"Mark Matthews stars in ‘Anatomy is Hard!’ a struggling student tries to make the grade with his professor”: sexual humour and queer space in coming out on top

Abstract

Despite an increase over the years in the number of video games with queer content, queer characters in most games continue to be tragically framed. Coming Out on Top (COOT hereafter; 2014), a gay-themed visual novel and dating simulator, contrasts with these games for its comic and fun depiction of the life of gay men. While the game has been criticised for reinforcing the idea of consumable gay male bodies, a quick look at player review figures on Steam reveals that most players enjoyed the game. This research uses the tools of netnography and close reading to analyse sexual humour in COOT and aims to create a dialogue between my own gayming experience, the experience of other players, and previous scholarship on humour. I ultimately argue that COOT leaves a positive impression on queer players because it offers them something relatively new in the world of video games: the possibility to laugh and imagine their lives in a positive and fun way.