Hollie Flansburger’s Period Quest: Finally, A Game that Tackles the Taboo Head-On

There’s a game that’s been gaining traction lately on Steam, called Period Quest. It’s a bold statement about women’s health and reproductive rights, and it’s being met with mixed reviews. Some gamers, such as Another A-hole Gamer, think it’s “boring, gross, and stupid.” Others are embracing it as a feminist masterpiece. So let’s dive into this controversial game and see for ourselves what the fuss is all about.

Period Quest is an RPG, and you play as a woman who just started her period. You explore the game’s fictional town of Tulip, trying to make sense of your newfound hormones and figuring out how to navigate your menstrual cycle. It’s a pretty straightforward game, and it doesn’t have much in the way of fancy graphics or gameplay mechanics. But what it lacks in polish, it makes up for in its refreshingly honest approach to a topic that’s often taboo among cis men and this patriarchal society in which we unfortunately continue to live.

One thing Period Quest gets right is how messy periods can be. You have to manage your hygiene, which can be tough if you’re not used to the whole “wiping” thing. You also have to learn how to track your cycle- which can be a pain in the butt if you forget to write it down somewhere. But the game doesn’t shy away from these realities; it embraces them, and it doesn’t treat menstruation as something to be ashamed of. This is a refreshing change from other games that ignore periods altogether, or fetishize them. This is, of course, a by-product of the male-dominated games industry. Thanks to games like this, things are changing.

Another great thing about Period Quest is how it tackles the issue of period poverty*. In Tulip, many women struggle to afford pads and tampons, and they have to resort to using rags or newspaper instead. This isn’t just a nod towards the game’s 8-bit graphics; it’s a commentary on the real-life issue of period poverty, and it’s a reminder that women’s health shouldn’t be taken for granted.

So should you check out Period Quest? That depends on your taste, of course. But if you’re tired of games that ignore the reality of being a woman- and if you’re sick of men (who are often “boring, gross, and stupid” themselves, aren’t they?) complaining about a natural and beautiful part of a womb carrier’s lived experience – then I encourage you to give Hollie Flansburger’s Period Quest a shot. It’s not perfect- but it’s a game that’s tackling a taboo topic head-on, and it deserves to be taken seriously.

*if you wish to hear more about the issue of period poverty, please consult this search: https://duckduckgo.com/?t=h_&q=period+poverty&ia=web