It’s Okay for Games to Make You Uncomfortable, Actually

Boyfriend Dungeon has been on my mind a lot lately. As a lover of otome and indie games, I was really excited about it. Boyfriend Dungeon lets you explore dungeons, meet other human-versions of your weapons, and even date them. Boyfriend Dugon was a success in almost all aspects.

Inclusive Storytelling

There were many wonderful romance options, even if you look at it from an otome perspective. Being queer, I was delighted to see romance options for all genders. Each character had an interesting inner-life, and a different story. Every character felt real, regardless of whether they were grieving the loss or confronting their abusive father.

Apart from the romance options, I enjoyed being able to personalize my character's appearance as well as pronouns. It was a small gesture, but it touched my heart. When I changed my pronouns from they/them to them/them, Sawyer and another nonbinary glaive, they said they were happy to meet another nonbinary person. These little changes in dialogue and character creation really touched my heart.

Boyfriend Dugong will require you to have a headscarf and a turban before you can leave your home. This ensures that players don't have to leave without any culturally or religiously significant clothing. Boyfriend Dungeon is a very welcoming game, despite the seemingly small things.

It is a very forgiving game in terms of gameplay and dungeon climbing. Re-entry is allowed and there's a "Goddess Shield" option for those unfamiliar with dungeon crawlers. This allows you to reduce damage by 50% and makes it easier for more people.

Warnings about Content

Boyfriend Dungeon's inclusive nature extends beyond the characters and gameplay. When I first started the game, it displayed a warning about content. I was warned that the game could be subject to emotional manipulation, stalking, harassment, and other forms of abuse. It was helpful to have time to prepare myself for the content. I was aware of what to expect.

This warning was particularly welcome as I have been a long-time otome game player. Many otome games have themes of stalking and emotional abuse. As you can see, the mainstays of the genre do not give players any warning about the disturbing content. After my experience in the otome industry, I was very pleased to see Kitfox take such great care in informing their players about what they were getting into.

I was also informed by the game that I would be receiving text messages from my mom. It is obvious that the developers considered inclusion as a priority when creating this game. I don't recall ever having a game warn me about mother content. It was appreciated and very much welcomed.

It gets dark

The plot is dark, as you can see from the content warning. Even the stalker is confronted by the main character. Being able to defend myself during the game made me feel empowered. Some players felt they were being duped.

The game was advertised as a lighthearted romance game where you could use weapons to make love. They didn't know that such heavy content would be prominent and center. They didn't know that the game would make them confront their stalker. Some people who have been in similar situations felt deeply uncomfortable by the plot.

This is where the backlash began. I was not a Twitter-savvy person so I didn't know there was a Boyfriend Dungeon conversation. __S.47__

Some people wanted Kitfox to be more inclusive. People were curious as to why, if you can opt out of text messages from your mom, you wouldn't be able to opt-out from texts from your stalker. People on the other hand suggested that to remove this aspect of the story, the developers would have to overhaul the entire narrative structure. This is both expensive and time-consuming. They found it unjustifiable.

It's complicated

For me, this is the most difficult part. I am not an artist, nor would I say that I am a very smart thinker. Kitfox was thorough, and I cannot help but believe that they did their homework. Kitfox released the game with a warning and included a patch to make the warning even more specific. This is a fantastic addition, because it lets players know exactly what they are getting into.

You can ignore the content warning and continue to play if you choose. It's possible that you are making the right decision to play, and it doesn't make you feel uncomfortable. Queer games are often praised as being healthy. It's easy to think of Monster Prom, Dream Daddy and Later Daters. These stories are important in a world that is often filled with tragedy and queer narratives.

Not all stories have to be complete

For many, however, being queer is difficult. 11-28% of LGBTQ+ people have reported workplace discrimination in the last year. According to a study from the Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 15% of the sample size reported having experienced stalking with the highest prevalence being in the trans, bisexual, and queer community. These same groups had the lowest rate of reporting being victimized to police. There are many reasons queer people don't want to report to the police. Discrimination, distrust, and victim blaming are a few of the reasons. The why is irrelevant in this context. The point I am trying to make is that stalking is a real problem in queer communities, and it is worth being addressed.

To be honest, I think Boyfriend Dugon does a great job of highlighting a real problem. The advances of the antagonist should make players very uncomfortable. It made my skin crawl as it reminded of some very real interactions I had with people in the past. The game offers compassion if someone has never dealt with the problem. It does a great job at giving players the tools and resources to confront their abuser. It is not an option that all queers have so the chance to confront their abuser is huge.

Sanitizing Queer Voices

The empowerment and power Boyfriend Dugon gives to its players makes me uncomfortable. I also feel uneasy about the need to take away the narrative heart. Queer stories can be messy. Queer stories can touch on unsettling realities. Queer and inclusive studios, particularly indie ones, are allowed to alter large portions of their games. I can't help but wonder what it would take to make these stories more digestible.

KitFox will warn players if they feel traumatized by these themes and give them the opportunity to opt out. This is the most I have ever seen in any major-name video game. It's hard not to think about how sexually aggressive and inappropriately sexual Don Corneo was in Final Fantasy 7 or Persona 5. __S.88__

Why do we place such a high standard on small studios that are supporting marginalized voices? Boyfriend Dungeon should be approached with a fair amount of criticism. It must acknowledge that it has done a lot in making the game more accessible. It is not reasonable to ask a small studio to make major and expensive changes to their game's narrative core. This is not something you would expect major studios to adhere to.

Kitfox has been subject to a disproportional amount of pushback. It got bad enough that the voice actor of the antagonist had to ask people to stop harassing him. It is absurd to think that a small studio with good intentions could cause such an uproar.

Supporting Indie Studios

This is why I find the Boyfriend Dungeondiscussion so frustrating. It makes me happy to experience queer stories and play queer games as a queer person. These stories can be uplifting and really make me feel good. However, I believe I learn and grow when I hear challenging stories that challenge me to think and address things that are not comfortable for me.

We won't get queer stories from the major studios. They will be available from independent studios. But, indie studios are often given so much resistance for trying so hard, it makes it difficult to try new stories and encourage them to do so.

It is up to you whether or not you want to play a particular game. Kitfox will let you know in advance if a story about stalking could trigger you. It is unfair to demand that they change their game. Queer stories can be very messy. They touch on some of the most difficult and darkest themes. It is important to learn from the pain they cause.

To sanitize queer artwork is to silence its creators. When I see the backlash that projects like these receive, I worry about the future of queer arts. Because of this, I will continue to support small studios that push the boundaries of what games can tell. Kitfox should not be discouraged by all this and continue to make games that challenge our perceptions of the world.