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For families of transgender youth in Texas, navigating governmental transphobia is no game — but now, there is a video game that can put you in their shoes.
Portrait of a Texas Family is a new visual novel developed by independent studio Lookout Drive Games and a team of trans, nonbinary, and gender-nonconforming creators. Visual novels are an interactive type of fiction, and in this story, players take on the role of a parent to Sofia, a 14-year-old trans girl, as they gather materials for the family’s “safe folder,” a collection of evidence that their family is a loving and supportive one, to be held in the event that state CPS officials decide to investigate them.
The concept is one that Texas parents are becoming grimly familiar with (as are the developers and voice actors themselves, several of whom live in Houston). Robert Piggott, the game’s director, says they were inspired by a Twitter thread from parent and activist Amber Briggle on the importance of “safe folders,” after Texas governor Greg Abbott directed state officials in February to investigate the families of trans youth, as well as any health care providers who offer gender-affirming care.
“One year my son drew me the LOVELIEST mother's day card,” Briggle wrote at the time. “The 1st thing i thought was ‘this is the sweetest thing he's ever made me.’ the 2nd (heartbreaking) thing i thought is "this goes in the safe folder.”
That moment is referenced directly in Portrait of a Texas Family, as the player character finds one of Sofia’s drawings, which depicts their family, together and happy, and has to ask their daughter directly if it’s okay to put in the folder. Other scenes include Sofia’s first trip to the beach after coming out, a tense meeting with a state senator (which is itself inspired by Briggle’s own meeting with Attorney General Ken Paxton), and — thankfully — a brief interlude to pet your family’s beautiful black cat.
The 40-minute long Nintendo Direct showcase had no shortage of gaymer-gasm fodder.
As Piggott points out in an interview with the Houston Chronicle this week, exploring this story in a visual novel, where players explore a story through mostly static images and interactive dialogue, creates a sense of immersion and intimacy that can’t easily be imitated in more traditional fiction.
“You have to be interactive and choose to play it, to navigate through the concept of the safe folder, the everyday life of a typical family, and how these systems [are] affected by the oppression and anxiety of raising [a] trans child,” Piggott explains. “For us, we wanted the player to feel the love and care, but also the anxiety and worry, and ultimately the hope while navigating society.”
This Video Game Lets You Feel What It’s Like to Raise a Trans Child in Texas
For families of transgender youth in Texas, navigating governmental transphobia is no game — but now, there is a video game that can put you in their shoes.
Portrait of a Texas Family is a new visual novel developed by independent studio Lookout Drive Games and a team of trans, nonbinary, and gender-nonconforming creators. Visual novels are an interactive type of fiction, and in this story, players take on the role of a parent to Sofia, a 14-year-old trans girl, as they gather materials for the family’s “safe folder,” a collection of evidence that their family is a loving and supportive one, to be held in the event that state CPS officials decide to investigate them.
“One year my son drew me the LOVELIEST mother's day card,” Briggle wrote at the time. “The 1st thing i thought was ‘this is the sweetest thing he's ever made me.’ the 2nd (heartbreaking) thing i thought is "this goes in the safe folder.”
That moment is referenced directly in Portrait of a Texas Family, as the player character finds one of Sofia’s drawings, which depicts their family, together and happy, and has to ask their daughter directly if it’s okay to put in the folder. Other scenes include Sofia’s first trip to the beach after coming out, a tense meeting with a state senator (which is itself inspired by Briggle’s own meeting with Attorney General Ken Paxton), and — thankfully — a brief interlude to pet your family’s beautiful black cat.
The 40-minute long Nintendo Direct showcase had no shortage of gaymer-gasm fodder.
As Piggott points out in an interview with the Houston Chronicle this week, exploring this story in a visual novel, where players explore a story through mostly static images and interactive dialogue, creates a sense of immersion and intimacy that can’t easily be imitated in more traditional fiction.
“You have to be interactive and choose to play it, to navigate through the concept of the safe folder, the everyday life of a typical family, and how these systems [are] affected by the oppression and anxiety of raising [a] trans child,” Piggott explains. “For us, we wanted the player to feel the love and care, but also the anxiety and worry, and ultimately the hope while navigating society.”
