Dark Room Sex Game
A rhythm game about sex with no graphics.
Dark Room Sex Game is a rhythm-based party video game that came out in February 2008 for Windows and MacOS. A group of seven students from different countries created it. The subtitle is "Can I touch your Wiimote?" and the game presents itself as a sex game with no visuals. The screen stays completely black, so players rely only on sound and touch. The goal is to match a rhythm with a partner and speed up gradually until reaching a target frequency, which stands for orgasm. You can play with a keyboard or a Wiimote, and up to four people can join.
The students built the game at the IT University of Copenhagen during the 2008 Nordic Game Jam, a weekend-long competition with the theme "Taboo." The team’s core idea was that a game about the most erotic kind of sex would work best without any images, forcing players to use their imagination. Critics gave it positive feedback, calling it "very fun." It’s seen as an interesting title for video game evolution because of its unique way of handling sex in gameplay. It won several awards, including the IndieCade 2008.
In the game, the menu is entirely audio: a voice explains options and choices are made with the keyboard. There are three modes for one, two, or four players. Six different voices are built in, and players can add new ones. Each player gets a random voice, so a group could have voices from people of the same sex. The aim is to find a rhythm with another player and speed up until reaching orgasm. Keyboard players press keys on the numeric keypad, while Wiimote users shake the controller in time. Without graphics, players only have audio cues—like lustful moans—and, if using a Wiimote, its vibrations. The game has three phases: a warm-up with preliminaries, then two more intense ones. Each voice has five positive sounds for good rhythm and five negative ones for when the pace is too fast, plus three orgasm sounds per voice.
The game was made during the 2008 Nordic Game Jam, a 48-hour contest at the IT University of Copenhagen with 150 participants. The theme was "Taboo," and other rules required a controller, multiplayer, and a core loop with a victory and high score. Lau Korsgaard came up with the original idea for an erotic game with no graphics. He worked with Douglas Wilson and five other students: Dajana Dimovska, Kennett Wong, Lars Bojsen-Møller, Mads Lyngvig, and Robin Di Capua. Initially, the ga
- Release date
- February 2008
- Platforms
- Windows, MacOS
- Developer
- Seven students at IT University of Copenhagen
- Genre
- Rhythm-oriented party game
- Notable feature
- No graphics; gameplay based on sound and haptics
- Awards
- IndieCade 2008
Lore & Background
Dark Room Sex Game was developed during the 2008 edition of the Nordic Game Jam, held from 1 to 3 February 2008 at the IT University of Copenhagen in Denmark. The competition attracted 150 participants and required games to be playable with a controller, support multiplayer, and have a core game loop with a victory and high score. The original idea by Lau Korsgaard was to create an erotic game devoid of graphics, and he shared this vision with Douglas Wilson and five other students: Dajana Dimovska, Kennett Wong, Lars Bojsen-Møller, Mads Lyngvig, and Robin Di Capua.
The game was initially intended for keyboard only, but the team was inspired by the phallic shape and vibration features of the Wiimote. The team decided that the Wiimote allowed a 'dynamic of people looking at each other, not the screen, and also a certain amount of physicality.' However, they did not consider the Wii version 'better' than the keyboard version, as the keyboard version forced players to be pressed close together, making it more provocative in some aspects. The game was developed in Java using Eclipse, with sound handled by the FMOD library and Wiimote connection via the homebrew 'WiiRemoteJ API' and a free Bluetooth library.
The game's menu consists entirely of sound, with a voice giving information and choices selected via keyboard. Three game modes exist for one, two, or four players. Six different voices are programmed, and players can define new ones. The goal is to find a rhythm with a partner and accelerate to a target frequency representing orgasm. Players use the numeric keypad on keyboard or shake the Wiimote. The game is divided into three phases: warm-up preliminaries, and two more intense phases. Each voice has five positive sounds for good rhythm, negative sounds for too-high rate, and three orgasm sounds.
Reader's Guide
Dark Room Sex Game holds significance as an early example of a video game that treats sex as a core gameplay mechanic rather than a visual spectacle. By stripping away all graphics, the game forces players to rely on auditory and haptic feedback, emphasizing imagination and physical interaction. Its development at a game jam under the 'Taboo' theme highlights how constraints can foster innovative design. The game's use of the Wiimote's vibration and shape added a layer of physicality that encouraged players to face each other rather than a screen, a novel social dynamic for its time. Winning the IndieCade 2008 award and receiving positive press—with one judge calling it 'very fun'—underscores its recognition within the indie game community. The game is considered an interesting title for the evolution of video games due to its unique approach to sex in gameplay, challenging conventional notions of what a video game can be. Its legacy lies in demonstrating that taboo subjects can be explored through gameplay mechanics without explicit visuals, influencing later experimental and art games.
Did You Know?
- The game was developed in 48 hours during the 2008 Nordic Game Jam with the theme 'Taboo.'
- The Wiimote was chosen partly because of its phallic shape and vibration features.
- The game supports up to four players and assigns a random voice to each player.
- The keyboard version forces players to be pressed close together, which the team found more provocative in some aspects.
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