Hi All. In the ectocomp I came across this game which I think had quite an immersive way of setting up a character creation, particularly where unusual stuff is involved. Linking for anyone interested Your Body a Temple, or the Postmodern Prometheus by Charm Cochran
Note on the game warnings- Be aware it does state implied queerphobia. As far as I could tell though in the playthroughs I did, I think it is regarding the last interaction with the builder (spoiler) but they will turn you down as not being their type regardless of what choices you make.
Interesting to find it distressing. I found it largely freeing, actually. I imagine it’s due to the different things about myself, one of which being trans and dysmorphic, that makes it so I’m never really happy with what I have. The idea of being able to make my own that way, even if it’s nightmarish, hell especially if it’s nightmarish and inhuman, is extremely appealing to me, and I quite like what I ended up with in the game.
Actually, I think that was a big part of what made it uncomfortable for me.
You get to create a new body, but it’s all still wrong and very much (and somewhat callously) described as being so.
I can see how that could be uncomfortable, then. For myself, I personally like the wrongness, even in my own real body which is an awkward mishmash of masculinity and femininity, but I can see why someone who wants something more traditional/normal would be put off by that.
I’m non-binary genderfluid
I think, maybe the game just gets too close for me, so I don’t get an emotional distance, and it feels like it tells me I should feel wrong for wanting what I want.
EDIT: removed most of my comment, since I felt like it got too personal.
Well based on what you said it seems we’re surprisingly similar in the relevant ways regarding this. Makes the difference in our perception/reading of the game more interesting, I think. Probably says that it did largely what it intended, if it was able to draw such differing emotions from kinda similar people.
Charm Cochran is well known for their horror entries. You should go check out their IFComp 2023 entry Gestures Towards Divinity. It’s set in a art gallery of Francis Bacon. You can enter paintings to find out more. Be warned: it contains discussions of homosexuality, suicide, luck, fate, life after death and so on. Overall a solid piece.
