I grew up with my sister with similiar circumstances. We both loved very different gaming genre so we agreed that we play all the games together. So I ended up playing dressing Barbie and planting crops and her racing cars and playing fifa against me. I admit that I really loved those "girlie" games. They are all games, can be enjoyed by all and they stimulate the brains one way or another.
I love this essay and deeply relate. I wholeheartedly agree with the author’s analysis of “girlie games,” and appreciate it.
I would also add that the policing of female gamers happens even if you are not playing fashion games or other female coded games.
I have arthritis in my hands and can’t play games with complex and intense button pushing. My favorite games are turn based or allow for pauses. I have thousands of hours in games like civ (5-7), sunless sea, mtg: arena, darkest dungeon and dredge. None of these are particularly female coded - but I still face the claim that I’m not a “real” gamer because I’m not playing shooters.
I also come up against policing around my skill level. Not gonna lie - I keep my civ difficulty setting low. I prefer to build my civ and not feel too stressed about it all. But many times this comes off as my gaming not being “real” somehow.
I love that you are writing about this - such an important issue! Animal crossing is a real game! Any video game is a video game! If you spend hundreds of hours on something, you should be legitimately able to claim it as a hobby!
It matters too because video games are such an important cultural vector these days. Thanks for this essay - I was so glad to read it.
Absolutely can relate. My father and uncle introduced me to gaming as a kid — Street Fighter, Diablo, Tomb Raider, Call of Duty, etc. I didn’t know other girl gamers until I was an adult, so I discovered the girly games for myself and realised gaming can be more than one experience. Gaming didn’t actually have to be anxiety-inducing — The Sims and Harvest Moon became such a calm solitary escape that I didn’t play with people again for years 😂
I grew up with my sister with similiar circumstances. We both loved very different gaming genre so we agreed that we play all the games together. So I ended up playing dressing Barbie and planting crops and her racing cars and playing fifa against me. I admit that I really loved those "girlie" games. They are all games, can be enjoyed by all and they stimulate the brains one way or another.
I feel like if we stopped applying gender to the things that make us happy, we’d be much happier <3 be yourself my love
I love this essay and deeply relate. I wholeheartedly agree with the author’s analysis of “girlie games,” and appreciate it.
I would also add that the policing of female gamers happens even if you are not playing fashion games or other female coded games.
I have arthritis in my hands and can’t play games with complex and intense button pushing. My favorite games are turn based or allow for pauses. I have thousands of hours in games like civ (5-7), sunless sea, mtg: arena, darkest dungeon and dredge. None of these are particularly female coded - but I still face the claim that I’m not a “real” gamer because I’m not playing shooters.
I also come up against policing around my skill level. Not gonna lie - I keep my civ difficulty setting low. I prefer to build my civ and not feel too stressed about it all. But many times this comes off as my gaming not being “real” somehow.
I love that you are writing about this - such an important issue! Animal crossing is a real game! Any video game is a video game! If you spend hundreds of hours on something, you should be legitimately able to claim it as a hobby!
It matters too because video games are such an important cultural vector these days. Thanks for this essay - I was so glad to read it.
Absolutely can relate. My father and uncle introduced me to gaming as a kid — Street Fighter, Diablo, Tomb Raider, Call of Duty, etc. I didn’t know other girl gamers until I was an adult, so I discovered the girly games for myself and realised gaming can be more than one experience. Gaming didn’t actually have to be anxiety-inducing — The Sims and Harvest Moon became such a calm solitary escape that I didn’t play with people again for years 😂