Empowering Women in Gaming: Rusted Moss Devs Break Barriers

Rusted Moss, a Metroidvania game, stands out with its innovative gameplay and narrative. The game showcases a diverse cast of authentic female characters, and features a physics-based grappling hook traversal mechanic that requires skill and creativity to explore the overgrown environments.

The game was developed by a talented trio of female indie game developers - Faxdoc, Happysquared, and Sunnydaze, who brought their unique perspective to the game. In an interview with Game Rant, the Rusted Moss team discussed how they overcame the challenges often faced by female developers in the industry, and how their personal experiences influenced the game's storyline.

The Rusted Moss team successfully avoided the horror stories that are often associated with female developers in the gaming industry.

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It is an unfortunate truth that the gaming industry presents numerous challenges for women, with issues such as sexual harassment and discrimination being prevalent among development studios. Female developers and even female characters are often subjected to unfair treatment by gamers, which only adds to the already stressful nature of their profession. Fortunately, the team behind Rusted Moss has created a supportive and insulated environment that allows them to focus on their work and passion. When asked about how they have dealt with these challenges, Happysquared explained:

"At PAX East, we were fortunate enough to win the PAX Rising showcase, which sponsored a booth for us. I attended alone because Faxdoc is in Norway and my sister is working in London. I had a male friend who lives nearby help me with our booth, and unfortunately, people assumed he was the main developer."

One advantage of being part of a small team is the ability for female game developers to be more selective in their interactions. The Rusted Moss team has built a safe space for themselves and mostly interacts with people they know are supportive and chill. This insularity has prevented them from having to deal with the horror stories that other female developers encounter when interacting outside of their own community. Their positive experience with development serves as inspiration for other female indie developers who have likely heard about the industry's toxic individuals. Rusted Moss offers a refreshing female perspective.

The team behind Rusted Moss delved into exploring the roles of female characters in their world and how they could use them to express personal experiences. Although not explicitly related to gender, the majority of characters in the game are female. Some have been suspected of being changelings due to their melancholic nature or showing irritation, breaking away from the expectation that girls are supposed to show perfect behavior at all times. This inclusion of more emotions in female characters is a deliberate choice made by the team.

Rusted Moss stands out by showcasing numerous female characters in a non-sexualized manner, even if the game's plot has no relation to gender. Most games and media tend to focus on male characters, and games with a predominantly female cast often receive negative feedback for objectifying them. However, Rusted Moss portrays its female characters as real people with their own unique flaws and personality traits, making them relatable and engaging. While some players have criticized the lack of male characters, the game's portrayal of women as normal adventurers is a refreshing change from the norm. Rusted Moss is currently available for PC.