Lily Valeen (she/they) is a game designer, writer, and artist who recently released BOSSGAME: The Final Boss is My Heart, a mobile action game about lesbian devil hunters. She joined me on the show to dive into BOSSGAME's development, the frustrating preconceptions around mobile games, and writing queer romance. Later on, we encourage you to befriend your cool mutuals.
Read MoreWith its mix of flowery dialogue, elaborate metaphor, and obsessive passion, Legacy of Kain is continually referencing and subverting gothic conventions throughout its runtime. Amidst the complex story spanning multiple time periods, interrogations on the nature of power, and musings on immortal morality, another theme emerges from the game’s proximity to gothic and vampire literature: Kain is queer as hell.
Read MoreSonic Unleashed is about transformation and monstrosity. In his Werehog form, Sonic is viewed as a monster, his new appearance terrifying the characters around him. His cutscene dialogue communicates frustration at the involuntary changes of his body and at not being recognized as himself. Through the Werehog, Sonic Unleashed asks: what does it feel like when your body looks and acts in ways you don’t recognize? What does it mean to be seen as something that you know you aren’t? What is a monster? And what does it mean to suddenly become one?
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