My Child Lebensborn, the harrowing narrative sim, is now available for Nintendo Switch

During LaunchPad #5, James and Sophie took a look at My Child Lebensborn, which was recently released on Nintendo Switch and previously launched for iOS and Android a few years back. You can catch up on the segment in the video below or read this article for a quick summary.

My Child Lebensborn is a historical narrative simulator, inspired by true stories that see you adopting a child – either a boy or girl – in Norway following WW2. However, parenting your child will be difficult since they have to grow up in a hostile environment where an enduring hatred affects their everyday life.

As you progress through the game, you will learn more about their past and look to support them in the present. Of course, you can't be there all the time since you need to provide for them. So you will need to carefully manage your time and resources. You'll want to work to earn money but also find time to cook, craft, forage and play with your child.

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You can influence the child's feelings, personality and even view of the world through your own actions and choices. It is possible to physically see how your decisions affect them by looking at their expressions and body language.

As you have probably guessed by now, it is far from a light-hearted jaunt. Emily Sowden reviewed the game for us on mobile back in 2018, describing it as “ a necessary and harrowing experience which portrays the horrors that affected German-born children with grace”.

My Child Lebensborn is now available on Nintendo Switch. Alternatively, you can pick it up on the App Store and Google Play. On mobile, it is a premium game that costs $2.99.