Feminism A Nano-Games Anthology
Specifikationer
Specifikationer
We are feminists by necessity. Despite our talents and skills, our culture tells us—over and over again—to make ourselves small physically, emotionally, and intellectually, to do extra labor without complaint, to let others take the credit. We are feminists because we don’t accept that the price of occupying a space labeled “woman” is self-erasure.
We are feminists because we believe every human should have the opportunity to live up to their full potential. In today’s world, that’s simply not possible. Sexism oppresses everyone, whether it’s the woman working a second shift of housework after her paid job, the man whose parental affection for a child is treated as suspicious, or the trans and genderqueer people whose identities are erased on census forms.
We are feminists who believe the culture we consume can help us begin to remedy the harms of sexism. Yet that’s difficult when our culture and its consumption is steeped in it. In the world of literature, there’s an old saying that books about men speak to “humanity” while books about women are “for women.”
That’s true in the world of roleplaying games as well. Scenarios about five men doing, well, pretty much anything, are labeled “good gaming,” while scenarios focusing on women’s experiences are “for women.” We want to expand the label of “good gaming” to include works that speak to our own lived experiences. Feminism belongs in analog game design because women are people too. We produced this collection to elevate feminist voices and make space for explicitly feminist design.
Our designers had rich ground from which to draw. Gamewise, what could be better source material than a world that presses people into unequal power relationships, regardless of their skills and interests? This collection highlights different aspects of that power dynamic, from situational comedy to high tragedy.
Our feminism is an inclusive and pluralistic feminism. We welcomed participants of all genders and game design experiences and accepted any game they produced. We asked each designer to write a game about an aspect of feminism that is important to them right now. Instead of winnowing games to fit our own ideology, we tried to help each author realize their own vision. With nearly three dozen designers, these games represent many different feminisms, reflective of their individual authors.
As the legendary feminist bell hooks once wrote, “Feminism is for everybody.” We wanted to make these games accessible to players of all genders and ideologies. The barrier to entry is low. Our games require few participants, little in the way of preparation or props, and last an hour or less. They cover a wide range of topics and moods, so you will find fun scenarios about the word “vulvas,” dramas about women in the workplace, and heavier scenarios about rape and domestic violence.
We hope these games will inspire discussion in your community and inspire you to create your own feminist works.
