This presentation interrogates the possibilities and perils of being femme in the androcentric field of games, either as developers or players, from the perspective of the femme community in Montreal. Drawing on examples from local femme artists and Pixelles, a group that helps women and nonbinary folks to become game developers, we’ll consider the ways that subversion is called upon in the femme experience of digital games, both as developers and players. By making games by and for femmes both the need for community and the special affective talents of femmes can be supported, and femme identified people can eke out their own place to thrive
About the presenter
Jessica comes from a research background focusing on identity in video games. She started making games in 2015 as a method of interrogating her relationship to the genre as a femme, a critic, and a gamer. She has been supported throughout her process by Pixelles, an exceptional community of game developers promoting women and gender diversity in game development based in Montreal. When she's not in doing games, she's cooking, caring for foster kitties, and staying active in her local kink community.