Not because he deserves our sympathy necessarily, but because his relatability allows male players to simultaneously condemn his actions, while also uncomfortably identifying with the feelings that lead him to unforgivable actions. Keeping John relatable to male players was key to the game's resonance.

The secret sexuality behind Nintendo's popular 'Splatoon 2'

But, to him, the messages in Genital Jousting are unfortunately evergreen. I asked programmer Robbie Fraser for his thoughts on the game's astounding timeliness, as Trumpism and sexual violence continue to dominate the cultural discourse. (Personally, I'd strongly recommend it.)īut, arguably, no demographic needs the disarming experiences of Genital Jousting more than the community that allowed an online hate mob like Gamergate to fester into what we now call the alt-right (opens in a new tab). They did, and are waiting to hear more player feedback. It's so effective, in fact, that I asked the designers whether they considered a trigger warning. The implied threat of sexual assault is hard to miss. The opening level, for example, shifts from a tutorial in an idyllic playground - to suddenly devolving into a nightmare hellscape of body horror presumably directed by David Cronenberg. From start to finish, it's jarringly visceral. Story Mode doubles down on that discomfort in ways no other game would ever dare to. The game can be seen as something of a Trojan Horse: It's disguised as just another variety of a gaming cockfight, but it relishes in making these male 'players a little uneasy when they’re confronted with a pile of dicks writhing and squelching up each other’s buttholes,' according to the manifesto. The Freelives designers know most of its players will be people like them: white, heterosexual, cisgendered men.Īnd in that they found a golden opportunity. Genital Jousting lays these difficult questions at the feet of a demographic that's not really used to being forced to think about them. The sheer balls of trying to engage with questions of consent, gender, power, sexuality, assault, toxicity, and masculinity in the current gaming climate is noteworthy But the sheer balls of trying to engage with questions of consent, gender, power, sexuality, assault, toxicity, and masculinity in the current gaming climate is noteworthy in itself. It's messy, ambitious, and enormously risky. Genital Jousting's story doesn't always hit the mark. Spoiler alert (but you should already see where this is going): By the end, John's privileged indignity and rage towards women turns him into a sexual harasser. And of course, he blames this hollow dissatisfaction on the women who reject him, rather than the patriarchal ideals that fed him false promises. Yet after all that, he finds himself more alone, unfulfilled, and pathetic than ever. He does everything he's been socialized to believe will make him successful and prove his manhood hard AF: Buying expensive shit, getting swol, banging chicks, traveling to exotic locales for Buttstagram pics that can attract more Tinder dates. You play as John: your average dick fixated on impressing a girl at a high school reunion who shafted him back in the day. Most just wanted lolz.īut the final version (released last week) introduced its most evocative and controversial addition yet: a robust Story Mode that indisputably turns this silly penis game into a poignant exploration of the disenfranchised male ego. Some picked up on the underlying messages. Lots of players came for the raunchy fun. The early version of the game (much like its titular genitals) quickly exploded, its massive popularity leading to a variety of expansions on its multiplayer modes.

We want to present the phallus as something silly, abject.' But in Genital Jousting, they are often the butt of the joke. They are considered the dominant sexual organ. 'In a patriarchal society, penises are associated with power. ' Genital Jousting is largely about disarming masculinity,' the designers wrote in a manifesto (opens in a new tab). And, more than anything, it opened up a dialogue about the most pressing questions facing male-dominated cultures. It opened up a dialogue about the most pressing questions facing male-dominated cultures. Years ago, Genital Jousting began as a simple multiplayer where you and up to eight friends played as sentient dick-butt creatures trying to penetrate each other. This sex-positive indie game is basically Nintendo meets pornĭespite appearances, the game's much more than just a really good dick joke (opens in a new tab).

Genital jousting youtube