These are puzzle games that have something to do with people who are LGBTQIA. For example, in the games Ruya and Secret Little Haven, the puzzles are part of a story where the main character happens to be queer. Or in some of the other games, the puzzles have pictures of pride flags.
This collection is part of my directory of other people's creations on itch.io, Curated Collections of LGBTQIA, where you can find more collections about other topics, and on specific sorts of transgender identities. I personally select and review each creation in them, even if they are different than my own views or experiences as a queer person myself.
Content: Rated G. WARNING FOR FLASHING LIGHTS AND SCREEN SHAKE.
Medium: A computer game. It runs in your browser.
About: Try to get through the maze. An abstract metaphor for passing. After you play it, I recommend that you do a web search for some reviews of it to see how others experienced and interpreted it.
Vibe: An ordeal.
Content: Rated G. Friendly for all ages.
Accessibility: Colorblind friendly. Subtitles. One-button.
Medium: A computer game.
Genre and subject: Puzzle. Matching shapes.
About: As you solve puzzles, you unlock a little more of the life story and goals of the main character, Ruya, as she dreams of motherhood.
Queer themes: In an interview, the game developers describe Ruya as "a lesbian [who] adopts a family. Which is a deliberate attempt to normalise same-sex love and adoption. The idea was to imagine someone who’s growing up battling with this issue, perhaps in a culture or home where this is less accepted and the consequences may be extreme. It’s for a young person who’s having these feelings so they can find comfort in the story. We tried to tie it into the game in a way that was subtle and not too ‘in your face’. This way it sinks into people’s subconscious to hopefully see it as less of an issue. A kind of passive mind-altering form of activism I guess. The sooner it’s normalised, the sooner people will grow. We released a soft-launched an android version of the game and the country with the most popularity was Russia. Which was interesting considering their governments take on homosexuality."
Vibe: Peaceful, calm, meditative.
Content: Rated G.
Medium: A computer game that runs in your browser.
Length: A few minutes.
About: A memory game. You try to match cards with pride flags on them. When you match them correctly, the game tells you the name of the flag. Flags: Agender, asexual, bisexual, demisexual, genderfluid, genderqueer, intersex, leather, nonbinary, pansexual, polyamory, polysexual, rainbow, and transgender. It also has the transgender symbol and the pink triangle.
An interactive quiz about pride flags. At the prompt, drag and drop the colors onto the stripes to create the correct flag.
Content: Rated PG because of swear words only, otherwise it's friendly for all ages. Be warned that this story is from the perspective of a child in a domestic abuse situation. The abuse is emotional and mental only, not sexual or physical. Much of the story is about how scary it is to be controlled, manipulated, deceived, threatened, and isolated. PHOTOSENSITIVITY WARNING FOR FLICKERING LIGHTS AND SCREEN SHAKE, which you can turn down in the settings. Other warnings: glitches (intentional and unintentional), rejection, unreality, and breaches between fictional/real space.
Medium: A computer game that simulates a fictional person's desktop computer, where you can chat with characters and use applications, as part of the game play.
Duration: One play through is about three or four hours. You can only reach a save point when you have completed a chapter in the game, which depends on being able to solve the puzzles in that chapter, so a tough chapter might take you about an hour. Plan your play sessions of this game for when you can either commit that amount of time, or leave the game open in the background for when you can come back to it. I found it worthwhile to play the game again from the beginning to explore other dialog choices, because they do reveal more about the story, though every playthrough has largely the same storyline and ending.
Story: It's 1999, and the real friendships you've made in an anime fan forum are your cozy escape from the alienation you experience at high school and in your family.
Queer themes: Transgender girls. Queer youth. Self discovery. The closet.
Vibe: Each chapter teeters between the contrasts of love and safety, and terror and isolation. On the one hand: creative, fun, inspiring, cute, cozy, tender, loving, whimsical, silly. On the other hand: edge-of-your-seat fear of loss, rejection, and mental/emotional abuse. The thrill of satisfaction and competence from being able to solve hard problems and to have the support of others who care about you.
Content: Rated G.
Medium: A tiny computer game.
Genre and subject: Puzzle. Nonfiction. Memoir.
About: The author tells one part of her life story, illustrated with simple puzzles for you to solve.
Queer themes: Coming out.
