Players

by Kate Fractal, Sharone Horowit-Hendler, Alon Levy

Finding members of the other three sexes for a marriage can be quite a challenge for a young Trave. In the age-of-steam city of Harborview, some young adults struggle more than others to find their pods. In the past, the traditional Pod Dances provided a way for marriageable Traves to get to know one another, with the hand holds of the dance serving as a safe, socially-acceptable way of trying out sexual compatibility with prospective pods. Today, most Traves find pods their own way, but for those who don’t, the Pod Dances remain. These modern Pod Dances promise romance, legitimacy, and hope. Pod Dancing is a high-characterization matchmaking game about gender, multi-partner relationships, family, and dancing. Set on an alien world where all higher life forms have four sexes, all of which are required for procreation, Pod Dancing investigates how biology shapes sexual taboos. The game allows players to explore romance in an alternate society.

The game’s genre is romantic comedy in a science fiction setting . Characters range from comedic to serious to high-angst.

Players will be cast as one of four genders, none of which maps to male or female in a game world of rigid gender roles. Due to the nature of this game, participants should expect to interact romantically with players of any real-world gender. Content warnings: there is no sexual assault in-game, but it is discussed in the abstract. The game depicts discrimination based on class, ability, and sexual minority status, including against player characters. Some characters deal with dysfunctional relationships, PTSD, loss of a loved one, risk of being disowned, gender dysphoria, disability, and shame. Players under 18 are allowed only with parental permission.