Whoops I felt like ranting about Renaf's and Newpris' game bc of some recent concerns whoo boy here we go. [cw for abu$e, r@pe mentions, sexu/al assault mentions, etc] [Possible spoilers too?? maybe not for my game but def for Wada/nohara]
In all honesty, I'm a little cautious when it comes to making and publishing Renaf's and Newpris' game due to the whole witchunt Tumblr has in regards to games that contain abuse, assault, etc.
The reason why I want to make R&N's game a reality is to show how abuse can strike in practically every situation and that even your seemingly 'best friend' can turn against you in a blink of an eye if you're not careful enough to detect the symptoms that categorize an abuser/r-pist/etc and act accordingly in order to prevent either of you from being harmed. It also is to show that even if you're beaten to an inch of your life, even when things seem to be over for you, you can still rise up from the ashes and reclaim yourself from your abuser's clutches. [These technically aren't spoilers because for all anybody knows, I could be talking about two completely different characters other than Renaf or Newpy]
On that note, I hope to use the game as a sort of vent for the things I faced and still face. One of the reasons why I've been putting it off is because it's real hard to remember the more gritty things I've been clocked in the face with and trust me, these things are essential to conveying the monster that is trauma. By making this game, I am basically giving a big FUCK YOU to my fears because I really don't want to be weighed down by them anymore but it's intense. It's really intense to face something that has nearly destroyed your life to the extent where it almost took you down in the process.
Another concern is what I mentioned above. I've seen games like Wada/nohara and even interpretive ones like .fl/ow, Yu/me Nik/ki, etc be criticized for containing abuse, sexual assault, r-pe, and other awful themes to the extent where people go out of their way to shame others who can relate to said games for various reasons (ex. a sexual assault survivor relating to Wada/nohara after what happened with her and Sal).
I understand that some games glorify abuse and make it seem 'kinky'/'good'. I also understand that some people want to warn others of upsetting content which I have nothing against at all. What I am frustrated over is the fact that Tumblr has a habit of completely throwing something to the trash without looking at the subject's history all because there's a scene or a theme where a character is repeatedly abused in some way.
Abuse happens in real life and more people need to know what we as survivors face. So why does Tumblr, out of all places, blacklist games that involve it? Why does Tumblr contribute to the erasure of survivors and their experiences? Is it because people value feelings over facts or is it because of Tumblr's two-faced nature?
If Tumblr really cared about what survivors and victims alike go through, they wouldn't jump the gun on content that shows things how they are, be it through a little glimpse or the entire plot of a game. Tumblr, while containing a large majority of my audience for my game, makes me feel as though I should just trash the idea and make it into a comic. Might be easier that way but a comic can't instill fear via music, chase scenes, etc.
I understand that you can't please everybody but Tumblr's hivemind personality makes it nearly impossible for survivors like me to come out about their stories without being told that we either 'deserved what we got' or that we 'don't have it as bad as others because of ___' or whatever vileness we have flung into our faces. No matter what level of severity of abuse/assault we faced, we're all together survivors. We all bear the scars of the past and the wounds of today and regardless of if they heal/disappear or not, we still need to be able to tell the story behind them so that nobody else faces what we have faced in our time.
But as always, the most accepting of places has proved to be the most unaccepting. No fucking surprise there, really. Guess I'll just have to see about the game and where it'll go.
