Hi! My name is Tommy. I’m a game developer & sex educator. I create analog games to help participants develop self-awareness of personal sexual values and interests. Below you will find a bit about my approach to teaching and game development in my teaching philosophy statement. I am currently working on the development of a few games, and host a recurring sex & gaming club called the Queer and Erotic Gaming (QuEG) Club. Come back soon for some updates on my upcoming game “need 4 luv” which utilizes a mech dating simulator to help participants develop an understanding of the dual control model of sexual arousal. 

How do I view my learners’ role in their education?

I believe that students are the most important part of the learning process. I view my learners through a humanistic philosophy. Teachers cannot engage people who aren’t interested in learning. While young people are required to engage in education, it is not possible to engage in teaching without the presence of someone willing to learn. For this reason, I choose to treat my learners as “captains” in their learning journey. 

The education tools I use focus on integrating games, most commonly role-playing games, into my teaching, and much like a role-playing game isn’t a game without its players, education isn’t education without its learners. From this point on I will refer to participants in my teaching as players/learners to showcase the dual roles I intend my participants to take on.

What practices and activities do I plan to engage my players/learners in?

In addition to what is discussed above, learning isn’t learning if it isn’t remembered. What is the value of learning information that you have no use in keeping after you’ve taken a test on it? Due to this view towards learning, I try to make impactful and memorable experiences for players/learners to participate in when engaging in their education. Not only do I set out to teach knowledge or facts but also experience and value critique.

To do this I develop experiential activities through games, assist with facilitation, and encourage critical discussions and reflection. Borrowing from existentialist teaching practices role-playing offers a great deal of freedom for players/learners to form their own paths, participate in creative solutions to problems, and develop their own values in human sexuality.

Why are games and play so integral in the teaching I practice? 

There is little to no education for the public about “relating”, and for Queer folx often less so (or worse). Games and play paired with critical theory offer tools for players/learners to engage in practice and critical analysis of the often difficult concepts of sexuality, identity, and relationships with much lower risk than in real life. Through play facilitators like myself can offer players/learners safe opportunities to practice & live temporarily outside the bounds of real systemic structures of power & dominance and can offer them a chance to see true utopia in all its beauty & imperfection.