Description:
Using Hades, Celeste, and Deltarune as case studies, this presentation will discuss the concept of “mechanical transness”, which is when the rules of a game have been altered to support a trans way of playing. By encouraging the player to become immersed in a game to the point of embodiment and providing a space where failure is not seen as negative, these games subvert the rules of their respective genres. Though both Hades and Celeste work to define failure as something not to be feared, Hades presents it as valuable while Celeste emphasizes that though it happens often, it should not invalidate success. At the same time, Deltarune complicates the idea of embodiment significantly. The queer game studies field is yet to examine trans and queer mechanics as separate; this project closes this gap in scholarship. It uses material from queer studies, trans studies, videogame studies, and disability studies in order to examine this topic from multiple angles.
Panelists: