Coming Out: The Video Game?

Students at MIT develop "A Closed World" with LGBT-friendly content

A screen capture from A Closed World (courtesy of MIT)

How would you deal with an angry friend? What about disappointed parents? Students at MIT have developed a video game called A Closed World that uses “logic, passion and ethics,” rather than the usual violent strategies in popular video games today, to overcome life’s obstacles.

The students are investigating not only the ins and outs of writing a graphically sophisticated video game platform, but they are also among the first in the country to take on LGBT and queer-friendly issues. And there’s no shortage of metaphor in the fantasy-meets-reality premise.

The console RPG-like game, being developed by GAMBIT Lab at MIT, puts players in the shoes of a young resident of a village. Players are asked whether they are willing to risk everything to find out what’s beyond the forbidden forest – facing adventures along the way.

A Closed World was created to be a digital game with LGBTQ-friendly content, something that’s very uncommon in games right now,” says the student’s research statement. “Game designers and marketing professionals alike have cited a number of reasons for this, ranging from a perception of institutional homophobia in game culture to a genuine desire on the part of game designers to ‘get it right’ and create games with compelling queer content.”

So is it gay enough? Find out for yourself:

Play it online now.