Today in Why Did Anyone Think This Was Fine? news: Shower With Your Dad Simulator. No, you didnât read that wrong. Yes, it is exactly what you think it is. For those of you with no imagination or concept of language, the game, Â available on PC, puts you in the shoes of a young boy, naked and confused in a shower room.
The aim of the game is, through âlogicâ or something, to correctly guess which of the three (also naked) adult men in the room with you is your dad. Then you shower with him. Great stuff. You can take a look at the game on Steam here - itâs 79p and already has thousands of recommendations and reviews.
While clearly intended to be funny, the game delegitimises and mocks the experiences of people who were abused as children. Itâs meant to be a stupid throwaway game for, presumably, teenage boys, but itâs horrible. Itâs gross. Itâs actually quite hurtful. I guess itâs in the vein of those weird, âedgyâ animations popular online that are lauded as if theyâre somehow subversive but whose punchline is always predictable, easy and mean.
No doubt some people will think itâs just harmless fun. But it isnât. I spoke to someone who was sexually abused by their father as a child:
âWhen youâve been a victim, you just feel like a joke - nobody wants to take you seriously. Whatâs happened to you is so fucking sinister that nobody listens to you. Itâs just too much for them to handle.
So you always find yourself being the punchline. And this game feels like weâre the punchline on a whole new level. Not only do you get to joke about us but now you get to play a game which emulates that trauma. Itâs triggering, too - even the name of the game will bring back memories that a lot of victims have been trying to forget.â
In short, Shower With Your Dad Simulator: donât buy it.
Main image: Steam