'Rubberkid' fights bullying with a free game

Let's briefly feel good about life and about other humans. The Adventures of Rubberkid by Charles Jackson is a simple Flash game for kids, featuring Breakout-style gameplay. It's also designed to teach youngsters about the pain of bullying.

"The aim of the game is to show the player the consequences of bullying," Jackson says on his Kickstarter page. "Each level focuses on helping a particular child (or children). Once helped, the player gets to see more info about them... The most important being 'What Would Have Been' if the bullies continued and 'But Since You Helped,' what they'll do with their life. This clearly demonstrates the terrifying results of bullying!"

Yes, there's a Kickstarter involved. But before you start punching holes in the small anti-cynicism bubble we've constructed here, the fundraising is motivated by the desire to expand the game – which will be distributed for free. "Since the point of the game is to help conquer bullying, it'd be silly to charge people money to play it," Jackson tells Joystiq in a statement. "So the game is entirely free!"

The funding goal is just $750, after which Jackson has his eye on stretch goals, including Spanish and French translations, a tie-in book and comic, and a teen-focused "Cyberbullying Edition."

Consider this the antidote to that abhorrent Hitman Absolution promo.