So a while back I had a conversation with Sidney Fussel about black women in games/gaming. Out of that conversation came an idea for a game where the WOC protag would control her own fate and not be the princess in a castle, or the hapless damsel. If she wanted that you see, because so often WOC (women of color) don’t get to be rescued, or saved or the object of desire that I can’t really think of a game with set WOC protagonist where that’s an option.

So I started puttering in Twine with “Not Your Princess”. The idea is you are a black woman and you are a gamer. You want to find your own narrative in the games you play. She tries to find that in the anticipated high fantasy game she just bought, and is pleasantly surprised by the character creator cause surprise, surprise, natural hair exists in this land and it’s well done.

I’m still working on how the in-game fantasy game will play out and her choices. That’s one thing that’s made me pull back and reconsider how I write, and how I construct a narrative for a game. I can’t just write and write and write with no real sense of connection or how the story fits together.

I have to be aware of how things go together, how to weave the tale and do it well. That’s something I’ve not really been forced to examine while writing. Usually when I do fiction or fan fiction you can kind of write how you please and not get into too many loopholes or you can try to write yourself out a corner you put yourself into.

So for now, could you check it out and give me constructive feedback? I lost the thread and want to finish this game, maybe even update with artwork and simple things like being able to put your name in for the character.

Published by cypheroftyr

Tanya DePass is the founder and Director of I Need Diverse Games, a non-profit organization based in Chicago, which is dedicated to better diversification of all aspects of gaming. I Need Diverse Games serves the community by supporting marginalized developers attend the Game Developer Conference by participating in the GDC Scholarship program, helps assist attendance at other industry events, and is seeking partnership with organizations and initiatives. Tanya is a lifelong Chicagoan who loves everything about gaming, #INeedDiverseGames spawn point, and wants to make it better and more inclusive for everyone. She founded and was the EIC of Fresh Out of Tokens podcast where games culture was discussed and viewed through a lense of feminism, intersectionality and diversity. Now she’s a co-host on Spawn on Me Podcast. Along with all of that, she’s the Programming Coordinator for OrcaCon, she often speaks on issues of diversity, feminism, race, intersectionality & other topics at multiple conventions throughout the year. Her writing about games and games critique appears in Uncanny Magazine, Polygon, Wiscon Chronicles, Vice Gaming, Paste Games, Mic, and other publications.