Sarah Hart, Gloria, and Mackensie at Hope Centre Lower Hutt enter the world of The Aetherlight: Chronicles of the Resistance. |
Adapted from Anglican Taonga
Thousands of children around the world are playing an online Bible game from New Zealand designed to bring the Scriptures alive.
So far, The Aetherlight: Chronicles of the Resistance has more than 15,000 players across multiple platforms, mainly from New Zealand, Australia, and the United States; 400 children play the game every day. Scarlet City Studios in Auckland, which created the game with Bible Society New Zealand, estimates that it has been played for more than 30,000 hours worldwide.
The game tells the Bible’s story as a steampunk allegory.
“Reading the Bible for most kids these days is a foreign concept. This is a way for them to engage with, and understand the Bible,” said Sarah Hart, children’s pastor at Hope Centre Lower Hutt.
“By connecting game players to the big story of the Bible, The Aetherlight brings a significant opportunity to help pre-teens understand the Bible’s relevance in their lives,” said Stephen Opie, program director of the Bible Society. “It really is the ancient art of storytelling for the 21st century.”
“We want kids to play the game because we believe that they’re engaging with a story that will shape their world for eternity,” said Paul Dunn, a game developer at Scarlet City and a former pastor.
The Aetherlight is available for PC and Macs, as well as Apple and Android mobile devices. Single episodes cost U.S. $9.99 (NZD 13.60) for a single player, or $19.99 (NZD 27.20) for a five-person multiplayer rate. Visit theaetherlight.com for more details.
