This is third of fifteen essays contained within the fourth issue of the Adult Analysis Anthology, a collection of longform writing that seeks to expand the breadth of critical discourse around adult games and adult game culture. If you’d like to support the creation of more high-quality writing about adult games the full anthology is available for purchase on Itch! Anthology logo by Pillow!
Written By: Braden Liatris
Let’s start with a question: why do we play porn games?
By syntactic necessity, it can’t be because of the game part, so it must be because of the porn part. What is it about pornography that we find so compelling? That answer may seem obvious, but it still merits consideration. Erotica and pornography don’t just seek to inform or entertain, they aim to get a rise out of their audience. They stir our blood. They excite our humors. They make us wet. Therefore, we play porn games because we want to be aroused.
So what exactly do choices have to do with any of that?