Developer Deets

HEE's Helping Hand

By Pyramid Equestrian

One of the biggest criticisms of online games is their disconnect to the real world. However, the idea that online communities exist in a completely separate sphere from everyday life is false. As Eve (Cadence Farms and the creator of HEE) highlighted to me in a private message interview, “society supports this game.” It’s this understanding that behind each stable/player is an actual person that inspires Eve to continue our monthly donations to charity.

For those who are unfamiliar, every month Eve takes money from her business, which includes HEE along with its sister games WolfPlay and Draconis Theory, and donates it to a charity of her choice. When asked about how she decides which charity to donate for, Eve said: “Sometimes it's at random, whatever is touching my heart at the moment. But if there is something going on in the world, I like to choose a charity that helps with the problem.” Examples of donations reflecting problems in the world include donations to the Red Cross during the War in Ukraine and donations to Feeding America during November to help people celebrate Thanksgiving. One of Eve’s favorite charities to donate to however are the Petsmart Charities. These charities reflect her love of her dogs which are all either rescues or strays. (Link to forum regarding all of the game’s donations: CLICK)

While as players of an online game, most of us have a deep understanding of how an online game connects to the “real world,” the monthly donations act as the most tangible connection. The donations prove that even outside of establishing community and subconsciously fostering skills such as organization, planning, and budgeting, online games create a positive impact on the “real world.”