I don't care if its uncalled for, I don't care if it doesn't fit the genre, I don't care if it was necessary to the plot. I will never not love an Akira slide.
Steam, Itch.io and the banning of explicit and LGBT+ Content. What can we do?
[All images in this post have alt/id text if you need it or want to copy paste anything]
With no warning, Itch.io, a site where many host their indie games, comics, books and more, has started purging and shadowbanning explicit and LGBT+ works. Creators got no warning. And if they were still owed payouts from these works, Itch.io is saying they won't give them their money as they 'broke the rules'. Rules that were only just set in place, with no warning, and therefore no way for creators to try and draw out their money or delete these 'offending' works before they got banned under the new rules.
So Itch.io has been the most recent to fall to the demands of a group that's been contacting Visa and Mastercard and convincing them to threaten sites/businesses with 'stop selling what we consider to be explicit content on your sites of we'll stop allowing your site to have transactions with Visa and Mastercard'. Steam folded, and now Itchio has too. And a reminder earlier this year Gumroad also stopped allowing explicit content, further back than that Patreon banned some kinks and fetishes even if it's depicted in fiction not real life, and I don't have to explain to you guys the great Tumblr explicit content ban of 2018.
And as always remember this doesn't stop with sexually explicit work as LGBT+ stories and people are often labelled as explicit and already we're seeing works being taken off Itch.io that are about LGBT+ and especially trans stories. Other non-sexually explicit works I've seen already getting shadowbanned, delisted or deleted are SFW games featuring furries/anthros, SFW dress up games (because when you take the clothes the model is nude), and the aforementioned SFW games that include LGBT+ characters and stories.
I'm compiling here information I've seen around various social medias, mostly Bluesky, because I haven't seen all these things shared over here.
I don't personally have explicit content on itch, but I had been considering one day selling things on there and I do currently have explicit content on my Patreon, my main source of income, and am terrified that Patreon is going to fold next (if anyone knows alterative for hosting audio content behind a paid subscription service please let me know so I can start maybe making a back-up in case the worst happens). Because for me personally if Patreon goes next, it's not like I can go out and easily get another job. Not only because in general finding and getting a job is difficult enough, but I'm autistic and have chronic pain and have been constantly getting sick or new pains over the last few years and don't feel safe being trans in the UK right now and all of that combined rules me out of a lot of jobs and makes me feel unsafe to apply to any. I'm so grateful I've been able to make a community around my work, but if Patreon caves next and I just leave my SFW posts on Patreon... 10% of my Patreons are signed up to the SFW tier, 90% are signed up to the explicit tier... I know if Patreon caves I will go from someone living comfortably who's searching to move out of my parents so I can live in a safer environment to someone who can no longer even afford the rent I pay to my parents. I'll try and get an alterative found and set up in case that happens and I can only hope you guys will follow me to whatever other site I have to set up... but it feels unlikely that people will get a whole new account on a whole new payment provider just to support me on a website they might never have heard of...
But what can we do right now?
A petition you can sign (international but you do have to give your name, email, and postal/zip code):
Mastercard's new policy unfairly targets the adult content industry, making sex workers more vulnerable, especially Black trans women. It mu
Get calling:
Mastercard (US): 1-800-627-8372
MasterCard (UK): 0800 964 767
Mastercard (International.): +1-636-722-7111
Visa (US + Can): 1 800 847 2911 / 1-800-VISA-911
Visa (AUS): 1 800 125 440
Visa (UK) : 0800 891 725 or use their international call collect +1 303 967 1096
Visa (International): (call collect - it costs them $): +1-303-967-1096
PayPal (US): 1-888-221-1161
PayPal (UK): 0800 358 7911 from landline, +44 203 901 7000 mobile
PayPal (International): 1-402-935-2050
(numbers gathered from these posts X X X )
Don't know what to say on the phone? Here's a script written by timidtanuki:
Creators have had their work removed off Itch.io with no warning and since it's been removed for 'breaking the rules' (rules that were suddenly in place with no warning) they aren't entitled to get their payouts. Just like other sites such as Youtube and Twitch and Etsy, Itch.io hold onto money from their users in a wallet and then give them payouts. So there is money creators have made, are owed, that Itch.io is not giving to them.
People are recommending that if you still have works on Itch.io to turn down the revenue sharing to 0% so that Itch.io no longer takes a cut or your money if you no longer want to support Itchi.io finically but don't want to remove your works from their platform. X
Other Bluesky posts and calls to action I've seen:
radiantg.bsky.social is asking for anyone on Itch.io who got their game deindexed, removed , or payouts turned off to reach out to them (espeically if you make explicit and/or LGBT+ games) for a piece of journalism about what is happening.
sleepyhard.bsky.social is making a threat of all the games that Itch.io has censored/removed from their site search function. Obviously be aware this will include 18+ only games, games with sexual content and other dark or heavy themes.
thetransfemininereview.com wants you to reach out to them if you're a trans creator on Itch.io who is being affected by this so they can make an accurate report. they say 'authors' in their post and I'm unsure if they also want game devs to reach out.
dropdownbear.bsky.com wants you to reach out if you have purchased things on Itch.io that you can now no longer access because of this ban. they can include them in a report being filed with the Australian Consumer Commission as this may be a violation of Australian Consumer rights. If you are Australian you can no longer access things you purchased of Itch.io you can report directly with this guide.
It's a scary time for adult creators and sex workers. It's a scary time to be trans. Support creators. And if anyone knows of any alternate payment providers that allow explicit work, and/or alternate websites to Itch (and in case things get worse, also give me Patreon alternates please) where people can host, sell and/or offer paid subscriptions to writing, images, videos, audios, games and more please leave them in the replies. And please help share this post, the posts I'm linking too, and any other resources you can find.
Minors DNI. Ageless blogs DNI. I want resources and help but I don't reply to this post or follow this blog if you're under 18, this is an explicit blog and not for anyone under 18.
Ok I'll make a confession, at last, that not only impacts IFs but also videogames, anything interactive and to an extent books too: I am physically incapable of playing/reading straight romances. I play gay men, gay women, nb characters, but NO straight people and I don't know if I am lost in the souce of Tumblr or if my inner queer person has taken the controls of my mind at last
for me being bi has contributed a huge amount to noticing all the ways in which romance and friendship run together and i think in general people would benefit from recognizing that romance and friendship are socially constructed categories used to describe a vast, nebulous, and often overlapping range of feelings
Every Relationship is actually a specific, unique thing. We invented Shorthands, such as Friend or Husband, to help describe recurring motifs in Relationships. But. The labels are simplifications. They will always fail to adequately contain the entirety of the Relationship.
This is a reminder that your parents/guardians are supposed to feed you, give you shelter and clothes. These should not be seen as favors nor should they be pushing these things to be seen as favors they do for you. This is literally the bare minimum of what they signed up for and you deserve so much more than the bare minimum without being made to feel guilty about any of it.
As a mother of 4, let me also add that if your parents do something wrong, they do owe you an apology. And inability to apologize is their issue, not yours. Do not take their failings as a parent as your responsibility
If I may, I want to point out that a good parent does more than just keep you alive. Every child has their own unique needs and desires that should be supported. As someone who is autistic I was taught to mask nearly 24/7 then that mask was used as an excuse not to support my autism the way I needed. And when i came out as trans i was told "I dont think you are". And even when they did "accept" me I was still constantly misgendered and dead named and correcting them no matter how gently was frowned upon. My transness became just another way fo them to pat themselves on the back for being a "good parent" when they did remember to use the correct pronouns.
Thats not to say they need to jump to their child's every whim. But a parent should listen to what a child needs, not just assume they know what the child needs.
i’ve been bed rotting in a decidedly self destructive way lately
being and nothingness, jean-paul sartre // the metamorphosis, franz kafka // i am the architect of my own destruction, juansen dizon // albert camus // as consciousness is harnessed, susan sontag // ralph waldo emerson // allen ginsberg // tennesse williams // letters to felice, franz kafka // sylvia plath
why do i love so hard, and why do they never understand?
Elegy for the Four Chambers of My Brother’s Heart by Steven Espada Dawson / Getting Older by Billie Eilish / unknown / pinterest / 5. desperation sits heavy on my tongue by @tullipsink / Letters to Felice by Franz Kafka / Against the Loveless World: A Novel by Susan Abulhawa / I Saw the TV Glow, dir. Jane Schoenbrun / miloo_135 on tiktok
That's why I do not like when the authors create in Twine instead of CS. It may look boring but it gives you three basic themes; white, sepia, black and you can choose depends on your preferences. We are talking about text game, after all, not visual novel so author should provide the reader comfort during long reading. Aesthetics is a secondary matter.
I don't get it. It seems that most authors in itch.io / tumblr community do not care about readers but create themes that they like the most and do not pay attention that font style, font color or background can be awful to read. This may not be good for the project too: doesn't matter writing is great and the story intriguing, if the potential reader gives up, because their eyes hurt from reading...
I don’t like the idea that a text game is somehow lesser than a visual novel and I don’t like the accusation towards authors in IF that they don’t care about their readers when most authors break their backs creating free games for the audience to enjoy, it is not simple and it is not easy and after all that to have someone say to you that you don’t care about the readers is not only false but hurtful. Do you know how hard it is to write a choice based game? Do you know how many hours of work weekly have to go into it? I’m right now looking into changing the text colour based on themes from a code another IF author just sent me but I will have you know right now that I won’t be disrespected nor be told what is good and not good for my project. I always try to treat my readers with respect and I demand the same in return
please give me a heads up. I’ll never get angry at you for letting me know and I’ll actually be really glad that you kept me from giving some awful person more visibility.
Here are our contributors for the Interactive Fiction Raffle for Palestine!
Over 50 artists and authors from the IF community here on tumblr have joined together to run a donation drive this month! The raffle will be running from June 7th - June 21st. A separate post will be made with more information, including the rules and ticket submission form, once we're ready to launch.
Our goal is to raise as much money as possible for five specific fundraisers; we hope with us focusing our efforts we'll be able to make a tangible impact for these families. Tickets will be the equivalent of the minimum GoFundMe donation ($5USD/€5), and you will be donating directly to the families and then providing us proof of donation in exchange for your ticket(s).
We plan to raffle off all prizes. Below the cut is the list of contributors for both prize tiers, along with the prize they'll be offering. (Beware, this is a long post.)
While this drive is aimed at the Interactive Fiction community, a lot of the artists have offered to take requests from winners that include non-IF characters. These are specified with "non-IF characters included."
@beezhive
One half body couple “clean” sketch with flat color, non-IF characters included.
@depressed-sock
Half body to full body, single or couple, fully rendered in my style. Non-IF characters included.
@dast4rd
A painted single character portrait. Non-IF characters included (Any other media except for live action characters).
@fat-rolls-frictions
Halfbody of single character in SuperGiant Hades' style, less details, simple grey/no background, non-IF characters included.
@greypetrel
A painted single character portrait, non-IF characters included. (Bioware characters, Tolkien universe, Star Wars, the Arcana, DnD/Pathfinder/roleplaying fantasy games)
@hadrassians
One painted semi-realistic bust OR one half body couple sketch, non-IF characters included.
@harumeau
A full color single character bust portrait. Non-IF characters included (FFXIV, Baldur's Gate, Dragon Age)
@jdstrations
Single character, bust or half-body. Fully rendered or sketchy. Can be MCs, or a favourite character (IF or Non-IF included).
@matrinki
One painted single character portrait, IF exclusive only.
@merry-harlowe
Fully rendered full body single character with a simple background!
@moonless-if
One full-body character, coloured and rendered, IF characters exclusive only.
@morticrows
One full-body character in a chibi style, non-IF characters included.
Half body character in an illustrative style, non-IF characters included.
@swimmingrat
A character portrait (OC, IF, non-IF characters included) in watercolour, ink or mixed media.
@trashy-corvian
Half body couple/single, fully rendered. Non-IF characters included.
@vakarians-babe
Half body couple, flat colors (monochrome or full) with finished lines. IF and non-IF characters accepted.
@cowboyhell
Painted one character with background scene, OR one custom chibi keychain charm. Non-IF characters included.
@violetaristea
A fully rendered bust or half body of one character with a simple background, non-IF characters included.
@atheone
Fully rendered single character bust, non-IF characters included.
@harbingersecho
Painted single character or couple portraits (bust or half-body) with a simple/non-detailed background, non-IF characters included.
@i-am-gogo-btw
Offering half body couple, full color, finished lines, simple background, no furry, no mecha, no gore, no nsfw and no complicated stuff (like armor), OR a full body, full color, finished lines drawing of a single character (same restrictions). Non-IF characters included.
@doctormortum
Winners choice between A) one full body drawing, lined/coloured, of one character OR B) one ~waist up drawing, lined/coloured, of two characters interacting (romantic, platonic, anything goes!) original characters or fanart, IF or non-IF, all OK! SFW only.
@cryptidling
One or two character, half or full body painted/rendered drawing, minimal background, non-IF characters included, open to nsfw.
@ligiawrites
Rendered portrait of one or two characters with a transparent background. Non-IF characters included.
@night-triumphantt
Half body couple fully rendered with simple background, or full body single character full render, non-IF characters included.
@silkhorse
Half body couple/single semi-rendered, non-IF characters included.
@neloangelo0
Rendered half body, will do couples, simple backgrounds, non-IF characters included.
@artist-faur
A single character half-body with simple background, either rendered (with ink wash or pen shading techniques,) as lineart, or in a sketch style - all using ink and pencil. Characters are from both IF and non-IF (preferably from small, obscure fandoms and media) are included.
@phanosis
A single character portrait in a painted sketch style, non-IF characters included. Monochromatic background.
@kithj
One custom, but in-character & non-spoiler, scene based on the winner's prompt with their MC and one LI of their choosing from either The Northern Passage or Blood Choke. Explicit prompts included.
@damnation-if
A 1k~ non-spoiler, in-character snippet featuring the winner's MC and a character of their choice from Damnation and Buggery. Fluffy, angst, etc and explicit prompts included.
@of-crowns-and-echoes
A 1k non-explicit, non-spoiler snippet including characters from Of Crowns and Echoes. Could be MC + RO interacting, could be just ROs interacting with each other, or a snippet with some side characters. No gore or explicit stuff.
@attollogame
A 1k non-explicit, non-spoiler snippet including characters from Attollo. Could be MC + RO interacting, could be just ROs interacting with each other, or a snippet with some side characters.
@burning-academia-if
A 1k~ prompt featuring your MC and chosen RO/poly from Burning Academia. Both Explicit and Non-Explicit prompts are fine! The prompt cannot include spoilers.
@hpowellsmith
An interactive playable date scene with an RO or polyamorous duo of your choice from one of my released games or WIP. Non-explicit - please specify if you'd like a kiss and/or fade-to-black included in the scene.
@nyehilismwriting
A ~500-1000 word snippet ft winner's MC and their RO of choice from Project Hadea doing activities as requested by the winner, so long as it is a) in character and b) non-spoiler related.
@mayhem-writes
A 1k non-explicit, non-spoiler snippet including characters from Sanctuary. Could be MC + RO interacting, could be just ROs interacting with each other, or a snippet with some side characters.
@devilishmango
A 1k snippet including an MC + RO from either Kenneski or The Story of Sin, based off a prompt from the winner. Can be explicit!
@gamesbyalbie
A ~1,000 word, non-spoiler, in-character snippet featuring characters from Zorlok, Mousetrap, Creating Goncharov, or System Processing. Could be a scene focused on the winner's MC interacting with one character, a scene focused on two characters interacting with one another, or a scene with the winner's MC and/or multiple characters present. Fluff, angst, spice, etc. are all possibilities as long as the scene is non-explicit.
@thecottageworkshop
500-1k word snippet with winner's MC + RO from Simple Moments or a general description of preferred favorite RO type (with the creation being at writer's discretion) with MC; fluffy or angst prompts included (could do monster ROs)
@tosahobi-if
A ~500-1000 word snippet with the winner's MC and their RO of choice from Tosahobi so long as it is in character and non-spoiler related. Any type of prompts including explicit are ok!
@if-mirrormine
A snippet between 500-1000 words featuring the winner's MC and RO of their choice from Mirror Mine. The theme (fluff/angst) and prompt is up to the winner as well.
@heart-forge
A ~500-1000 word snippet featuring winner's choice from Manor Hill, Bad Ritual, or Hybrid IFs. Can feature winner's MC, NSFW/angst/hurt & comfort/AU on offer as well as regular fluff, domesticity, etc. Winner may specify what they want to be happening, or let me choose.
@chthonicchromestudio
500-1k word snippet with winner's MC + any character from FFS, Another Northern Duke?! or a general description of preferred favorite RO type (with the creation being at writer's discretion) with MC; fluffy or angst prompts included (could do monster ROs)
@fiddles-ifs
A custom, non-spoiler, in-character snippet featuring the winner’s MC and a character of their choice from Greenwarden. Fluffy, angst, etc. and explicit prompt included. AUs also included.
@springsaladgaming
A 1k~ non-spoiler, non-explicit, in-character snippet, featuring the winner's MC and an RO of their choice from either Ninelives or Valiant. Prompts may be fluffy, angsty, etc.
@oblivious-melodies
One custom, in-character 500-2000 word snippet set within the world of Oblivious Melodies. It may include characters already in the IF or an original character within the world, designed to fit the winner's specifications. Snippets may include adult themes, but will not be fully explicit.
@chrysanthemumgames
A snippet of ~500-1000 words featuring the characters of the winner's choice from Fields of Asphodel (including the winner's PC if desired). Topic can be anything from platonic interaction to a lightly-spicy romance scene, subject to character and setting constraints.
@yuveim
A romance scene featuring the winner's MC on one of six romance routes, or a character-centred scene for one of five main characters in The Spirited: Origins.
@blood-teeth
A ~500-1000 word snippet of the winner's MC and their select RO from The Mouths of Elysium from a requested prompt from the winner. This snippet will not include spoilers.
@oscarwrites
A 500 to 1000 words snippet featuring the MC and/or any characters from the games The Eight Years Revolution, Gonzague or Better Off. Explicit prompts included.
@thelonelyshore-if
A 500-2k~ custom, non-spoilery snippet featuring the winner's MC and RO (or polyship or other character) from The Lonely Shore. Fluff, angst, non-explicit romance (kissing, fade-to-black, etc.) are all welcome.
People in the past liked having colorful clothes, too! And the cost of (local) dye was pretty low compared to the labor required to spin fiber into thread, let alone all the other steps in making clothes.
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