Of all the sexism-related problems we have in games, the low visibility of the women working in games steadily feeds into all of them them. And it starts with coverage.
Art tells us a lot about game worlds—and art largely tells us that these game worlds contain highly sexualized women present for the heterosexual consumption of men.
It’s the second day of the New Year, but any day is a good one for resolutions against sexism. Whether you’re a games consumer or a games maker, there are things you can do to make tabletop games a more inclusive and less sexist hobby. I’ve been hearing these things from creators and consumers, games journalists and publicists, for years. Those con badges are some of mine from 2011, and everything I’m going to say, I heard at every con. And I heard the same things before 2011. Heard them again in 2012. These resolutions will be repeated, over and over, until we’re all working to end sexism in games.
When I first heard about Monsterhearts, I was afraid it would be campy or silly. It can be played that way with effort, but Monsterhearts is lurid, dramatic, and often grim.
I have a gothic, morbid, Edward Gorey-esque streak a mile wide. I’ve been that way my whole life. Gloom satisfies that love of creepy and adorable in one go, with the added bonus of being a game.
Examples of games with women in them made us feel like women were a part of the world we were playing in. We felt like the playing field was equal. Girls could play this game.
“Pink” games are the easy sexism you can find on the game shelf. Easy pickings if you walk into a game aisle. Everybody knows pink games are the dark side.
Games say important things about who we are and the cultural lessons we have learned, subconsciously or not. When a game breaks from the larger narratives of culture, it is because its creator has chosen to tell a story rarely heard. Unless you’re involved with games, deeply, sometimes daily, some of the stories I have to tell will not be ones you know.
I’ve spent my entire life playing and buying games. As an adult I’ve also reported on games as a games journalist, and even worked on tabletop games as a writer and editor. I want this to be a hobby where people feel welcome, and that means honest discussion of where we’ve gone wrong—and where we get it right.
It’s the second day of the New Year, but any day is a good one for resolutions against sexism. Whether you’re a games consumer or a games maker, there are things you can do to make tabletop games a more inclusive and less sexist hobby. I’ve been hearing these things from creators and consumers, games journalists and publicists, for years. Those con badges are some of mine from 2011, and everything I’m going to say, I heard at every con. And I heard the same things before 2011. Heard them again in 2012. These resolutions will be repeated, over and over, until we’re all working to end sexism in games.
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