Skip to main content

Indie game storeFree gamesFun gamesHorror games
Game developmentAssetsComics
SalesBundles
Jobs
TagsGame Engines
(+4)

As a person who deals with CPTSD, I can tell you that triggers are an extremely personal thing, it could be something as inocuos as a word (not even a curse or a slur, a REGULAR word) or an image. Sometimes flashbacks come back due to agression but that means agression from the REAL world, not a game or any media that's stablished as fantasy. Of course, some subjects are upseting even for people without heavy traumas.
People became obsessed with them back in the day when virtue signaling in the internet started catching on, and now we see it everywhere, it comes out as infantilizing sometimes. Like, age ratings already exist.
I personally don't believe in them, if you are playing a war game, you are OBVIOUSLY going to encounter violent situations, if you are playing a horror game, of course there will be upseting stuff, certain black comedy productions contain themes that have "triggered" me but I just don't watch them, and I don't think it should be the responsibility of the creators to look after my feelings. How are they even going to know that somewhere, PinUpCitizen is having flashbacks to her ex husband? they're not omnipresent! I don't think I have ever encounter a useful trigger warning besides the jumpscare (hate those things) and bright lights ones.

Regardless, we live in a society, so you'll have to use them wether they're useful or not.

(+1)
Like, age ratings already exist.

This.

After all the sort of half-measures I was taking while writing my game script, reading "they're  not omnipresent (devs)" makes me feel a bit relaxed.

I don't mean to mock in any way, but I wanted to say that since I was a kid I've gotten to play video games not suitable for my age that went a bit beyond typical GTA stuff, dealing with dark themes and usually having anime aesthetics, I guess that's why I have very few sensibilities in fictional works, and the ones I do have are more like annoyances that last 5-15 minutes and I forget about them.

That's why I wanted to know more about this, I count on my colleagues to tell me things in my scripts that are dark (bad done dark, normal dark) than necessary or don't fit, and I didn't realize it. If a trauma survivor says these words to me, I guess I'll go with 'blood, violence, nudity, drugs, sexual themes and strong language. Recommended for mature audiences only' that should do it, right? I half copied from the Persona 5 agecheck on steam.

Forgive me if I did something wrong in these lines by talking to a trauma survivor, I'm just touching the surface of this whole topic and I want to know more. Thanks for your opinion in this subject!

(+1)

it's ok, worrying about us is useless because you don't know what our brains will associate with the trauma.
I like my media gory, grim  sexual and realistic, and the fact that I survived abuse only makes the abuser's punishment more satisfying at times.
One of my triggers is the sound of kisses. Would anyone, ever, assume that's what triggers me? no.

I can assure you other trauma survivors also learned to live with their own triggers at some point. Humans adapt and survive, it's our natural feat.

The warnings you're using are ok, people will always complain no mater how well you do it, so just do it.

(+1)

"Humans adapt and survive, it's our natural feat." sounds very powerful and inspiring, thank you for your words.