Perhaps you played Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor and thought about dating all the orcs rolling around in the mud rather than fighting them. Well, if you did, you’ll be interested in Tusks, which its creator Mitch Alexander describes as a “big gay orc dating sim.”
Made for NaNoRenO 2015 (a month-long game jam), Tusks will have you playing as a male orc as he travels across a semi-mythical Scotland, meeting other orcs. It’s up to you whether you find friendship, romance, or something more.
The game’s creator says that he wanted to use orcs as they are always cast as the Other, and in that cast-type role, there’s something that people who feel outside of traditional society can relate to. He also notes that “female artists and creators are exploring monsters through things like mermaid myths and cyborg feminism – comparatively, orcishness in its ugly, crass and troubled depictions holds the same kind of appeal to me.”
Alexander also notes that he wanted to have diverse characters in Tusks, focusing on attributes that often aren’t depicted in dating sims, including “round, stocky and fat bodies, with stretchmarks, body hair, facial hair, scars and piercings; with visible and invisible disabilities, with varying ages, with differing beliefs, educational backgrounds and attitudes!”
it also has optional NSFW content, NPC autonomy, and optional protagonist dialogue. You can find out more about Tusks on its website.
