Video games often take you into another world. A fantasy land or a dystopian future where you need to fight for survival against monsters or other players. “The Tearoom” however, paints a more familiar scene. Created by indie game maker Robert Yang, it recreates 1960s gay cruising in a public washroom. Plus, while amusing conceptually, it also addresses the real risks faced by men at the time (and still today).
The game is named after a piece of art that was made of real footage from cameras that police set up in Ohio to record men having sex in public bathrooms. The originals of these tapes also included homophobic slurs from police officers. The men in the footage were later arrested.
The game recreates the cruising risks that come from police targeting gay men. The objective is to suck 8 different kinds of dicks – replaced by guns in the game in order to keep it from being banned from certain indie game distribution networks – without getting caught by the dicks. Think internet sensation “Slenderman,” only it all takes place inside of that creepy bathroom, you’re trying to suck some cock instead of collect paper, and the demon chasing you is a group of people appointed to protect you.
This isn’t Yang’s first gay-themed game. Previous games include Cobra Club, which lets you take virtual dick pics and Hurt Me Plenty, which dives into the world of BDSM.
You can download The Tearoom for free or check out the gameplay video down below.