Iskandereya, the Video Game

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

Iskandereya is a multilayered, multifaceted city on the Mediterranean coast in the Nile Delta. This ancient city was founded c. 331 BC by Alexander the Great. It was an important center for Hellenistic and Roman, as well as Byzantine Egypt, and remained so for almost a thousand years until the Muslim conquest of Egypt in AD 641, and the subsequent founding of Cairo (El Cohera). Hellenistic Alexandria hosted one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World: the Lighthouse of Alexandria (the Pharos, which ruins lie in the harbor waters amidst the ancient city of Cleopatra), the Great Library (the largest in the ancient world; destroyed once by a tsunami and once by a fire); and the Necropolis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Middle Ages. Over the years, it was known for its multicultural aura, accommodating Greeks, Jews, Italians, French, Brits, Americans, Muslims, Christians,  Turks, Arabs, Armenians, who all contributed to its diversity and rich heritage.

Nowadays, most of the cosmopolitan allure, so praised by the such of Cavafy and Durrell, is long gone. The fellaheen from Upper Egypt have taken the place of the Greeks, Armenians, Jews and Englishmen, most of whom left the country in the 1950s. The international scene is dominated by Syrians (who are influencing the local cuisine and trade), Palestinians and the French. The Alexandria of today is a thriving metropolis, stretching along the Mediterranean Sea for about 32 km. It is an important industrial center and Egypt’s main seaport. It is inhabited by some 8 million people and while certain characteristic “types” of residents can be identified (see list of characters for a general idea), living here, one soon realizes that everyone is a character.

Currently, the city is undergoing a zombie siege. The zombies act like sexual harassers and are not always easy to identify. Watch out for key-words, such as "mozza," "welcome," "hellooo," "oh my god" and "psssst!" You have to fight them off, but take care not to hurt innocent citizens while you’re at it. The viciousness and frequency of their attacks varies from Winter to Summer (and reaches its peak during the holy month of Ramadan, especially if that month happens to occur in the Summer). Beware: anyone can be a zombie, but typically you should expect attacks from young men hanging out in the streets of Mancheya and on the Corniche between Stanley and Bahari, and from teenage girls wearing hijab, especially when in the proximity of a Q’ranic school. Keep in mind that not all harassers are zombies. For example, a salafi taxi driver may be a harasser, but typically he is not a zombie. Beware, though, he might be a vampire.

The residents of Alexandria are usually friendly and will happily talk with you, and share tips. It is worth it to speak with them, as they might have important things to tell you, but take care: they may not be telling the truth. A typical Alexandrian, when asked for directions will never admit that he doesn’t know the place in question, so always make sure to ask more than one person. Also, keep in mind that many Alexandrians don’t speak English (the language barrier is an added difficulty but as you mature in the game, you can acquire skills, such as the knowledge of the local languages).

Alexandria is an ancient city and the ghosts of the Old Gods still haunt its alleys. Pay special attention to the animals, especially cats - there may be more to them than meets the eye, and they too might have interesting things to tell you. These old streets are full of magic. Always be kind to horses, dogs and donkeys – word travels fast in the animal world and ill-treatment of your smaller brothers and sisters may quickly turn against you.

In the course of the game, you will have to use many different modes of transportation, some of which require extra skills, that can be obtained through playing (such as “the diving instructor,” which allows you to dive in the bay and access the underwater world, or the “jet pilot,” enabling you to fly the army jet, etc.) You will also descend into the Underworld and be taken back in time to various epochs in the city’s history (i.e. pharaohnic, Greek, Roman, Ottoman, colonial, socialist, etc.).

The tasks awaiting you throughout the game are very diverse: from racing on the Corniche, through fighting zombies, vampires, cockroaches and other creatures, to solving riddles and cleaning the city of its garbage (a task not unlike that of Hercules in the vast stables of Augeas). You will be required to walk, swim, dive, drive various vehicles, obtain information from numerous sources, read poetry and ancient myths, study holy texts and learn the local languages (including Arabic, Greek, Armenian, Hebrew, Frech, German and Italian). Good luck, courageous wanderer! If you succeed, a great treasure awaits you, but beware of the traps lurking along the way …

SELECTED CHARACTERS

1. Police officer 
2.  Crazy man on the Corniche
3.  Cat on the Corniche
4. Tram ticket controller
5. Taxi driver
6.  Soldier
7. Fisherman
8. Salafi guy
9. Niqab woman
10. Hijab woman
11. Young hijab schoolgirl (also known as the Qranic school girl)
12. Nun
13. Copt
14. Scout
15. Vampire
16. Businessman
17. Fruitseller
18. Butcher
19. Egg guy
20. Can-I-Help-You guy
21. Qahwa guy/shisha guy
22. Fruit juice guy
23. Pharmacy guy
24. Horse carriage driver
25. Fallah
26. Sailor
27. Tourist
28. Foreign Arabic language student
29. Archeologist
30. Beggar
31. Woman selling tissues
32. Guy wiping windshields
33. Child seller
34. Bootblack
35. Fish seller
36. Hommos / ice-cream/cotton candy/balloon street vendor
37. Researcher
38. High class representative
39. Army supporter
40. Rab3a supporter 
41. Artist/intellectual
42. Arab/Beduin 
43. International community employee (i.e. EVS, foreign language teacher, NGO/CSO, etc.)

SELECTED MODES OF TRANSPORTATION

1. Car (option of racing)
2. Taxi (option of racing)
3. Donkey cart
4. Mashrua (option of racing)
5. Big bus (hop-on: added difficulty: has to be boarded while moving)
6. Double-decker bus
7. Horse carriage
8. Horseback
9. Tram (watch out for pick-pockets!)
10. Army jet (option of mid-air acrobatics and an opportunity to show off)
11. helicopter
12. Fishermen’s boat 
13.  Scooter
14. Maharagenet motorcycle
15. Bicycle
16. Walking
17. Swimming
18. Diving
19. Garbage truck
20. Tank (option of racing)
21. Windsurf/kitesurf
22. Yacht/motor boat
23. train
24. touk-touk

LEVELS

1. Street level (includes underground tunnels)
2. The roofs – parkour style
3. Underwater
4. Ramadan
5. Ancient city (includes Catacombs and Greco-Roman Alexandria)
6. Winter (added difficulty: winds – including the khamaseen, rain, flooding, high waves, rough sea)
7. Summer (added difficulty: cockroaches, heat, intensified zombie attacks)

SELECTED BACKGROUNDS

1. Port
2. Industrial areas
3. Agamy road (by day/ by night)
4. Desert road
5. Train tracks
6. Underwater
7. Roof-top level
8. Tunnels
9. Ancient city(ies)
10. Winter
11. Summer
12. Bars (Spit Fire, Sheikh Ali, Greek Club Soter, Greek Club Batalsa, Shabiba, Hooligans, Déjà vu, Seamen’s Club)
13. Qahwas (Toggareya, Silsila, etc)
14. Bibliotheca Alexandrina
15. Alexandria National Museum
16. Greco-Roman Museu
17. Kom el-Dikka
18. Souq el Gom3a
19. Kaed Ibrahim mosque
20.  Qaitbay
21. Bahari
22. Cemeteries
23. Carrefour
24. Mhatet Misr souq
25. Mandara mosque
26. Maamoura psychiatric hospital
27. Montazah (gardens and palace)
28. Mancheya
29. El Nabi Daniel