Tampon Run was created by Andrea Gonzales and Sophie Houser at a Girls Who Code summer camp while they were still in high school. The game confronts the menstrual taboo. “Tampon Run is a way of discussing the taboo in an accessible way”, the introductory text of the game notes, “Instead of holding a gun, the runner holds tampons, and instead of shooting enemies, the runner throws tampons at them. Although the concept of the video game may be strange, it’s stranger that our society has accepted and normalized guns and violence through video games, yet we still find tampons and menstruation unspeakable.” The game became a viral success, receiving international recognition and being reported on in TIME, Teen Vogue, Fast Company, and many others. Andrea and Sophie went on to write a book, "Girl Code: Gaming, Going Viral, and Getting it Done". They continue to advocate for marginalized identities in tech.
This game was developed with direct input from the Iñupiat, an Alaska Native people. Players experience a gorgeously animated world as a young Iñupiat girl traveling with her arctic fox as they attempt to confront the “eternal blizzard” that threatens their way of life. “Iñupiat principles include coexistence between humans and wildlife, respect for nature, one another, and one's elders […], sharing food, songs, dance, and stories on a communal level, and cultivating a spiritual connection with the land. In short, community-informed selflessness,” writes Matt Peckham for Wired, “I learned all this from playing Never Alone, and I had a great time doing it.”
Mario might well be the most recognizable video game character in history, and the plot of Mario games is just as familiar: Mario’s main objective always seems to be to reclaim a kidnapped Princess Peach from her captor, Bowser. But in this 2006 Nintendo DS Game the tables are turned: Mario & Luigi have been kidnapped and Princess Peach must save them. The damsel in distress becomes the heroine! The game sold over 1 million units, making it one of the top selling Nintendo DS games of all time according to Wikipedia. The game garnered generally positive reviews, though some criticized it for being “too easy” and/or “too feminine”, while others called it out for potentially reinforcing gender stereotypes.
Life is Strange follows Maxine, a high school senior that discovers she has the power to rewind time while trying to save her best friend's life. Afterward, the two of them team up to help save another young woman in danger. When Dontnod Entertainment was trying to find a publisher to release the game, several companies requested the the protagnonist be male instead of female. Dontnod refused to change the protagonist's gender. While the game is progressive in some ways, there's one disclaimer: the game's portrayal of mental illness is problematic.
Created by a French video game development studio initially founded by three women from the games industry, A Normal Lost Phone is an interactive narrative whose mystery unfolds as you explore the very personal content of a "lost phone." The game is rendered with familiar interfaces, including messages, email, network settings, and even a soundtrack in the form of a music app filled with albums—each of these holds clues that help to fill in the mystery, much like an escape room. The narrative that unfolds is multilayered, with rough and real edges, prompting questions about identity, relationships, sexuality, and privacy. Available for iOS, Android, and Nintendo Switch.
Creator Momo Pixel, a multidisciplinary artist and sometimes advertising director, says: "Hair Nah is a response to the perverse action of touching a Black woman’s hair without permission. The micro-aggression of assumed authority and ownership of black bodies." Set up as a "travel game," Hair Nah combines flashy 8-bit pixel art graphics, a catchy synth soundtrack, and simple gameplay to immerse players in this frustrating and painful lived experience of black women. The game builds empathy with its protagonist and deploys humor to ridicule agressors, while also giving players the fun opportunity to fight back.
Very recently, the team members Bisma, and Anam experienced being rejected for Visas after being selected for the IGDA scholarships 2020 - Velocity and Scholar respectively. They wanted to make a game that would highlight their (and others) experience at the Visa interview process, and how such measures can directly have an effect on their future careers and lives. The bird represents the applicants dreams and aspirations for the future.
The name brand Barbie began with manufacturing American company Mattel in 1959. The doll was inspired by Businesswomen Ruth Handler who created a German doll called Bild Lili. Ruth Handler stated that her philosophy of Barbie was that, through the doll, the little girl could be anything she wanted to be. Barbie always represented the fact that a woman has choices. The website published by Matel displays many games that are tied to the up and coming entertainment under the Barbie brand. On this website you'll find a variety of Barbie games. From vet story, playhouse to dress up. All free through the Mattel company.
Lara Croft is the fiercely independent daughter of an eccentric adventurer who vanished years earlier. Hoping to solve the mystery of her father's disappearance, Croft embarks on a perilous journey to his last-known destination -- a fabled tomb on a mythical island that might be somewhere off the coast of Japan. The stakes couldn't be higher as Lara must rely on her sharp mind, blind faith and stubborn spirit to venture into the unknown. Over the years Lara Croft's appearance has taken a drastic change. What began as a marketing venture to use sex appeal to sell the story, Lara Croft's image has now changed to include a more modest approach and highlight the story of the main character.
This choose your own adventure game challenges the player to see if they can navigate through New York City as a modern black teenage woman. This game was created as a visual novel about microagressions, race, and gender. You have to make decisions as you navigate day to day life without becoming to stressed and overwhelmed. You have to make all types of decisions such as what you will wear that day and if you engage with the strange man who is harassing on your commute to school. This is a fun interactive game that really shows perspective and builds empathy for a day to day life that is different than your own.
This inclusive feminist video game is for all types of gamers! You have to go through obstacles and remove blocks to find a fellow feminist! There is a good level of difficulty as you advance so don't let the initial look of this game fool you. You will need to use strategy to meet your fellow feminist friend. Overall it is just an easy and stress free game to play.
Aurora, a young girl from 1895 Austria, awakens on the lost fairytale continent of Lemuria. To return home she must fight against the dark creatures of the Queen of the Night, who have stolen the sun, the moon and the stars. At stake is not only Lemuria, but Aurora’s true destiny.
If you are a fan of retro video games, then you have probably heard of Centipede. Centipede is a vertically oriented fixed shooter arcade game produced by Atari, Inc. in June 1981. The game was designed by Dona Bailey and Ed Logg. It was one of the most commercially successful games from the video arcade's golden age. But what you don't hear about is the toll it took on co-creator Dona Bailey. After the success of the game she left the industry for 26 years. She stated "it was the pressure and criticism from her male counterparts which drove her from the business.” At the time, Dona was the only woman to be working for Atari. While the gaming world may have lost a great young mind due to sexism, in recent years Dona has been featured on panels giving her a chance to tell her story and inspire the next wave of women developers.
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