Porn Game Tropes: The good, the bad, and the fugly

[Dragon59]

Honestly? I'll never understand that one. I fully understand that body hair is a matter of preference for most people, but since when did it become a rule that the default is everyone is Barbie Doll smooth, and any kind of body hair, has to be denoted as a "specialty fetish content". Like, seriously, I've played my fair share of adult games, and finding characters with natural body hair? It's like finding a unicorn.

Where I find it especially unbelievable are in LIs who are shy virgins without any sexual experience (i.e. they haven't even watched porn, so they didn't see "porn grooming" standards).

I remember seeing an eighties porn about The Three Musketeers. The non-Jewish musketeers were all circumcised and the barmaids had trimmed pubes and breast implants and modern pubic tattoos. Pierced nipples, too, if memory serves. It actually took me out of the moment.

In similar fashion to the previous point, yes, in an adult game, body type is very much a personal preference, but how did it ever become the default that "average" or even every so slightly "chubby" body types are treated as such rare fetishes in the sphere of adult games? I feel like a lot of these standards aren't accurately based on supply and demand, so much as they are built on the underlying community not being fully developed, probably due to how taboo adult games are in modern society.

I always thought that was just peak lazy game design. Obviously adult games as a sub genre of videogames haven't seen a ton of innovation in recent years due to a myriad of factors, but one of the worst responses to that are devs that can't commit to creating more meaningful/entertaining sex scenes past the point of copying the already horrible template that you described above.

This reminds me of the now eerily foreshadowing Q&A at Blizzcon in 2010. A woman, after praising the strong female characters, wondered "if we could have some of them that don't look like they just stepped out of a Victoria's Secret catalog." The (at best) clueless initial responses were, "What do you mean?" [chuckle] "Which catalogues would you like them step out of?"

In the case of Daz3d assets, fashion modeling vignettes seem to be a big part of their designs so there are a lot of supermodel proportions among female assets. A developer has to be willing to made edits to them or go to other assets (which seem to be getting a little more common) to have characters that look closer to the norm for human beings.

Also, the lack of post-sex intimacy, or for that matter, foreplay? Extremely lazy and disappointing. If you choose to develop an adult game, and sex is a primary component in it, perhaps don't make it the least enjoyable mechanic of the entire thing. I mean, I get it, it's not easy to innovate there when the space is full of bad examples, but in most cases what I see suggests to me that the dev wasn't trying to make anything meaningful in the first place. Effort tends to show, even when you miss the mark.

That matches my perception as well. I tend to spend my Patron/Subscribe money on developers who are trying to break from that lowest common denominator.

 

[Jaike]

Demonic Names 101:

Almost all Demon girls, whether they're succubus girls, or demonic girls who want you to corrupt your family and friends. They're usually named Lilith. Also, if you have a vampire girl. Odds are, her name is Lilith too. Why can they not have other names? Nobody knows, but if you ever did name them differently, you'd probably go to Hell.

Aw, I was planning on using that one later in a themed post. Was going to call it "Uninspired" or "Inspiration must be divine after all".

I think the second most common option for a female demon is Jezebel. But it's a distant second.

Where I find it especially unbelievable are in LIs who are shy virgins without any sexual experience (i.e. they haven't even watched porn, so they didn't see "porn grooming" standards).

It isn't spread only through porn, also through general media and word of mouth.

 

[Crooked13th]

Where I find it especially unbelievable are in LIs who are shy virgins without any sexual experience (i.e. they haven't even watched porn, so they didn't see "porn grooming" standards).

I remember seeing an eighties porn about The Three Musketeers. The non-Jewish musketeers were all circumcised and the barmaids had trimmed pubes and breast implants and modern pubic tattoos. Pierced nipples, too, if memory serves. It actually took me out of the moment.

That is rather amusing! Because yeah, if you're pure and virginal enough, you just don't grow body hair anymore lol. I mean, come on. WHAT DID YOU DO WITH THE HAIR??

This reminds me of the now eerily foreshadowing Q&A at Blizzcon in 2010. A woman, after praising the strong female characters, wondered "if we could have some of them that don't look like they just stepped out of a Victoria's Secret catalog." The (at best) clueless initial responses were, "What do you mean?" [chuckle] "Which catalogues would you like them step out of?"

Oh, I remember this incident. The response was so emblematic of so much that is wrong with the industry, but it went unnoticed. Only later resurrected by the recent Blizzard shitstorm.

In the case of Daz3d assets, fashion modeling vignettes seem to be a big part of their designs so there are a lot of supermodel proportions among female assets. A developer has to be willing to made edits to them or go to other assets (which seem to be getting a little more common) to have characters that look closer to the norm for human beings.

That matches my perception as well. I tend to spend my Patron/Subscribe money on developers who are trying to break from that lowest common denominator.

I mean, it makes sense for Daz3d as a business, to create the assets they feel have the most demand. Which in a roundabout way does influence the body types you can expect out of an adult game using Daz.

That's primarily why I decided to go with 2D for my own project. Pre defined limitations of 3D models are very challenging, if you want to create something interesting. Although, credit where credit is due, a lot of aspiring devs wouldn't have touched adult games if they didn't find something like Daz to rely on in art asset creation. And it's for the best for more people to get into developing adult games.

 

[Dragon59]

I think that is a big part of it, yes. Porn is a very poor representation for the medium it's built on, but somehow it's been going strong with little change for a very long time. I think perhaps adult games took too much inspiration from the porn industry.

Which does the "game" portion of adult games rather a disservice, because regular porn never had to worry about any interactivity, but it is a central focus for video games. Even more curious is the fact that while porn is extremely mainstream at this stage, adult games remain quite niche to the world's population at large. And this creates an ample opportunity for creators to target smaller communities with more highly customized content that is fit for purpose, as opposed to mainstream content meant for hundreds of thousands. And this is wasted far too often.

I came of age in the Seventies when directors were trying to cross the boundaries between legitimate filmmaking and porn. In New York city, especially, they got their talent from men and women who were already acting, and as such, they had a wide span of body types and ages. This existed in San Francisco as well, but it wasn't as striking.

I also remember the era of VHS when Southern California productions took over and they started hiring cookie cutter actresses. That's also when shaving became the norm. I don't know if the growing video game industry also took inspiration with this business model.

Of course, in the modern era with so many smaller production houses, incest and college dorm stories have become all too common. It allows them to film in one room or one house without having to come up with a reason why the characters are there with each other. No need for story building or character development. Sigh.

 

[cramcramcram]

Some that pop up a lot the last few years (especially in some sandbox or tangential visual novels) are the meta or guide girls:


Knows the character closely (with a hasty backstory later) or becomes attached to them through some 'event' quickly.
Often a quick sex scene to get attention for a longer game.

Has special knowledge of what is going on, or knowledge of everyone. Everybody's friend
Apparently always available (especially for random sex interludes in some story section)
Typically enables some type of abnormal event, unnatural advances with some characters. Introductions
**Bonus points for special powers, being a helpful succubus, or "lust energy"

'Winks at you' 'Lifts her skirt' 'Distracts her while you...' 'Give [player] another chance...'

Either completely slutty or very pure:
Sometimes differing in words vs. actions. e.g. sexually frustrated or inept
Often normalizes some (creepy) behavior or urges the player on. Extra deluxe version: Harem manager.
(Blithe or judgmental takes are sometimes great though.)

Hints at or regularly breaks the fourth wall. Hints at mechanics and things to do.


Games: Corrupted Kingdoms (fairy), A House in the Rift (Az), buncha harem games, and countless japanese games

Maya from Lessons in Love is probably one of the best meta takes, not really the above. Much better than the trope. Honestly I've only downloaded Lessons in Love recently for some of the characterizations.

Bad examples are usually the games where instead of a menu/manual you have the random girl go over options, with no development. Or kind of like the 'close friend' in otome games to explain random mechanics, but a girl, who provides 'help me' and 'fuck me' options. Also 4th wall jokes are repetitive and rarely good.

Worst examples are reminder ones where instead of OoT's Navi going 'Hey!' 'Listen!', you have some 'Hey! Have you fucked Samantha [anally] yet?!' Or only annoying commentary and sound effects.



...'Have you spoken to Saria about how to get Malon and Zelda in a threesome yet?'
Can still hear the sound...

 

[desmosome]

Every gay game connoisseur learns the truth sooner or later: a universe can only hold two body types at the same time without imploding.
Whenever you press the tag, you can opt to travel through the proverbial hole to a reality populated by college-aged gym bros and barely-legal girly boys with flowy and colorful hair or to one containing hyper-muscled, middle-aged bodybuilders and horny big-bellied, often bald Santa Claus look-alikes. In other words: you are given the very Freudian choice between doing someone who resembles your dad or your younger sibling.

That's easy to explain and ties into pretty much all physical characteristics being fetishized in porn. All women are supermodels. The nerds are supermodels with glasses. Trans woman are supermodels with dicks. Lesbians are all supermodels and not some manly dykes. Furries are supermodels in animal form. Antagonists are some giga chad or ugly bastards. So gays are stereotypical bears or twinks because that is supposedly what gets people off when they think of gay porn.

Generally, the only time we see this rule broken is when the dev wants to make a non-LI who could be available to non-MC characters (usually MC's sidekick) without triggering the anti NTR whiners. Think along the lines of the dykes in BADIK and the ugly bitches in Caribdis games (the one ugly girl in OIALT and the hulk woman in Eternum).

 

[SrRK]

A less common one, but...

Some Russian Guy's Midnight Ego Fantasy:

We've all encountered games that read like a midnight action-hero fantasy where the main character (the writer) is the Bruce Willis of porn novels and he's about to "kick ass, take names, save the world..." and there may be one or two lewd scenes so it can be classified as a porn game (for revenue purposes, of course). Ahem, I meant: "Fuck bitches!"

Usually has some edgy name like "Redemption." Almost always shows a closeup of a male DAZ model's menacing face surrounded by girls in the banner... and someone holding a gun.

---

I'm not going to name any of those games though since I myself am a developer and have no interest in throwing shade at others. Besides... while I haven't read the entire thread, I'm sure I've been roasted already.

Now as for the topic... I think some tropes can actually be a good thing, though, it's usually dependent on how they're executed. For example, there's only so many ways you can "accidentally" land in an erotic situation (whoops, dropped the fork! or -- oh no, the bathroom door doesn't lock!)... but I am of the belief that "lewd" moments should be frequent and plentiful in these games. So as long as we at least try to be creative or add our own unique spin to them it's okay to use tropes.

Plot tropes are a bit different in that they are far harder to execute properly and, if not done well, can be far more annoying.

For example, how many of us just outright refuse to play games because the premise is that you're an introverted 20-something returning home from college. Or you're a no-life 18-year-old with perverted fantasies of his family. When an idea has been done so much that it is practically run into the ground, many people will avoid it which is why you should try to add some sort of creative spin from a plot perspective, or not bother at all.

 

[Doorknob22]

Everyone in the family locks their doors like it's a halfway house (except for the bathroom door, which they don't even bother to close properly).

 

[SpoiledPrince]

That's easy to explain and ties into pretty much all physical characteristics being fetishized in porn. All women are supermodels. The nerds are supermodels with glasses. Trans woman are supermodels with dicks. Lesbians are all supermodels and not some manly dykes. Furries are supermodels in animal form. Antagonists are some giga chad or ugly bastards. So gays are stereotypical bears or twinks because that is supposedly what gets people off when they think of gay porn.

Generally, the only time we see this rule broken is when the dev wants to make a non-LI who could be available to non-MC characters (usually MC's sidekick) without triggering the anti NTR whiners. Think along the lines of the dykes in BADIK and the ugly bitches in Caribdis games (the one ugly girl in OIALT and the hulk woman in Eternum).

Thing is, there are at least a dozen well-known gay stereotypes when it comes to bodies, but you only get to see those four in games, more often than not distributed in those two kinds of pairings. There are, of course, some exceptions to the rule (Meeting Adam 1&2, for example) and even one body type universes (Coming on top) but is not frequent.
I could understand that from a female Dev creating yaoi, where the female readers are supposed to identify with the bottom, and therefore designs tend to look feminine, but from an insider, one knowing how wide are the tastes, appealing to a very specific sector of the market instead of diversifying the offer and going for it all is a curious choice... unless it's a passion project, of course. It looks like a lost opportunity money-wise.

 

[Pretentious Goblin]

Not in the mood for a snarky title and description, but when thinking of games where the female MC is already promiscuous from the start, they'll nearly all have a MC that's a succubus. I guess in the world of smut gaming, the only ways to be promiscuous as a female are after an escalating path of debauchery, exhibitionism, submission and adultery, or by being a literal sex demon.

 

[Dragon59]

Some that pop up a lot the last few years (especially in some sandbox or tangential visual novels) are the meta or guide girls:


Knows the character closely (with a hasty backstory later) or becomes attached to them through some 'event' quickly.
Often a quick sex scene to get attention for a longer game.

Has special knowledge of what is going on, or knowledge of everyone. Everybody's friend
Apparently always available (especially for random sex interludes in some story section)
Typically enables some type of abnormal event, unnatural advances with some characters. Introductions
**Bonus points for special powers, being a helpful succubus, or "lust energy"

'Winks at you' 'Lifts her skirt' 'Distracts her while you...' 'Give [player] another chance...'

Either completely slutty or very pure:
Sometimes differing in words vs. actions. e.g. sexually frustrated or inept
Often normalizes some (creepy) behavior or urges the player on. Extra deluxe version: Harem manager.
(Blithe or judgmental takes are sometimes great though.)

Hints at or regularly breaks the fourth wall. Hints at mechanics and things to do.


Games: Corrupted Kingdoms (fairy), A House in the Rift (Az), buncha harem games, and countless japanese games

Maya from Lessons in Love is probably one of the best meta takes, not really the above. Much better than the trope. Honestly I've only downloaded Lessons in Love recently for some of the characterizations.

Bad examples are usually the games where instead of a menu/manual you have the random girl go over options, with no development. Or kind of like the 'close friend' in otome games to explain random mechanics, but a girl, who provides 'help me' and 'fuck me' options. Also 4th wall jokes are repetitive and rarely good.

Worst examples are reminder ones where instead of OoT's Navi going 'Hey!' 'Listen!', you have some 'Hey! Have you fucked Samantha [anally] yet?!' Or only annoying commentary and sound effects.



...'Have you spoken to Saria about how to get Malon and Zelda in a threesome yet?'
Can still hear the sound...

Thank you for posting that. I admit that one of my games will have a character that might possibly fit into that trope, but I'm hoping that, with your description of the trope, I can hopefully break out in other directions.

 

[Doorknob22]

In real life: for 20 years I've been trying to caaaaaarefuly pull a book out of my sleeping wife's hands after she falls asleep without waking her up, and she always wakes up when I do.

In porn games: I can anally sleep-rape practically everyone in the house without them waking up.

 

[DeMarcus16]

In real life: for 20 years I've been trying to caaaaaarefuly pull a book out of my sleeping wife's hands after she fell asleep, and she always wakes up.

In porn game: I can anally sleep-rape practically everyone in the house without them noticing.

Maybe that's how to "caaaaaarefuly pull a book out of my sleeping wife's hands " without waking her???

Sorry, I just couldn't resist.

 

[SrRK]

Here's some more boner-killing tropes that I think should be avoided. Though depends on the game I guess:

• MC shouts "I'M CUMMING!!!" like he needs to announce it to the world. I've only had an average number of sexual partners in my life, but I've never felt the need to announce this like Jerry Lawler.

• Girl: "You're way better than the last guy who fucked me" or "You're way bigger than my ex-boyfriend," and of course we can't forget "You're the best I've ever had!"

I get you're trying to stroke the players ego, but people generally don't like to think or hear about someone's sexual endeavors when banging each other. Just think about this in reverse and ask if she'd want to hear this: "Your pussy is way tighter than the last girl I fucked!"

 

[desmosome]

• Girl: "You're way better than the last guy who fucked me" or "You're way bigger than my ex-boyfriend," and of course we can't forget "You're the best I've ever had!"

When you do see something like this, it's almost always for the netori (or NTR if it's talking shit about MC instead) context. "Your so much bigger/better than my husband/bf" makes a lot of sense if this particular woman's arc is mainly about stealing her from her SO. "You're the best I've ever had" is not even about netori or anything questionable. If a man hears this and feels bad about all the other penises shes had in her hole rather than taking it as a simple complement, well...

 

[SrRK]

When you do see something like this, it's almost always for the netori (or NTR if it's talking shit about MC instead) context. "Your so much bigger/better than my husband/bf" makes a lot of sense if this particular woman's arc is mainly about stealing her from her SO. "You're the best I've ever had" is not even about netori or anything questionable. If a man hears this and feels bad about all the other penises shes had in her hole rather than taking it as a simple complement, well...

Oh it's not about feeling bad. It's just a turn off, aka it's not sexy at all. Also I see this used all the time outside of the context of Netori: as I said usually seems like an attempt to stroke the players ego rather than to appeal to a fetish.

Now, I also happen to be a huge Netori fan (stealing girls from their husbands/boyfriends, or the MC cheating in general) and I still have no desire to hear about her sexual endeavors or the husband/boyfriend's small penis. If that's your cup of tea, you do you.

 

[desmosome]

Oh it's not about feeling bad. It's just a turn off, aka it's not sexy at all. Also I see this used all the time outside of the context of Netori: as I said usually seems like an attempt to stroke the players ego rather than to appeal to a fetish.

Now, I also happen to be a huge Netori fan (stealing girls from their husbands/boyfriends, or the MC cheating in general) and I still have no desire to hear about her sexual endeavors or the husband/boyfriend's small penis. If that's your cup of tea, you do you.

Yea, just pointing out that I don't think it's really common in a more wholesome story about romance or whatever, certainly not enough to be a trope we see all the time. And in the more deviant stories, which netori often is, it feels appropriate to have this type of dialogue because most games lean into whatever fetish they are going for. Kinda like daddy or mommy talks in incest.

And I dare say your combination of liking netori while simultaneously disliking netori flavored dialogue (typical fetishization of subjects in porn) might not be all that common.

 

[SrRK]

Yea, just pointing out that I don't think it's really common in a more wholesome story about romance or whatever, certainly not enough to be a trope we see all the time. And in the more deviant stories, which netori often is, it feels appropriate to have this type of dialogue because most games lean into whatever fetish they are going for. Kinda like daddy or mommy talks in incest.

And I dare say your combination of liking netori while simultaneously disliking netori flavored dialogue (typical fetishization of subjects in porn) might not be all that common.

Yeah you're not wrong that it's common in Netori games. Though, surprisingly also common in games that are not I could name 3 off the top of my head but for the sake of not seeming like I'm throwing salt at other developers (cuz I'm not!) I gotta keep quiet.

 

[hollowreaper]

Male MCs in incest games hate their father.
MC is the only man in the game who isn't an asshole.

 

[Wankstaindeluxe]

Male MCs in incest games hate their father.
MC is the only man in the game who isn't an asshole.

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