What would it be like to have actor Vin Diesel gently and encouragingly DM a game of Dungeons & Dragons for you? Thanks to a new Twine game, you don't have to guess, and the result is joyful.
Merritt Kopas' latest Twine game is called (ASMR) Vin Diesel DMing a Game of D&D Just For You — the ASMR bit is a little facetious, as there are no auditory elements, no whispery chills (if you like those, read this). But there is a pure element of gentleness and care about the project: imagining Vin Diesel as a guy who invites you to join a quick fantasy roleplay because he just wants you to feel a bit better about yourself is playful, surprising and ultimately delightful.
Known for her projects that deal with boundaries, kink and consent, Kopas' recent work focuses on helping players "practice care through play" (see also MINKOMORA, her recent collaboration with Joni Kittaka). The intention of this particular game, Kopas has said, is not irony nor to make fun of Vin Diesel—she is a genuine fan. And somehow, the idea that a powerful and remote action star might take the time to run a few minutes of playful, nostalgic escape for you is more soothing than imagining a dungeon master we're likely to automatically read as "soft".
The game is free, takes just a few minutes to play, and quickly steps around the concept of itself as a gimmick. Seriously. You end up smiling and feeling kinda loved, and if you're like me, you probably end up sitting there musing about how and when video games stopped being the warm coping spaces that made us happy as children and started being capitalistic fantasies about Beating Things.
Anyway.
