Gaming became part of Brent Dusing’s life when he was about nine years old. Today he is a family man and gaming revolutionary. Four years ago, Dusing sent out to change the gaming industry by integrating God within its framework. The gaming industry is competitive but has been void of God until around 2020. With most of the leading gaming companies fielding a worldview obsolete of God and campaigning toxic and demonic content intended for children. These companies have used their influence to integrate “sexually explicit” material, “sexual grooming”, and contaminated and fiendish content into the minds and homes of children.
About a month ago, I covered TruPlay’s rise to become one of the only online games where God is the central theme; comparing their safety to that of Roblox, currently facing a class action lawsuit initiated by concerned parents over allegations of sexual content and grooming on its platform. Which raised serious concerns about the safety of its young user base. You can view that article here. Recently, I had a chance to speak to Dusing regarding TruPlay, its birth, purpose, and goals for the future. My interview with him revealed a man who followed a calling to “save” a generation of children, and who has hopes that his platform will change families for the good and help raise brave children who rely on faith to fight their battles.
Having an Economics degree from Harvard, he was prepared to follow his heart and God’s calling, but also the stats. The trends he was seeing bothered him. Growing up in the 80’s the suicide and depression rates were nothing like they are today. He explained that “there is a direct correlation with the use of Smartphones, exposure to social media, pornography, and hyperviolence with the rise in suicide and depression in today’s youth.” The trends are the same. Further adding that, “30% of children today believe in God”. This number resonates even higher with public school children, because even if they attend church, God is eliminated from the schools, so they are learning more about toxic content than they are about Faith. Even more, God is stripped out of almost all media forms and Jesus is almost always “used in a derogatory form”. He saw culture being flipped upside down with less than half of families attending church and those that do only spend 30 min a week talking to God and learning of Jesus. These stats remind us that “If we don’t teach our children to follow Christ, the world will teach them not to.”
To triumph over these odds and change the stats, children must talk to God daily and learn about Jesus. Comparing this learning to reading, “children are taught phonics and asked to read during school and at home for homework, daily. But they are not taught about God through the Bible, devotionals, and learning Scripture daily. Their time with God is limited.” Even more, he added that children spend, “52 ½ hours a week online and most of that time is gaming.” So opening doors during that time spent online to discover our Heavenly Father is monumental.
He created TruPlay in 2020 with the hopes that by “transforming generations of children in such a profound way that it will shape culture.” The platform is easily accessible to families and only around $5 a month, with annual subscriptions available. There is currently a 7 day free trial available to all new users! The game is geared for children ages 5-12, however he reassured me that there are some younger children “ages 3 and 4” able to play. Parents play as well. The graphics are top notch and the characters have been given a large amount of careful thought. For example, the character Maple is a bunny rabbit who wears a tiger suit. She may be vulnerable and exposed, but when she puts on her tiger suit, she is fearless and strong. The characters are relatable. This character happens to be central to Dusing’s favorite game on the platform, Maple, and the Forest of Words. In this game Maple and her fox-bear friend, Oliver, are on a rescue mission where players must outwit ancient corruption.
TruPlay is constantly offering new content for their subscribers, including subject material surrounding Holiday’s, like Easter, and new games and comics to keep everyone engaged. TruPlay’s platform is free from adds and is interactive in the sense that members can compete to get better scores. There is chatter of the possibility of stronger interactivity between members within the games themselves. The ability to play together is in the works, as well as expanding to various other platforms like gaming consoles, so that users will have more options to play.
Dusing ensured me that TruPlay will never deviate from its original mission of “building a beautiful, fun, and world-class entertainment platform which invites children into a world of hope and God’s truth.”
Brittany Stewart, an accomplished writer and educator, draws inspiration from her 23-year marriage and upbringing near Lake Tahoe in Verdi, Nevada, now residing in Tucson, Arizona. With her Bachelor’s degree in Education, emphasizing Native American Literature and Journalism, Brittany is a multifaceted professional who is also a Licensed Massage Therapist. She is deeply involved in Tucson’s homeschooling community, leading a homeschool group, teaching dance, and offering art classes. She and her family have a homestead in Southern Arizona, where her husband hunts and she tends to the garden, emphasizing the importance of God and family in her life while continually seeking adventure through her travels.