Games exploring trauma and other messy subject matter - an IFDB Poll

Looking for, as Nathalie Lawhead puts it, art caught between “everything is horrible”, “everything is survivable”, and “this is too hard to talk about”. I'm interested in how people explore the messy things in life through IF engines.

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	Elsinore: After Hamlet, by Lapin Lunaire Games 2 votes (No comment) [+](No comment) ( - Full review) --manonamora... (No comment) [+](No comment) --Sophia de Augustine... Vote for this game

	DO NOT KILL THE SLEEPING BEAST, by mogar 2 votes "a game about..." [+]"a game about struggling with alcoholism" --Tabitha... (No comment) [+](No comment) --Sophia de Augustine... Kastel says: This game presents a rather nuanced approach to the cycle of addiction through some clever usage of allegories and text effects. I really like this work. Vote for this game

	The Fall of Asemia, by B.J. Best 2 votes "war & refugee..." [+]"war & refugee trauma" () --Tabitha... (No comment) [+](No comment) --Sophia de Augustine... Vote for this game

	Sweetpea, by Sophia de Augustine 2 votes (No comment) [+](No comment) ( - Full review) --manonamora... "Unhealthy family..." [+]"Unhealthy family dynamics and alcoholism." --Sophia de Augustine... Vote for this game

	After the Accident, by Amanda Walker 2 votes (No comment) [+](No comment) ( - Full review) --manonamora... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Sophia de Augustine... Kastel says: An emotional ride that captures the ebbs and flow of a long relationship from start to finish. The ending really hits. Vote for this game

	The Archivist and the Revolution, by Autumn Chen 2 votes (No comment) [+](No comment) ( - Full review) --manonamora... (No comment) [+](No comment) --Sophia de Augustine... Kastel says: Very fond of this game. A pandemic-stricken world that's controlled by right-wingers. Totally not at all like our world, huh. Vote for this game

	January, by litrouke 2 votes (No comment) [+](No comment) --manonamora... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Sophia de Augustine... Vote for this game

	Accelerate, by The TAV Institute 1 vote (No comment) [+](No comment) --autumnc... Vote for this game

	Fallen Hero: Rebirth, by Malin Rydén 1 vote "Superhero story..." [+]"Superhero story about coping with trauma" --Keltena... Vote for this game

	With Those We Love Alive, by Porpentine and Brenda Neotenomie 1 vote "Fantasy game dealing with the slow healing process after trauma" [+]"Fantasy game dealing with the slow healing process after trauma: Similar to Porpentine's previous game Their Angelical Understanding, WTWLA follows a protagonist with serious trauma from events before the game's timeframe; however, I felt that WTWLA went deeper into dramatising the management and processing of the trauma, rather than merely mentioning it" --Christina Nordlander... Vote for this game

	End of Life Care, by 80% Relatable 1 vote (No comment) [+](No comment) --autumnc... Vote for this game

	POV: You're a Teenage Girl in a Conservative Christian Family, by alyshkalia 1 vote "religious trauma" [+]"religious trauma" --Tabitha... Vote for this game

	Hidden Gems, Hidden Secrets, by Naomi Norbez, Josh Grams 1 vote (No comment) [+](No comment) --Tabitha... Vote for this game

	how do i love you?, by Sophia de Augustine 1 vote "Ending an abusive..." [+]"Ending an abusive relationship." --Sophia de Augustine... Vote for this game

	My Brother; The Parasite, by qrowscant 1 vote (No comment) [+](No comment) --OverThinking... Vote for this game

	we, the remainder, by Charm Cochran 1 vote (No comment) [+](No comment) --OverThinking... Vote for this game

	Winter in June, by Katie Moses 1 vote "mental health..." [+]"mental health struggles, institutionalization" --Tabitha... Kastel says: An intense work about getting institutionalized and the horrors of it all. Vote for this game

	System Processing, by Albie 1 vote (No comment) [+](No comment) --albie... Vote for this game

	Get Your Gun, Dragonfly, by Palimrya 1 vote (No comment) [+](No comment) () --autumnc... Vote for this game

	Nineteen, by Elizabeth Sampat 1 vote (No comment) [+](No comment) --autumnc... Vote for this game

	Nineteen, by kiran 1 vote (No comment) [+](No comment) --autumnc... Kastel says: This was honestly quite good. An autobiographical Twine title exploring abuse and gender identity, which always feels linked in stories about trauma. Vote for this game

	SPY INTRIGUE, by furkle 1 vote (No comment) [+](No comment) ( - Full review) --autumnc... Kastel says: Huge fan of this title. I like how the protagonist's traumatic backstories are explored through . It's easily one of my favorite Twine works. Vote for this game

Is there another game that you think should be on this list? Just fill in the title of a game you'd like to vote for.

Poll created on August 24, 2023