Snowflake Challenge 2025 #11

Challenge #11

In your own space, share your love for a trope, cliché, kink, motif, or theme.

The people who know me already know where this is going.

Listen. More and more these days, I see people saying, "Less stories ruined by internalized homophobia, more genre fiction where characters happen to be queer!" And I understand that it's because there isn't enough of the latter, but also, the answer to there not being enough queer stories is Never to make less queer stories. And also, these people have yet to consider that internalized homophobia is my jam. My bread and butter. When a queer character has internalized homophobia in a series my friends are watching, they'll message me about it, THAT'S how all about it I am.

I need characters who don't accept themselves in order to live. Deep repression narratives are my lifeblood and I want them injected into my veins. People act like, for whatever reason, it's regressive to show characters with internalized homophobia, or like it 'ruins' a ship. But homophobia is a key part of the FLAVOR of a queer ship to me, you know? An essential spice.

It doesn't even necessarily have to be the "I wish you were born (the opposite gender)" flavor. It can be "we're the same gender, so it doesn't count/it isn't serious"-flavored. "Religious trauma ‘same-sex attracted, not gay'"-flavored. "This will ruin my reputation"-flavored. Any flavor of internalized homophobia, I eat it up like a 4-course Michelin Star meal!!!

The fact that I grew up as a preacher's queer child in a religious town in the deep South may or may not be relevant to my enjoyment of this trope. Who knows? /sarcasm (Also, shoutout to my second-favorite trope, cannibalism and hunger as a metaphor/analogy for overwhelming desire, especially as it intersects with queerness.)

Snowflake Challenge 2025 #12

Challenge #12

Create a Rec Countdown.

This was a very well-times prompt, because I just finished writing up the contents of my reclist page for my personal site! I'll be recommending 5 video games, 4 series, 3 vocal synth songs, 2 movies, and 1 YouTuber!

5 Video Games Recs

1. 31st March, Midnight
Genre: Visual novel
Commentary: This is the first of many free games available on itch I'd like to recommend. This short visual novel follows Amy, a game developer working on a spinoff for a game studio, as she thinks about her experience working in the game industry under capitalism's duress. I find myself coming back to reread this often, as it provides both pointed commentary on how visual novels are viewed in the west, and an honest depiction of how queer-focused games are often made behind the scenes.

2. BAD END THEATER
Genre: Visual novel puzzle/adventure
Content Warning(s): death, cartoon gore, implied homophobia
Commentary: BAD END THEATER is a visual novel-style adventure/puzzle game where you get to select your character and explore a wide variety of terrible fates! This cast of characters follows a set of tropes found in adventure stories. There is The Hero, The Maiden, The Underling and The Overlord. But don't let that fool you into thinking this game is cliche! BAD END THEATER is one of the most creative games I have ever played. It, too, is delightfully queer, as well, with 3 out of the 4 main characters being canonically queer in some way. Such a shame that all of their endings will lead to tragedy, right?

3. EVERYTHING IS GOING TO BE OK
Genre: ?
Commentary: This is the sort of game that, by its very nature, does not want to be summarized or sorted into a defined genre. EVERYTHING IS GOING TO BE OK is available on a pay-what-you-can basis on itch, and is described as an "interactive zine" by its creator. It's a vignette of multiple non-linear, interactive 'scenes', informed by the creator's struggles with trauma. This game has a very distinct visual style, displays a masterful usage of humor to humanize traumatic experiences, and contains many standalone quotes that I come back to often.

4. Fields of Mistria
Genre: Farming sim RPG
Commentary: Fields of Mistria is the only Stardew-alike that I consider to surpass the game it was inspired by. With a ton of quality-of-life improvements, a gorgeous 90s-anime-inspired art style and aesthetic, and a magic system to set it apart, I feel like it really shines best in how it puts a lot of love and care into its characters. The town feels like a genuine community, characters have relationships to each other outside of you, and I have yet to run into any repeat dialogue in my 40+ hours of playing. Characters are also very reactive: they will bring up when you hit certain points in the mine, complete mini-quests, talk about upcoming holiday events, comment about things you've submitted to the museum, and more. The dating sim aspects are especially very reactive and reciprocal. Additionally, the game is very clearly made with a queer audience in mind. Many romancables feel like they were made with the intent of capturing the interest of queer players (Hayden, Valen, and Balor, namely), and it is the only game that I know of at all that allows you to not only select your pronouns, but allows you the options to use he/she, it/its, and no pronouns at all. AND you can romance the dragon.

5. Love & Dehumanization
Genre: Adult fantasy visual novel
Content Warning(s): Violence, torture, suicidal ideation, and BDSM, and discusses negative body image, negative views of sexuality, and trauma. Much more extensive content warnings are provided in-game.
Commentary: Obligatory THIS GAME IS FOR ADULTS. IT HAS SEX. I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS GAME FOR THOSE UNDER THE AGE OF 18. For those who are above the age of 18 and who have an interest in discussions of kink and trauma, though, I cannot recommend this game highly enough. This game is free on itch, and it takes place in a fantasy RPG world, following a girl who willingly becomes a monster. It is a story about the desire to be violated and dehumanized, how that desire can manifest, how it can traumatize people, and how to reclaim those desires in the name of self-love. It is a truly rebellious story which takes difficult-to-understand concepts (even and especially to those who know them most intimately), and boils them down to easy, but incredibly impactful language. After completing this game, I physically layed down on my floor and stared at my ceiling for multiple minutes on end in silence, and, if that's not high praise, I don't know what is!


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