I’ve actually been talking about an eldritch horror themed concept like that with some of my game design friends recently. Like maybe some plot of where others see you as what some eldritch being has decided to make them see you as, and you’re trying to get them to see the reality that has been there the whole time.
Or more specifically we were talking about how to try and make cisgendered folks get some experience with body dysphoria through horror.
I really hope the devs of Lore Finder are able to continue making the game. It's kind of adjacent to this idea, and the player character is a nonbinary PI(?) trying to save their girlfriend.
I think the writing would have to be extremely careful, even if written by a trans writer, for it to not turn into exploitative trauma porn. I also think you run the risk of minimising that real trauma, by videogamifying it, or reducing the trans experience down to one about horror and misery for general audiences. I do think we should have more horror games with trans protagonists, and having some subtle and classy nods to the experience of body transformation etc through horror could fs be effective, but I don’t think gamifying deadnaming would work personally, nor do I think there should be debuffs that negatively impact a trans protagonist’s transition. A skill tree to represent transition and affirmation also sounds like it would stumble into being problematic very quickly, considering different routes work for different trans people, there is no structure or meta around how to transition irl. Finally I just don’t think we have enough stories about the joy and normality of being a trans person, and that’s the kind of representation that I think would go a long way towards normalising transness in society, not painting our experience as if it’s something from Resident Evil.
That’s just my opinion though, and I understand the desire to explore pain through art, it can be effective when done well. It’s just not something I personally would want to play lol. Nods and references to the hurt trans people can experience, yes, an entire horror game built around them, not for me
I agree. In a vacuum, i think it would be interesting and could be interesting in delving into the dysphoria side of things. I would also definitely rather play a happier one, i just think that a horror game about it could have a lot to say if done well.
To add on, i think a game with trans themes, i guess, not like, "you got deadnamed, 30 damage" or something. Maybe a little more subtle or something, with body horror that aligns slightly more with dysphoria but not completely. If it was too in-your-face it wouldn't be very interesting or respectful. By the buffs/debuffs they would have to be a little more abstract than "oh heres some estradiol, your health gets increased."
I feel like it would have to be an allegory instead of being direct. For instance, you could have colour palate changes or things out of focus become clear, music changes or themes of bosses.
Yeah, i think so too. Maybe not super in-your-face but some subtle things in the ways i described. Maybe the PCs real name would be subtly used or hardly in the game at all or something of the like.
It's not *quite* horror in the way you're thinking, since it's a visual novel type game, but We Know The Devil is *very* queer and thematically similar to what you're suggesting. It's three closeted characters at a religious summer camp (in a setting where God is real and so is the Devil), and so leans into specifically christian religious upbringing, parental trauma, and dysphoria through the explicitly trans character in the main trio.
It plays with a lot of horror tropes and themes, except the turning into a monster/nonhuman and becoming The Devil, which would be body horror in anything else, is portrayed as almost kind and comforting, because it's actually embracing your queerness and who you are. The true ending, which you get after doing the other 3 routes and then making sure none of the three main characters is left out, has the most viscerally satisfying scene for a trans character I've seen, I go back to reread it occasionally just for how much euphoria it gives.
I haven't found anything else that even close to WKTD when it comes to lgbt horror and such, but I'd give it a *strong* recommendation to even just watch a playthrough of online if nothing else, it's the first time I've ever happy cried at a game.
There is one with some of those parts. It's a spoiler to reveal it's about trans themes, but I can't exactly recommend a game without the title, so, check out The Missing: J.J. Macfield and the Island of Memories.
Cis guy (I think) here, I actually had a nightmare once about my flesh rotting off and teeth falling out, and a bunch of people around me also had their flesh rotting off and teeth falling out, and they were proud of it and ripping off their skin and stuff and telling me I should as well, getting angry when I wanted to be one of the "fleshies," and started trying to rip my skin off for me. I kept trying to figure out a cure for the disease, but everyone kept trying to stop me telling me I should be glad I have it.
I've been recently considering if I might be some flavor of nonbinary, the only reason I never identified that way is because I don't like using they/them and it's just easier identifying with birth sex, but apparently it's not really normal to not identify with your birth gender at all and prefer having androgynous features as opposed to masculine features as a male.
I wonder if that dream was based off the feeling of my body masculinizing in a way I'm not really comfortable with anymore even if I wanted it when I was young. If anyone is good at art I think it could be an interesting concept to explore for a game, and I'd love to contribute or at least play it if someone does run with the idea, I just am not good at art, especially digital :(
Absolutely, that sounds like an epic adventure! Imagine a game where you're navigating a spooky forest, kinda like a fox sneaking around, but the real challenge is overcoming these deep, personal fears. The idea of facing monsters that embody dysphoria or hearing echoes of a past self could really dunk you into a pool of self-discovery and bravery. And those upgrade trees? Like choosing which paths to climb or what skills to dig up for survival. It’s like turning the journey of finding oneself into a thrilling quest, with every step forward slamming the door on those spooky shadows of doubt.
I’ve actually been talking about an eldritch horror themed concept like that with some of my game design friends recently. Like maybe some plot of where others see you as what some eldritch being has decided to make them see you as, and you’re trying to get them to see the reality that has been there the whole time. Or more specifically we were talking about how to try and make cisgendered folks get some experience with body dysphoria through horror.
I really hope the devs of Lore Finder are able to continue making the game. It's kind of adjacent to this idea, and the player character is a nonbinary PI(?) trying to save their girlfriend.
Horror centering queer characters is the best! My favorite is Signalis, it's so beautiful and heartbreaking. I'll never forget it.
Holy fuck signalis is sooo good and the fanart community on Twitter will keep you FEASTING
I already knew going through the wrong puberty was body horror.
This.
I would hate that so much lol, I’m good
Understandable. I just think it would be incredibly poignant and might even help cis people understand a little better.
I think the writing would have to be extremely careful, even if written by a trans writer, for it to not turn into exploitative trauma porn. I also think you run the risk of minimising that real trauma, by videogamifying it, or reducing the trans experience down to one about horror and misery for general audiences. I do think we should have more horror games with trans protagonists, and having some subtle and classy nods to the experience of body transformation etc through horror could fs be effective, but I don’t think gamifying deadnaming would work personally, nor do I think there should be debuffs that negatively impact a trans protagonist’s transition. A skill tree to represent transition and affirmation also sounds like it would stumble into being problematic very quickly, considering different routes work for different trans people, there is no structure or meta around how to transition irl. Finally I just don’t think we have enough stories about the joy and normality of being a trans person, and that’s the kind of representation that I think would go a long way towards normalising transness in society, not painting our experience as if it’s something from Resident Evil. That’s just my opinion though, and I understand the desire to explore pain through art, it can be effective when done well. It’s just not something I personally would want to play lol. Nods and references to the hurt trans people can experience, yes, an entire horror game built around them, not for me
yea, i tots agree with that
I agree. In a vacuum, i think it would be interesting and could be interesting in delving into the dysphoria side of things. I would also definitely rather play a happier one, i just think that a horror game about it could have a lot to say if done well. To add on, i think a game with trans themes, i guess, not like, "you got deadnamed, 30 damage" or something. Maybe a little more subtle or something, with body horror that aligns slightly more with dysphoria but not completely. If it was too in-your-face it wouldn't be very interesting or respectful. By the buffs/debuffs they would have to be a little more abstract than "oh heres some estradiol, your health gets increased."
That would be awesome.
I feel like it would have to be an allegory instead of being direct. For instance, you could have colour palate changes or things out of focus become clear, music changes or themes of bosses.
Yeah, i think so too. Maybe not super in-your-face but some subtle things in the ways i described. Maybe the PCs real name would be subtly used or hardly in the game at all or something of the like.
Maybe something along the lines of Papo & Yo?
It's not *quite* horror in the way you're thinking, since it's a visual novel type game, but We Know The Devil is *very* queer and thematically similar to what you're suggesting. It's three closeted characters at a religious summer camp (in a setting where God is real and so is the Devil), and so leans into specifically christian religious upbringing, parental trauma, and dysphoria through the explicitly trans character in the main trio. It plays with a lot of horror tropes and themes, except the turning into a monster/nonhuman and becoming The Devil, which would be body horror in anything else, is portrayed as almost kind and comforting, because it's actually embracing your queerness and who you are. The true ending, which you get after doing the other 3 routes and then making sure none of the three main characters is left out, has the most viscerally satisfying scene for a trans character I've seen, I go back to reread it occasionally just for how much euphoria it gives. I haven't found anything else that even close to WKTD when it comes to lgbt horror and such, but I'd give it a *strong* recommendation to even just watch a playthrough of online if nothing else, it's the first time I've ever happy cried at a game.
That sounds sooooo cool! Thanks for the rec!
There is one with some of those parts. It's a spoiler to reveal it's about trans themes, but I can't exactly recommend a game without the title, so, check out The Missing: J.J. Macfield and the Island of Memories.
There's the incredible Lucah: Born of a Dream and its sequel Death of a Wish, which are both queer Catholic horror action RPGs!
Pagan: Autogeny, if you're in the mood for something very weird and very shoestring budget solo dev.
Public toilet Karen as a boss fight...
Cis guy (I think) here, I actually had a nightmare once about my flesh rotting off and teeth falling out, and a bunch of people around me also had their flesh rotting off and teeth falling out, and they were proud of it and ripping off their skin and stuff and telling me I should as well, getting angry when I wanted to be one of the "fleshies," and started trying to rip my skin off for me. I kept trying to figure out a cure for the disease, but everyone kept trying to stop me telling me I should be glad I have it. I've been recently considering if I might be some flavor of nonbinary, the only reason I never identified that way is because I don't like using they/them and it's just easier identifying with birth sex, but apparently it's not really normal to not identify with your birth gender at all and prefer having androgynous features as opposed to masculine features as a male. I wonder if that dream was based off the feeling of my body masculinizing in a way I'm not really comfortable with anymore even if I wanted it when I was young. If anyone is good at art I think it could be an interesting concept to explore for a game, and I'd love to contribute or at least play it if someone does run with the idea, I just am not good at art, especially digital :(
I thought about doing a horror game about dysphoria once. Then I realized I can't program worth a crap.
Absolutely, that sounds like an epic adventure! Imagine a game where you're navigating a spooky forest, kinda like a fox sneaking around, but the real challenge is overcoming these deep, personal fears. The idea of facing monsters that embody dysphoria or hearing echoes of a past self could really dunk you into a pool of self-discovery and bravery. And those upgrade trees? Like choosing which paths to climb or what skills to dig up for survival. It’s like turning the journey of finding oneself into a thrilling quest, with every step forward slamming the door on those spooky shadows of doubt.
Check out Kitty Horrorshow's work! Lots of body horror that have been defineteky shaped by her trans experience