Florence is an interactive video story game, almost in the form of an electronic novel, depicting a young 25 years-old woman (Florence) falling in love for the first time with Krish. The game was developed by Annapurna Interactive and released on Valentine’s Day, February 14th , 2018 on both Android and IOS platforms as well as gaming consoles, like Nintendo Switch. The wide range of platforms Florence belongs to complements the everyday aspect of the short, cozy, and family friendly storyline, much like a slice of life depicted on screen. This works well with the game’s audience, who are likely single or multiplayer groups of all ages, like families and friend groups. Florence relies heavily into the beauty of real life’s simplicity and reflects said simplicity in its design and even puzzles.One of the most impactful aspects of the game is being able to observe and effect Florence as she navigates her life, professional and personal, as a young and strong woman, reimposing motives of feminism throughout in the aforementioned simplistic and grounded manner. Doing so brings the player closer to feminist ideals by showing them not in outlandish, fantastic and unrealistic contexts, but as little snippets of empowerment embedded in real-life situations. This defies the toxic gender roles related to female experiences and characters in games, and the toxicity of the gaming culture, mentioned in “Play Like a Feminist,” by Shira Chess. Deconstructing traditional notions of femininity, provided by submissive female characters and male-centric arcs and narratives, Florence takes the players onto a realistically feminist journey through the aesthetic of expression and the formal elements of conflict, players, resources, and design. 
The conflict between the characters, Florence and Krish as they navigate a relationship, fall in love and drift apart, again relies on the simplicity and realism to highlight real-life challenges a woman faces between career and love. Little and very everyday problems draw in the players to empathize with Florence on a deeper level, truly putting themselves in her shoes. One such problem, Florence and Krish’s first date, and the awkwardness of the date reflects on shared, universal human experiences. As the player can see inside Florence’s mind and live through her first experiences with love, as well as childhood, the conflicts in this game truly bond the player to the character and reiterate feminist narrative and struggles. These simple interactions are supported by the resources of the game, such as puzzles, which make it more interactive and engaging for the player in a way that supports the feminist and realistic ideas. Like the rest of the game, the puzzles are simplistic, but influential, complementing the challenges Florence, and the players, face. In the case of the first date, the players receive small puzzles that reflect the awkwardness, the nervous pauses and the overthinking that often dominates first dates. As Florence and Krish get closer, these puzzles get easier, making players experience the fastening pace of the conversation and the increasing ease of the connection between Florence and Krish first-hand. These interactive resources give the players a direct look and understanding into Florence’s mind and emotions, further bonding the player and the character through simplicity and realism. The players, whether male or female, are therefore exposed to the intimate struggles of a woman’s life as she explores her relationship and puzzle, color and design supporting the journey by using darker colors for depicting feelings of sadness, loneliness, or boredom, and warmer colors for joy, passion and love as Florence explores her own self and journey as a part of the aesthetic of expression.
In short, through the formal elements of conflict, players, resources and design, as well as the overall aesthetic of expression, reflecting the real struggles of a female navigating the world, personally and professionally, challenging traditional notions of male hegemonic gender roles and arcs, as emphasized by Shira Chess in “Play Like a Feminist,” Chapter 4.
