Trans Awareness Week at LSBU: Computer games, awareness & empathy

For Trans Awareness Week 2022 at LSBU, we've chosen to focus on how innovation can lead to greater inclusiveness and representation. Through two events, our speakers will demonstrate how the way we show up for others is often unique. Sometimes, advocacy and activism looks a little different to what our established ideas & notions might be.

This talk is provided by Destina Connor, the Game Designer and Co-director of Tea-Powered Games, a small, independent game development company “dedicated to telling interesting new stories in interesting new ways for interesting new people”.

She will be discussing how interactive fiction computer games can increase levels of representation for trans and non-binary individuals and how they can be utilised in universities to bridge the gap between different groups of people by turning individual experiences into shared ones, thereby increasing awareness and empathy.

Several games will be used as examples, each one an interactive fiction (IF) game, more broadly known as a “text adventure”. IF games involve more than just reading from the screen, they often require the player to choose between multiple scenarios and deal with the consequences of their actions. They have been historically played for fun, but more recently they have been used as teaching tools as they are easy to play and highly immersive.

IF games have also had a bit of a resurgence as of late in the media and game design industry. Being at the height of their popularity in the 80s, designers have begun to experiment with them in films and television, in addition to using their components to improve modern game design.

Unfortunately, we won't have the time to play the games during the talk, but you are encouraged to give them a go in your own time using the hyperlinks below for the following games:

• The Tower
• That Boy is a Monstr
• One Night, Hot Springs
• Mainichi
• Girlwaste

Join us as we hear from Destina about the games, the process of designing them & her inspiration as we explore new ways to address issues around representation and inclusivity. The session will be followed by networking and refreshments. Please share this with anyone you feel might be interested or benefit from attending.

This event is a collaboration between Tea-Powered Games and- the LGBTQ+ & Allies Staff Network at LSBU.

You're also invited to attend the following event:

Trans Awareness Week at LSBU: A mother's story of innovation

Thursday 17 November, 12pm - 1.15pm (online)