For Want of a Better Life: The Temple Run Phenomenon in Sierra Leone

In Chapter 4, Claudine Hingston pointed out that migration is synonymous with “Temple Run” as a 3D endless running video game in which characters steal a relic from a temple. The goal of the game is to run for as long as possible without dying. Temple Run has become a buzzword for young Sierra Leoneans who want to or are making their way to Europe via Libya. Many have failed in the attempt; some have perished, and others have returned home. Only a handful have managed to make it. Yet, thousands of young Sierra Leoneans attempt this journey every year. The chapter seeks to examine the dynamics of Temple Run in the Sierra Leone context.