I neglected to thank you for your recommendations. I tried out Whale Trail and Contre Jour based on your video and find both of them, although on opposite ends of the spectrum, wonderfully fun. Contre Jour is a -wonderful- experience all around.
Most of the mobile PopCap games (PvZ excluded) are non-violent, puzzle solving, and good ways to pass the time. Peggle, Chuzzle, and Bejeweled are among my favorites. An older but still fun and cute game is Toki Tori, starring a cute duckling (or chick?) who must navigate various levels to collect/rescue eggs. Finally, Om Nom in Cut the Rope a frog? I think not. He's clearly a cute little alien (or monster). :)
Thanks for the recommendations. Just got "Cut The Rope" and I love it.
Bejeweled is a personal favorite. It started out as PC game but was eventually formatted for smart phones. Cannot speak for iPhones but I have it on my Android.
You seem not to have considered Nintendo games; with them there is a middle ground between casual in-a-line gaming and ~hardcore~ games with more violent and sexual imagery. Come on, between Pokemon, Zelda, Ace Attorney etc. and some of the better RPGs there is massive innovation and creativity.
I realize that in the default setting of this game you have to fight the monsters that come out at night. However, players have the option to play on a peaceful setting that removes the violence and allows you to focus on building and exploring. I love playing Minecraft on peaceful mode and it's a lot of fun!
I can play and enjoy just about anything except for most FPS' and realistic sports games (as I tend to find them both rather boring and I'm not very good at them), and while I can enjoy very violent games and not-at-all violent games I find my favorite games tend to be ones where there is violence but it's downplayed like Super Mario Bros. or Legend of Zelda.
As far as completely non-violent games go some of my favorites are the Professor Layton puzzle games.
This was a extremely interesting video, but I feel like it was lacking since it focused on casual gaming rather then looking at console games. Violent sexist fps games might be the most heavily advertised, but it's not all that's out there. Look at most non western rpgs, puzzle games, indies games on the xbox market and so on. They've always been there just waiting to be played, and not just on smart phones. That being said, some of my fav non-violent games are Portal, Ilomilo, and Machinarium
Nice video. Edge Extended looks pretty fun. I have a question. Do you think Sonic The Hedgehog for iPhone would fit in with these games? It is sort of strategic. The only thing that could be considered violent is when Sonic defeats Eggman (the boss at the end of every second act of every zone) and the vehicle he is driving blows up. I don't really consider that to be violent though because it is not really that violent of an explosion. Let me know what you think about this game.
I've been playing games since I was a little girl, my favorite games will always be the original Spyro games for the PlayStation 1, but I have been enjoying minecraft, when Im not to busy studying! :)
I'd really like to know your thoughts on Amy, an upcoming game with not one, but two female protagonists, one of them being an autistic child. There is not much information about it but just do a search on youtube and watch the videos, then let us know what you think :D
Unblock me is a game my cousin recently turned me onto. Pretty simple, but a real challenge. You move 'wooden' blocks to get the red block to the exit, but the blocks can only move sideways.
Play Half Life 2, Mirrors Edge, BioShock, Mass Effect (you can be a woman), and the early Resident Evil series. All these games blend violence, puzzle solving, critical thinking, and the storytelling is amazing. Well, Mirror's Edge's story kinda sucked, but still.
No Geometry Wars!? For shame...I suppose you do fly around and shoot things; although I'm not sure about the negative social ramifications of violence against blue diamonds and purple pinwheels.
I'm male, and I really would like to see more non-violent games as well (Peggle and Sonic being good examples), but also, more original characters. Testerone-driven over-muscled men bore me. Heroines like Heather from (the admittedly very violent horror game) Silent Hill 3 - an average teenager - are the sort of thing I'd like to see more of. Regular, or unique people. Even if they hold a gun in their hands, I still want the protagonist to be ORIGINAL and have a personality.
I think the indie game developers are coming out with games that are less violent...and they encourage more puzzle solving skills...so go check out the indie games!!!
Most of these extremely violent games are from USA, there are plenty of nonviolent Japanese games. Also violence isn't really a bad thing in video games, the bad thing about these shooter games is that they glorify it. But a game like Mirror's Edge doesn't. If the game has a theme like revolution and fighting for freedom like Mirror's Edge does, it makes sense that there will be violence, like what protesters today are facing. That said, the videos that would be best today will probably be that.
I would be interested to see your take on Duke Nukem Forever, though pretty much everything that could be said about that game has already been said. Perhaps you aren't the one to make the comparison, but I'd love to see someone explain why DNF is worse than DN3D. Where 3D was praised for its over-the-top motif of guns, babes, and badassery, DNF is railed against for its (admittedly horrifying) level of sexism. I never beat 3D, and haven't played DNF. Where did they cross the line, I wonder?
The Batman: Arkham games are violent, but have problem solving at the forefront or the premise, just a thought I had on the subject. I may be blinkered due to being a huge Batfan.
Thanks for making this video. It covers a lot of issues important to me and it's nice to see the outlook of another feminist gamer. However, as much as I appreciate your effort, I'm disappointed that you didn't mentioned Nintendo's consoles (Wii/DS). I understand if they are not your areas of expertise, but Nintendo is just as much a pioneer in intelligent and fun, violent-free gaming as apple's iOS. Just wanted to make sure you and your viewers to knew that Nintendo also has a lot to offer too.
I'm a 21 year old female, and I've played video games since 1997. While that in itself creates a stereotype of how people think of me, what bothers me most is the gaming industry's need for shock value for violence. While I do play a lot of shooters, I also love games that require critical thinking skills and puzzle solving. Off the top of my head, Portal, Mirror's Edge, and Tomb Raider are some of my favorites. Coincidence they all have female protagonists?
@feministfrequency There's a difference between violence and visceral violence.FPS's tend to be visceral; the likes of CoD centre around the explosions, etc. One of my favourite games is Virtua Fighter 5, an incredibly deep and strategic fighting game; the enjoyment of the game comes from learning and mastering the character's moves, not the violence.
IMHO The irony is traditional shoot-em ups like R-Type and especially Ikaruga have more in common with puzzle games than FPS's.
@feministfrequency You should try out the PC version of Mirror's Edge (or console). If you're quick enough, and can figure out the paths, you can straight up run past the enemies without engaging them at all. That, or just knock the guns from their hands and push them down for a few seconds before running off. You can also steal their guns and shoot them, but in my experience, I've seen that it's pretty rare for people to play the game like that. The game is known for visual beauty and parkour.
@rainydays07 Just saying, but Chel is just a test human and isn't given much personality beyond a portal gun, Mirror's Edge I'll give you, and Lara Croft is a sex symbol for guys.
@rainydays07 Your opinion is interesting, rainydays. As a feminist male I would consider Tomb Raider to be a pretty sexist game. The main character is a large-breasted female who seems to serve only for sex appeal. I could say the same about Portal 2. Both of these games are using a female character not to define their characters and continue their stories but instead to attract a male audience.
@rainydays07 I have a similar thing. My favourite video game series is Tomb Raider because of the exploring, puzzles, and finding treasures, while I am bothered by Lara Croft's often sexualized nature.
I know it's not for iPhone but if you want to talk problem solving and critical thinking, then you should definitely check out the Professor Layton series.
I'm kinda at a loss to who benefits from this video. If showing how gaming can advocate non-violent conflict resolution and creative ways to resolve disputes, the selection of iPhone platform seems short sighted.
Certainly there are many violent FPSs on other formats, and certainly the iPhone is already in the hands of many; but the labour conditions (and suicide stories) at Foxconn? Apple's erratic and arbitrary rulings on what is and isn't acceptable? That completely undermines feminism.
There was a video game that MoMA showed on the wall that involved building little organisms, but it wasn't made in 2011, so it doesn't count. I have a poverty phone (Assurance Wireless), so I don't know much about these games.
I have a PalmPre, and the game selection for the phone isn't great. However, there is a game called "Airtraffic," which looks a lot like Flight Control, only WITHOUT the silly images. Anybody have recommendations for Palm-friendly games? I love SuperJump, and it's free.
While I do agree that gaming (at least video gaming anyway) panders far too much to men, & while I do enjoy (& even love) love many non-violent games (usually of the point & click adventure style) I see nothing wrong with violent video games. Both men and women play them, they can be quite fun, especially if they tell a good story, and the violence isn't real. Also, to quote another commenter: "It sounds to me like like you're saying men are inherently violent, or only men are violent".
@lycanfan You and the other commenter clearly did not actually listen to my actual words because I never said that violence is an inherently male trait.
@agent42q Well that is kind of ridiculous that people would jump to that conclusion. The gaming industry is male dominated, which is clearly a fact. And violent games do tend to get most of the attention and are regarded as "serious gaming". I don't know what in that statement in anyway implies that I'm saying men are violent. It sounds to me like defensiveness and a whole lotta male privilege on their part.
@feministfrequency yes and you did state that, not as clearly in you video. It wasn't something you directly said, it was the juxtaposition of your points with the framing of this being a feminist show, would make people jump to that point. I had to stop and re watch that part of the video to see you were making two separate points.
@feministfrequency It wasn't so much your exact words, but rather the way you framed them. I wasn't trying do be defensive, but I have heard that exact argument many times. I did not mean to offend. That being said, I do have to ask, what about the women who enjoy violent video games? What about those of us that do play these sorts of games, but in real life abhor real violence, such as myself (I enjoy both violent and non-violent games pretty equally).
@lycanfan I guess I would say what about them (at least within this context)? Again, I haven't said that women don't play these games either but I'm looking at systemic and widespread trends and women are in the minority when it comes to the gaming industry.
@feministfrequency Ah, I see then. Very well said. I was looking at a completely different issue then. Well, to completely change the topic (pardon the whiplash), have you played any of the non-violent console games, such as Portal 1 & 2 or Flower, and, if so, what did you think of them?
@feministfrequency :( That's unfortunate. While I felt that it bolstered very little replay value, I will admit that that first time playing was amazing. When you finally figure out the current room/puzzle you're in after seemingly an eternity, it's one of the best feelings in gaming. Plus, it bolsters some really atmospheric story telling. Then again, I'm sure you've heard all that before. Portal's been praised up and down the 'net.
I don't know if you can play them on a mobile platform, but the Orisinal games (google it) are fantastic. They're all beautiful, cute, and non-violent. They fit in right on this list. My favourite is Chicken Wings Are Not For Flying.
I'm not much of a gamer, but I'm a big sucker for the old fashioned find-it games like Big Fish's Mystery Legends games and I love that not only do the games get your brain working, but the first-person roles are mostly either female or gender-neutral. That and the artwork is amazing. I think the only problem that I have with them, though, is how much their endings suck.
For an amazing little game, try charityware game Glum Buster (charityware meaning that you can download and play it for free but if you like it and make a donation the money goes to charity!). It's gorgeous, moving, non-violent and challenging. The atmosphere is amazing :)
I usually just play Unblock or solitare on my itouch. A cute game I found is called Missill Kawaii. The character you play is a female, and the graphics are a very cute retro pixel style graphics. The music is very catchy. The game is a bit hard of a hard one. In the game you jump over these block looking characters, and can fly for a bit as you try to jump from platform to platform. You have to save your friends and get these candies to get more points. I also played Piyo Lite and Pet Tycoon.
I find that seek and find games, or adventure games, have very strong story lines, plots, and interesting characters and character development. Those are the games I play, personally, because most other games are too dull, or are so alike. Each seek and find game is like reading a new book. There is puzzle solving, creative thinking, and many other positives I find in playing these games. Plus, most main characters are female, or not gender specific. I love your videos. Can't wait for the next!
I'd quite like to hear you review some games where both violent and nonviolent resolution is available for challenges set, I watch a lot of reviews and very few spend as much time as I'd like on the comparrison between the two; so often the nonviolent resolution ends up hamstringing a character due to lower rewards or experience gain.
One you might be interested in is Thief, a very old sneakabout game where not only is conflict avoidable, on higher difficulty killing someone loses you the game.
In my mind, no game will ever top the "Monkey Island" series. I wish that the humorous-point-and-click-adventure genre had not died out after the '90s...
It sounds to me like like you're saying men are inherently violent, or only men are violent. I don't think that's what you are trying to say, but from reading the comments some of your viewers took it that way. I personally tend to have a preference for games staring female characters because it seems like the creators are less likely to create one note space marines. For example I've never felt closer to a main character than Samus in Metroid Prime, even though she never said anything.
@Ruach What she is trying to get across is that the games that sell are more often violent and because the gaming world it's self is male dominated it often feeds to men. Not all men enjoys these games or violence it's just there more often the key demographic that gets these games selling. So I don't think she tried to point a figure saying MEN ARE VIOLENT sort of things, it's just within marketing it's bias and leads towards male as there targets with sex and violence as there tools to sell.
@Ruach I think she's trying to express that men usually feel they have to be aggressive or violent to be considered "real men." This really isn't the case, and I think that if there were more guys who thought it would be okay to like non violence without seeming like they aren't "real men", the tendencies of men toward violence would decrease.
@Ruach No, she is saying the games panders to violence that appeals to males. Everyone can and is violent, its just very easy to market it to men, particularly teenage boys. Don't get me wrong, i too love my video game violence.
@feministfrequency Which is why I said "I don't think that's what you are trying to say", because I wouldn’t subscribe if I thought you did. When you say "I'm often frustrated with the male dominated, blood and guts, testosterone driven shoot em up games" or refer to the gaming industry as "male dominated and male centered" and relate that industry to "games that employ graphic violence and sexist imagery", it could (wrongly) be taken that way.
To be fairly honest, I find those kinds of games incredibly boring. I enjoy a good point and click once in a while but I need a story. Some fun games on bigger platforms without violence are the portal games, Loco Roco or any of the music oriented games just to name a couple. I don't mind violent games if they aren't killing or torturing people. I don't like most shooters for that reason. I don't have a problem ridding the world of aliens or monsters. It's why I dislike all of those war shooters
@lovelyfairy27 actually, "world of goo," at least for the PC, has one of the coolest storylines I've encountered. It's up there conceptually with Portal I.
@lovelyfairy27 While the portal games do have a female protagonist and are somewhat non violent I don't think they would be endorsed by FF. Mostly because the antagonist in the game is pretty much every negative trope about a strong woman rolled into one dehumanized anti feminist fembot o' negative stereotypes. Plus chel has no personality and never speaks.
@BetterVeder Non-speaking protagonists are standard in FPS games. Plus, the only male character in the series is a goofy, useless 'with no skills whatsoever' bot, thar relies entirely on the female leads. This kind of character is awfully usual in pop culture, but nonetheless, I still enjoyed Portal 2.
Sometimes, as a feminist man, I feel excluded from feminism. I'd love to see a video by @femenistfrequency in which she discussed offensive tropes about men.
@Pillamelai Aw you make a good point! She does comment on the way sexism has negatively effected men but it is not the main focus (maybe except for the Twilight vid). I think that would be a great idea to be included in her Trope Vs. Women series! :)
You should try playing, "To the Moon" by Freebird Games. There's no violence or gore, no fighting, and the game is stunningly beautiful, sad and enlightening. It's story based and takes about four hours to play as you use your characters to progress backwards through a story and slowly have elements revealed to you. It's a great play, plus one of the two main playable characters is a dark skinned female doctor, who is the superior of the male counterpart. Double awesome!
You know I have not been playing much for video games for about 7 years now (though I did come back briefly for Halo 1 and 2), but I know back in the day one of the reasons why I played almost exclusively violent games (mario, super smash brothers 64, turok, real time strategy games, ZELDA), was because the alternative: sports games were even thematically boring ot me (too many rules, too much structure, lame AI), and racing... well ok same reason for racing games (ok mario kart, was awesome)
There are also games like games by Shin Megami Tensei. They're macabre in many ways, and dark, but not really needlessly violent and all of their female characters are given just as much development and background as their male characters. There are plenty of strong characters, and their Persona 4 game was actually pretty queer-positive for a Japanese game. There's a trans character and a gay character, and neither are treated as bad by any of the other cast.
I totally agree with you on the male domination of games. Violent games shouldn't always be an option. However, violence in games can be invigorating (Batman: Arkham City, Resident Evil are my faves), but the one thing that will always annoy me will be the portrayal of women in games. I HATED Harley Quinn's costume changes in both Arkham Asylum and City (She's funny, crazy, classy, and cute. Not slutty!). Also, Catwoman is wearing a full body suit and they decide to have her zipper down. -_____-
@assassin6637 Not that I disagree with the point you're making, but Harley is and always was a very sexually-charged character. From sleeping with the psychology professor to get her degree to the constant obsession over the Joker and the all-but-stated-outright relationship with Poison Ivy, Harley has never been a character that could be described as remotely chaste in thought or action. To a degree, she is defined (or rather, defines herself) by whoever she's currently following.
@assassin6637 I love batman but I'm not getting arkham because I don't want my little brother exposed to that. The biggest problem for me is that poison ivy is naked from the waist down. If you take a closer look she pretty much has a completely exposed leafy vagina. Or at least incredibly tight leafy under pants with serious camel toe.
There are some really good games out there. I personally enjoy shooting things, but I also like a good story, strong characters, and a sense of control over my environment, which is why I love mass effect and fallout. In mass effect, you can do non-violent conflict resolution (though I rarely do it), as well as fallout (though I rarely do it). While I don't care too much for the games on this list, I can appreciate the sentiment.
great vid, It is nice to see you celebrating some positive things... I'm going to recommend a game for you, on the PC called "Emerald City Confidential" it's a film noir point and click adventure game based on the Wizard of Oz books (as opposed to the movie), with a female detective Petra whose main motivation is discovering what happened to her brother who was lost in a war some 10 years prior. I started a Let's Play in my channel and will be picking it back up today in my new channel.
Thanks for another great video. I have 2 questions:
1. Why do you consider playing video games as 'confidence building'?
2. In relation to the game 'Flight Control' (4:23) could you describe why the images of the woman shown in the video are 'retro-sexist'?
Sorry for the last question, I know that is asking alot of your time, its just I don't see the answer to that question in my head. If you could explain it to me it would be great.
A lot of games are focused on half naked women and phallic weaponry, so this is kind of refreshing, I mean I'm not gonna lie, war and strategy games are pretty enjoyable, but they aren't the only ones out there.
Love this video! As a female gamer I get alienated a lot by oversexualized female characters and the "beating things with a stick" approach to game design. I love playing games on the iPod touch for the reasons you were talking about, and was really glad to see that some of my favorites made your list. :)
Yay, a new video! I don't own an iPhone, so I can't really speak about iPhone games, but I really do love video games in general. World of Goo is actually one of my favourite games ever, although I've only played the PC version. I love how simple the design and concept is, yet the game itself isn't all that easy. And Contre Jour looks awesome!
im very very much engaged in youtube and watch alot of videos and mainly beautyrelated and i think its sooooo refreshing with a woman from america that actally says the word "feministic"... i dont think ive even heard an american woman on youtube say that word before... well. anyways, great tips! dowloading a few as of right now. love from sweden!
I neglected to thank you for your recommendations. I tried out Whale Trail and Contre Jour based on your video and find both of them, although on opposite ends of the spectrum, wonderfully fun. Contre Jour is a -wonderful- experience all around.
windofchangeaikido 1 month ago 2
Most of the mobile PopCap games (PvZ excluded) are non-violent, puzzle solving, and good ways to pass the time. Peggle, Chuzzle, and Bejeweled are among my favorites. An older but still fun and cute game is Toki Tori, starring a cute duckling (or chick?) who must navigate various levels to collect/rescue eggs. Finally, Om Nom in Cut the Rope a frog? I think not. He's clearly a cute little alien (or monster). :)
windofchangeaikido 1 month ago in playlist Uploaded videos
My favourite portable lately has been ilomilo, it is just pure cute.
eatings 1 month ago in playlist Uploaded videos
Whale trail FTW!
DChaundy1 1 month ago
Thanks for the recommendations. Just got "Cut The Rope" and I love it.
Bejeweled is a personal favorite. It started out as PC game but was eventually formatted for smart phones. Cannot speak for iPhones but I have it on my Android.
zombiesinmycurry 2 months ago
You seem not to have considered Nintendo games; with them there is a middle ground between casual in-a-line gaming and ~hardcore~ games with more violent and sexual imagery. Come on, between Pokemon, Zelda, Ace Attorney etc. and some of the better RPGs there is massive innovation and creativity.
CuriousVirga 2 months ago 22
One word: Minecraft!!
I realize that in the default setting of this game you have to fight the monsters that come out at night. However, players have the option to play on a peaceful setting that removes the violence and allows you to focus on building and exploring. I love playing Minecraft on peaceful mode and it's a lot of fun!
Sunshine44008 2 months ago
I can play and enjoy just about anything except for most FPS' and realistic sports games (as I tend to find them both rather boring and I'm not very good at them), and while I can enjoy very violent games and not-at-all violent games I find my favorite games tend to be ones where there is violence but it's downplayed like Super Mario Bros. or Legend of Zelda.
As far as completely non-violent games go some of my favorites are the Professor Layton puzzle games.
ariwl1 2 months ago
This was a extremely interesting video, but I feel like it was lacking since it focused on casual gaming rather then looking at console games. Violent sexist fps games might be the most heavily advertised, but it's not all that's out there. Look at most non western rpgs, puzzle games, indies games on the xbox market and so on. They've always been there just waiting to be played, and not just on smart phones. That being said, some of my fav non-violent games are Portal, Ilomilo, and Machinarium
MisfortuneLlama 2 months ago 23
Nice video. Edge Extended looks pretty fun. I have a question. Do you think Sonic The Hedgehog for iPhone would fit in with these games? It is sort of strategic. The only thing that could be considered violent is when Sonic defeats Eggman (the boss at the end of every second act of every zone) and the vehicle he is driving blows up. I don't really consider that to be violent though because it is not really that violent of an explosion. Let me know what you think about this game.
KyuubiNaruto706 2 months ago
I've been playing games since I was a little girl, my favorite games will always be the original Spyro games for the PlayStation 1, but I have been enjoying minecraft, when Im not to busy studying! :)
kittenloverme 2 months ago
"...Plus those damn pigs really do deserve it." lmfao!! XD but no, seriously. those pigs really piss me off, too. >:(
SK84ANGELDUST 2 months ago
I'd really like to know your thoughts on Amy, an upcoming game with not one, but two female protagonists, one of them being an autistic child. There is not much information about it but just do a search on youtube and watch the videos, then let us know what you think :D
lizzielis 2 months ago
Unblock me is a game my cousin recently turned me onto. Pretty simple, but a real challenge. You move 'wooden' blocks to get the red block to the exit, but the blocks can only move sideways.
shellfish1010 2 months ago
Play Half Life 2, Mirrors Edge, BioShock, Mass Effect (you can be a woman), and the early Resident Evil series. All these games blend violence, puzzle solving, critical thinking, and the storytelling is amazing. Well, Mirror's Edge's story kinda sucked, but still.
And yay! A new video.
Elementer117 2 months ago in playlist Uploaded videos
No Geometry Wars!? For shame...I suppose you do fly around and shoot things; although I'm not sure about the negative social ramifications of violence against blue diamonds and purple pinwheels.
tassleho 2 months ago
I'm male, and I really would like to see more non-violent games as well (Peggle and Sonic being good examples), but also, more original characters. Testerone-driven over-muscled men bore me. Heroines like Heather from (the admittedly very violent horror game) Silent Hill 3 - an average teenager - are the sort of thing I'd like to see more of. Regular, or unique people. Even if they hold a gun in their hands, I still want the protagonist to be ORIGINAL and have a personality.
daytimesky 2 months ago 3
I think the indie game developers are coming out with games that are less violent...and they encourage more puzzle solving skills...so go check out the indie games!!!
AverageCheeseBlock 2 months ago
Most of these extremely violent games are from USA, there are plenty of nonviolent Japanese games. Also violence isn't really a bad thing in video games, the bad thing about these shooter games is that they glorify it. But a game like Mirror's Edge doesn't. If the game has a theme like revolution and fighting for freedom like Mirror's Edge does, it makes sense that there will be violence, like what protesters today are facing. That said, the videos that would be best today will probably be that.
Zaknafiein 2 months ago
I love tiny wings! and @rainydays07 Portal is amazing!
InsanityandChocolate 2 months ago
I would be interested to see your take on Duke Nukem Forever, though pretty much everything that could be said about that game has already been said. Perhaps you aren't the one to make the comparison, but I'd love to see someone explain why DNF is worse than DN3D. Where 3D was praised for its over-the-top motif of guns, babes, and badassery, DNF is railed against for its (admittedly horrifying) level of sexism. I never beat 3D, and haven't played DNF. Where did they cross the line, I wonder?
CrunchBogus 2 months ago in playlist Uploaded videos
You should do more videos like this that focus on the more positive aspect of things.
YoungAdelaide 2 months ago 2
i would say my favorite iphone game is 1st classic Doom game
kalel640 2 months ago
The Batman: Arkham games are violent, but have problem solving at the forefront or the premise, just a thought I had on the subject. I may be blinkered due to being a huge Batfan.
PompamooseMagique 2 months ago
Thanks for making this video. It covers a lot of issues important to me and it's nice to see the outlook of another feminist gamer. However, as much as I appreciate your effort, I'm disappointed that you didn't mentioned Nintendo's consoles (Wii/DS). I understand if they are not your areas of expertise, but Nintendo is just as much a pioneer in intelligent and fun, violent-free gaming as apple's iOS. Just wanted to make sure you and your viewers to knew that Nintendo also has a lot to offer too.
EphNE 2 months ago 2
I'm a 21 year old female, and I've played video games since 1997. While that in itself creates a stereotype of how people think of me, what bothers me most is the gaming industry's need for shock value for violence. While I do play a lot of shooters, I also love games that require critical thinking skills and puzzle solving. Off the top of my head, Portal, Mirror's Edge, and Tomb Raider are some of my favorites. Coincidence they all have female protagonists?
rainydays07 2 months ago 20
@rainydays07 I've been really enjoying Mirror's Edge on my phone (but she does beat people up, which why it's not on this particular list).
feministfrequency 2 months ago
@feministfrequency There's a difference between violence and visceral violence.FPS's tend to be visceral; the likes of CoD centre around the explosions, etc. One of my favourite games is Virtua Fighter 5, an incredibly deep and strategic fighting game; the enjoyment of the game comes from learning and mastering the character's moves, not the violence.
IMHO The irony is traditional shoot-em ups like R-Type and especially Ikaruga have more in common with puzzle games than FPS's.
Relugus 2 months ago
@feministfrequency You should try out the PC version of Mirror's Edge (or console). If you're quick enough, and can figure out the paths, you can straight up run past the enemies without engaging them at all. That, or just knock the guns from their hands and push them down for a few seconds before running off. You can also steal their guns and shoot them, but in my experience, I've seen that it's pretty rare for people to play the game like that. The game is known for visual beauty and parkour.
imgrabbinpills 2 months ago
@feministfrequency can you make a top ten best non- violent console games?
paleobc65 2 months ago
@feministfrequency Play Mirror's Edge on a home console if you have one. You get to do so much more than if you only have an ipod.
mizakzee 1 month ago in playlist More videos from feministfrequency
@rainydays07 Mirror's Edge is amazing.
SasuNaruCollection 2 months ago
@rainydays07 Just saying, but Chel is just a test human and isn't given much personality beyond a portal gun, Mirror's Edge I'll give you, and Lara Croft is a sex symbol for guys.
RathalosAssassin 2 months ago
@rainydays07 Your opinion is interesting, rainydays. As a feminist male I would consider Tomb Raider to be a pretty sexist game. The main character is a large-breasted female who seems to serve only for sex appeal. I could say the same about Portal 2. Both of these games are using a female character not to define their characters and continue their stories but instead to attract a male audience.
yupyupnoyup 2 months ago
@rainydays07 yes.
opplerdop 2 months ago
@rainydays07 Minus the Tomb Raider of old, all three of those don't use sex imagery to sell. It is amazing, they actually sell because they are fun!
ShulzGB 1 month ago
@rainydays07 I have a similar thing. My favourite video game series is Tomb Raider because of the exploring, puzzles, and finding treasures, while I am bothered by Lara Croft's often sexualized nature.
skillzbeat 1 month ago
I know it's not for iPhone but if you want to talk problem solving and critical thinking, then you should definitely check out the Professor Layton series.
sarascompany 2 months ago
One IPhone game you may want to try is Doodle God
halamaker 2 months ago in playlist Uploaded videos
I'm kinda at a loss to who benefits from this video. If showing how gaming can advocate non-violent conflict resolution and creative ways to resolve disputes, the selection of iPhone platform seems short sighted.
Certainly there are many violent FPSs on other formats, and certainly the iPhone is already in the hands of many; but the labour conditions (and suicide stories) at Foxconn? Apple's erratic and arbitrary rulings on what is and isn't acceptable? That completely undermines feminism.
afivey 2 months ago
There was a video game that MoMA showed on the wall that involved building little organisms, but it wasn't made in 2011, so it doesn't count. I have a poverty phone (Assurance Wireless), so I don't know much about these games.
scottandrewhutchins 2 months ago
It's not out yet, but I would say glow bugs an upcoming IOS game would be a good contender for this list.
agent42q 2 months ago
Love your videos, spot on again. Keem 'em coming.
lcrippin 2 months ago
I never knew that was a frog in cut the rope!
laneperk 2 months ago
another great game is Cat Physics. :) ps. love your videos! glad to see a new one.
acail0607 2 months ago
"... at their best games can promote:"
"Problem Solving" - Portal 2
"Critical Thinking" - Portal 2
"Creative Mathematics" - Portal 2
"Confidence Building" - Perhaps not Portal 2, since you repeatedly are being called stupid, called fat, and told that nobody loves/wants you. :-)
Reschat 2 months ago 2
@Reschat
The Portal Games also have a female protag, so I do believe Feminest Frequency should be all about it :D
XLovelessBelovedX 2 months ago
I have a PalmPre, and the game selection for the phone isn't great. However, there is a game called "Airtraffic," which looks a lot like Flight Control, only WITHOUT the silly images. Anybody have recommendations for Palm-friendly games? I love SuperJump, and it's free.
sleepyasthesouth 2 months ago
While I do agree that gaming (at least video gaming anyway) panders far too much to men, & while I do enjoy (& even love) love many non-violent games (usually of the point & click adventure style) I see nothing wrong with violent video games. Both men and women play them, they can be quite fun, especially if they tell a good story, and the violence isn't real. Also, to quote another commenter: "It sounds to me like like you're saying men are inherently violent, or only men are violent".
lycanfan 2 months ago
@lycanfan You and the other commenter clearly did not actually listen to my actual words because I never said that violence is an inherently male trait.
feministfrequency 2 months ago
@feministfrequency you didn't say that, but the way you framed your opening, I can see where people would jump to that conclusion.
agent42q 2 months ago
@agent42q Well that is kind of ridiculous that people would jump to that conclusion. The gaming industry is male dominated, which is clearly a fact. And violent games do tend to get most of the attention and are regarded as "serious gaming". I don't know what in that statement in anyway implies that I'm saying men are violent. It sounds to me like defensiveness and a whole lotta male privilege on their part.
feministfrequency 2 months ago
@feministfrequency yes and you did state that, not as clearly in you video. It wasn't something you directly said, it was the juxtaposition of your points with the framing of this being a feminist show, would make people jump to that point. I had to stop and re watch that part of the video to see you were making two separate points.
agent42q 2 months ago
@feministfrequency It wasn't so much your exact words, but rather the way you framed them. I wasn't trying do be defensive, but I have heard that exact argument many times. I did not mean to offend. That being said, I do have to ask, what about the women who enjoy violent video games? What about those of us that do play these sorts of games, but in real life abhor real violence, such as myself (I enjoy both violent and non-violent games pretty equally).
lycanfan 2 months ago
@lycanfan I guess I would say what about them (at least within this context)? Again, I haven't said that women don't play these games either but I'm looking at systemic and widespread trends and women are in the minority when it comes to the gaming industry.
feministfrequency 2 months ago
@feministfrequency Ah, I see then. Very well said. I was looking at a completely different issue then. Well, to completely change the topic (pardon the whiplash), have you played any of the non-violent console games, such as Portal 1 & 2 or Flower, and, if so, what did you think of them?
lycanfan 2 months ago
@lycanfan I've been really wanting to play Portal but haven't had access to it yet, unfortunately.
feministfrequency 2 months ago
@feministfrequency :( That's unfortunate. While I felt that it bolstered very little replay value, I will admit that that first time playing was amazing. When you finally figure out the current room/puzzle you're in after seemingly an eternity, it's one of the best feelings in gaming. Plus, it bolsters some really atmospheric story telling. Then again, I'm sure you've heard all that before. Portal's been praised up and down the 'net.
lycanfan 2 months ago
You should try GPig Getaway!
apology89 2 months ago
I don't know if you can play them on a mobile platform, but the Orisinal games (google it) are fantastic. They're all beautiful, cute, and non-violent. They fit in right on this list. My favourite is Chicken Wings Are Not For Flying.
theowlsarefun 2 months ago
My favorite game is "Drawn: the painted tower" by big fish.
I like this game because the story is nice and simple, the puzzles are not too easy and not too difficult to solve, and also the GRAPHIC are awesome.
Plus, you ARE the hero of the game by just putting your name.
Oddonan 2 months ago
I'm not much of a gamer, but I'm a big sucker for the old fashioned find-it games like Big Fish's Mystery Legends games and I love that not only do the games get your brain working, but the first-person roles are mostly either female or gender-neutral. That and the artwork is amazing. I think the only problem that I have with them, though, is how much their endings suck.
FantasmaLuna 2 months ago
So glad you're back! I was hoping you would mention Cut the Rope! It's one of my favorites. Great video!
aNGLICANcHOIR92 2 months ago
For an amazing little game, try charityware game Glum Buster (charityware meaning that you can download and play it for free but if you like it and make a donation the money goes to charity!). It's gorgeous, moving, non-violent and challenging. The atmosphere is amazing :)
omgtwee 2 months ago
I usually just play Unblock or solitare on my itouch. A cute game I found is called Missill Kawaii. The character you play is a female, and the graphics are a very cute retro pixel style graphics. The music is very catchy. The game is a bit hard of a hard one. In the game you jump over these block looking characters, and can fly for a bit as you try to jump from platform to platform. You have to save your friends and get these candies to get more points. I also played Piyo Lite and Pet Tycoon.
xxxmikanbouyaxxx 2 months ago
I always get pissed off when I'm playing Call of Duty because they literally have NO female characters to choose from! None!
shmivv 2 months ago
I find that seek and find games, or adventure games, have very strong story lines, plots, and interesting characters and character development. Those are the games I play, personally, because most other games are too dull, or are so alike. Each seek and find game is like reading a new book. There is puzzle solving, creative thinking, and many other positives I find in playing these games. Plus, most main characters are female, or not gender specific. I love your videos. Can't wait for the next!
Hikuya 2 months ago
One of my favourite games is called Pocket Frogs! Quite addicting and fun.
ntcssj 2 months ago
I'd quite like to hear you review some games where both violent and nonviolent resolution is available for challenges set, I watch a lot of reviews and very few spend as much time as I'd like on the comparrison between the two; so often the nonviolent resolution ends up hamstringing a character due to lower rewards or experience gain.
One you might be interested in is Thief, a very old sneakabout game where not only is conflict avoidable, on higher difficulty killing someone loses you the game.
Wolfiewolfiewolfie 2 months ago
In my mind, no game will ever top the "Monkey Island" series. I wish that the humorous-point-and-click-adventure genre had not died out after the '90s...
moscowmasha 2 months ago
It sounds to me like like you're saying men are inherently violent, or only men are violent. I don't think that's what you are trying to say, but from reading the comments some of your viewers took it that way. I personally tend to have a preference for games staring female characters because it seems like the creators are less likely to create one note space marines. For example I've never felt closer to a main character than Samus in Metroid Prime, even though she never said anything.
Ruach 2 months ago
@Ruach What she is trying to get across is that the games that sell are more often violent and because the gaming world it's self is male dominated it often feeds to men. Not all men enjoys these games or violence it's just there more often the key demographic that gets these games selling. So I don't think she tried to point a figure saying MEN ARE VIOLENT sort of things, it's just within marketing it's bias and leads towards male as there targets with sex and violence as there tools to sell.
StrangelyIndecisive 2 months ago
@Ruach I think she's trying to express that men usually feel they have to be aggressive or violent to be considered "real men." This really isn't the case, and I think that if there were more guys who thought it would be okay to like non violence without seeming like they aren't "real men", the tendencies of men toward violence would decrease.
insanepoet9 2 months ago
@Ruach No, she is saying the games panders to violence that appeals to males. Everyone can and is violent, its just very easy to market it to men, particularly teenage boys. Don't get me wrong, i too love my video game violence.
MaoistRebelNews2 2 months ago
@Ruach I'm not sure which video you watched but I have never said (nor do I believe) that violence is inherently a male trait.
feministfrequency 2 months ago 2
@feministfrequency Which is why I said "I don't think that's what you are trying to say", because I wouldn’t subscribe if I thought you did. When you say "I'm often frustrated with the male dominated, blood and guts, testosterone driven shoot em up games" or refer to the gaming industry as "male dominated and male centered" and relate that industry to "games that employ graphic violence and sexist imagery", it could (wrongly) be taken that way.
Ruach 2 months ago
To be fairly honest, I find those kinds of games incredibly boring. I enjoy a good point and click once in a while but I need a story. Some fun games on bigger platforms without violence are the portal games, Loco Roco or any of the music oriented games just to name a couple. I don't mind violent games if they aren't killing or torturing people. I don't like most shooters for that reason. I don't have a problem ridding the world of aliens or monsters. It's why I dislike all of those war shooters
lovelyfairy27 2 months ago
@lovelyfairy27 actually, "world of goo," at least for the PC, has one of the coolest storylines I've encountered. It's up there conceptually with Portal I.
boscotherat 2 months ago
@lovelyfairy27 While the portal games do have a female protagonist and are somewhat non violent I don't think they would be endorsed by FF. Mostly because the antagonist in the game is pretty much every negative trope about a strong woman rolled into one dehumanized anti feminist fembot o' negative stereotypes. Plus chel has no personality and never speaks.
BetterVeder 2 months ago
@BetterVeder Non-speaking protagonists are standard in FPS games. Plus, the only male character in the series is a goofy, useless 'with no skills whatsoever' bot, thar relies entirely on the female leads. This kind of character is awfully usual in pop culture, but nonetheless, I still enjoyed Portal 2.
Sometimes, as a feminist man, I feel excluded from feminism. I'd love to see a video by @femenistfrequency in which she discussed offensive tropes about men.
Pillamelai 2 months ago 3
@Pillamelai Aw you make a good point! She does comment on the way sexism has negatively effected men but it is not the main focus (maybe except for the Twilight vid). I think that would be a great idea to be included in her Trope Vs. Women series! :)
eliseo20 2 months ago 2
You should try playing, "To the Moon" by Freebird Games. There's no violence or gore, no fighting, and the game is stunningly beautiful, sad and enlightening. It's story based and takes about four hours to play as you use your characters to progress backwards through a story and slowly have elements revealed to you. It's a great play, plus one of the two main playable characters is a dark skinned female doctor, who is the superior of the male counterpart. Double awesome!
babyslime 2 months ago 9
@babyslime That sounds really interesting! I searched for it on iTunes, but couldn't find it. What does the logo look like?
aNGLICANcHOIR92 2 months ago
You know I have not been playing much for video games for about 7 years now (though I did come back briefly for Halo 1 and 2), but I know back in the day one of the reasons why I played almost exclusively violent games (mario, super smash brothers 64, turok, real time strategy games, ZELDA), was because the alternative: sports games were even thematically boring ot me (too many rules, too much structure, lame AI), and racing... well ok same reason for racing games (ok mario kart, was awesome)
squirrelywrath2 2 months ago
Can't go wrong with Kingdom Hearts.
gabumonfanclubx 2 months ago in playlist Uploaded videos
There are also games like games by Shin Megami Tensei. They're macabre in many ways, and dark, but not really needlessly violent and all of their female characters are given just as much development and background as their male characters. There are plenty of strong characters, and their Persona 4 game was actually pretty queer-positive for a Japanese game. There's a trans character and a gay character, and neither are treated as bad by any of the other cast.
katzgoboom 2 months ago
I totally agree with you on the male domination of games. Violent games shouldn't always be an option. However, violence in games can be invigorating (Batman: Arkham City, Resident Evil are my faves), but the one thing that will always annoy me will be the portrayal of women in games. I HATED Harley Quinn's costume changes in both Arkham Asylum and City (She's funny, crazy, classy, and cute. Not slutty!). Also, Catwoman is wearing a full body suit and they decide to have her zipper down. -_____-
assassin6637 2 months ago 2
@assassin6637 having ber zipper down is a common thing in the comics too, whenever I see it I always wonder why she doesn't zip it up.
GaEv4 2 months ago
@assassin6637 Not that I disagree with the point you're making, but Harley is and always was a very sexually-charged character. From sleeping with the psychology professor to get her degree to the constant obsession over the Joker and the all-but-stated-outright relationship with Poison Ivy, Harley has never been a character that could be described as remotely chaste in thought or action. To a degree, she is defined (or rather, defines herself) by whoever she's currently following.
Wolfiewolfiewolfie 2 months ago
@assassin6637 I love batman but I'm not getting arkham because I don't want my little brother exposed to that. The biggest problem for me is that poison ivy is naked from the waist down. If you take a closer look she pretty much has a completely exposed leafy vagina. Or at least incredibly tight leafy under pants with serious camel toe.
BetterVeder 2 months ago
There are some really good games out there. I personally enjoy shooting things, but I also like a good story, strong characters, and a sense of control over my environment, which is why I love mass effect and fallout. In mass effect, you can do non-violent conflict resolution (though I rarely do it), as well as fallout (though I rarely do it). While I don't care too much for the games on this list, I can appreciate the sentiment.
xdearlifex 2 months ago 29
great vid, It is nice to see you celebrating some positive things... I'm going to recommend a game for you, on the PC called "Emerald City Confidential" it's a film noir point and click adventure game based on the Wizard of Oz books (as opposed to the movie), with a female detective Petra whose main motivation is discovering what happened to her brother who was lost in a war some 10 years prior. I started a Let's Play in my channel and will be picking it back up today in my new channel.
PetiteOzma 2 months ago
Would you ever review Portal/Portal 2? I recently started playing the sequel and it's amazing.
Psypomp 2 months ago 2
Thanks for another great video. I have 2 questions:
1. Why do you consider playing video games as 'confidence building'?
2. In relation to the game 'Flight Control' (4:23) could you describe why the images of the woman shown in the video are 'retro-sexist'?
Sorry for the last question, I know that is asking alot of your time, its just I don't see the answer to that question in my head. If you could explain it to me it would be great.
roryphelan 2 months ago
finally a new video
b0ttlesUp 2 months ago 78
A lot of games are focused on half naked women and phallic weaponry, so this is kind of refreshing, I mean I'm not gonna lie, war and strategy games are pretty enjoyable, but they aren't the only ones out there.
AtheismCentral 2 months ago in playlist Uploaded videos 2
Love this video! As a female gamer I get alienated a lot by oversexualized female characters and the "beating things with a stick" approach to game design. I love playing games on the iPod touch for the reasons you were talking about, and was really glad to see that some of my favorites made your list. :)
sailorgirlbonk 2 months ago 3
Yay, a new video! I don't own an iPhone, so I can't really speak about iPhone games, but I really do love video games in general. World of Goo is actually one of my favourite games ever, although I've only played the PC version. I love how simple the design and concept is, yet the game itself isn't all that easy. And Contre Jour looks awesome!
Speilbilde 2 months ago
im very very much engaged in youtube and watch alot of videos and mainly beautyrelated and i think its sooooo refreshing with a woman from america that actally says the word "feministic"... i dont think ive even heard an american woman on youtube say that word before... well. anyways, great tips! dowloading a few as of right now. love from sweden!
leathekid 2 months ago
YESSS!!! A positive video!!! I have been waiting for this!!!THANK YOU THANK YOU!!! <3 <3
mysteriousladyinred 2 months ago