Feminist simulations: deep in the dream of a game

Abstract

This study delves into how the worlds of computer gaming and fine art intersect, employing DIY feminism to reflect on the gendered world of gaming and the links between simulation, reality, and fantasy within the game of Minecraft. I argue for a feminine craft (crochet) to challenge masculine gaming oppressions and the lack of representation, acceptance, and visibility for women in gaming culture. My research question is taken from the End Poem seen when the player has beaten the game's main boss. There is a line within the poem that asks, "But what true structure did this player create, in the reality behind the screen?" (End Poem, 2022). This is the question I have sought to answer within this study, by exploring a methodological approach that combines autoethnography and phenomenology to create a reflexive personal narrative.