tales

Dr Jennifer Allsopp

Department of Social Policy, Sociology and Criminology

Chella Ramanan

Game Developer and Narrative Designer

Claire Morwood

Game Designer and Artist

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