For this critical play, I played For Those We Love Alive, created by Porpentine and available on Twine, which is a game engine for interactive non-linear storytelling. I played the game on the web. The target audience of this game are players who enjoy narrative-driven games that have an emotional impact and a surreal, thought-provoking tone.
What does it mean to play For Those We Love Alive as a feminist? Well, for starters, the game integrates feminist theories by doing as Sara Ahmed notes: “to make everything into something that is questionable.” The game does this by intertwining themes of trauma, identity, autonomy, and self expression through its mechanics, dynamics, and aesthetics, and ensures that by having a player engage with the medium, they can live and play from a place of empathy by placing themselves in another’s footsteps. To play this game as a feminist means to engage with the narrative and see yourself, the player, as the character, taking on their experiences and engaging with a narrative in such a way that calls into question our understanding of play and how it relates to larger inequalities.
To begin, For Those We Love Alive engages with the theme of trauma throughout the narrative, which resonates with feminist perspectives on the lived experiences of marginalized individuals. The journey of the main character is marked by a constant struggle for survival and an oppressive, dark environment in which nothing ever feels completely safe. As I progressed through the game, I felt I was walking on eggshells waiting for the next task or hint that would appear. In addition, the game has a mechanic in which you are prompted to mark your own skin with symbols as a part of the narrative. This is a powerful metaphor that speaks to the nature of trauma, that the “body keeps the score” and that trauma is something that can last with someone’s physical and emotional being long after the “game” has concluded. It also marks to give the user a form of self-expression, giving the player the opportunity to be creative and, most importantly, reclaim control, which is a strong message in feminist narratives.
In addition, For Those We Love Alive deals with questions of identity and what it means to hold agency over one’s self. From the beginning of the game, the user is tasked with choosing a birth month, an element, an eye color, and finally a name derived from these attributes. There are choices the user can make, but they are ultimately limited to just a few options, and your name at the end is decided from these options. From the outset, you are placed in a box, but the game does have a gentle reminder at the beginning that I believe serves to help with this question of identity throughout the game: “Please remember: nothing you can do is wrong.” As the user progresses through the story, the protagonist works to reclaim this agency, and you as the player feel you are working with them to achieve this.
While this game excellently engages with feminist theory and gives power to anybody who feels their autonomy has been taken from them, the game could improve by further addressing these themes in perhaps more explicit detail. Perhaps by giving a deeper analysis of the protagonist’s backstory, or more complex dynamics between characters to explore these themes could be welcomed. And perhaps the opportunity to engage with a wider variety of identities can influence how the player engages with the narrative, allowing it to change or mold based on different choices and how the player is perceived in this world with a new identity.
Overall, though, this game was an engaging exploration of feminist theory and used its mechanics to further explore these themes. The combination of the limited choice, integration of the real world, and overall emotionally compelling narrative created an experience that was memorable and educational from a feminist perspective.
