Traumatic art game He F—ed the Girl Out of Me gets physical release (Update)

[Update: Taylor has let me know that there’s been a lot of demand for the cartridges, and they’re running low on stock. They’re trying to get more sent in, but don’t be too surprised if the store page switches to sold out. They’re hoping to sell them again sometime after TCAF, so if you miss your chance here, there might be another one. However, keep in mind that this isn’t through a publisher, just someone creating bespoke cartridges, so it’s a best-effort situation. They ask for your patience and understanding. Our original story follows.]

And it should

He Fucked the Girl Out of Me by Taylor McCue was one of the most impactful games I played last year. Largely a semi-autobiographical narrative game, it covers some extremely heavy topics about trauma and sex work. It’s not entertaining, it’s not meant to be, but it is very important. It’s also getting a physical release for the Toronto Comics Art Festival.

I feel like I need this, but paradoxically, I also feel like I shouldn’t have it. As I said, I appreciate He Fucked the Girl Out of Me as an evocative and impactful piece of art. Therefore, I have a sentimental attachment towards it, but I’m also not sure I want to play it again.

Handmade GameBoy cartridges

Interestingly, the store listing notes, “Each cartridge had its label attached by hand. The games are made from repurposed bootleg GameBoy games which have been modded to contain a brand new game. Please expect imperfections. The games may have wear and tear from being tested.”

That’s actually pretty neat. It’s one thing to have a perfect reproduction of a GameBoy cartridge, it’s another to have a bootleg game repurposed.

As I warned in my initial article, be careful going into He Fucked the Girl Out of Me. It’s an extremely affecting story, and if you’re prone to vicarious trauma, there’s certainly a risk there. It’s a great way to extend your perspective on the situations of others and can be helpful to build your empathy, but your own mental well-being comes before those things.

You can order the physical version of He Fucked the Girl Out of Me now for $50 Canadian Loonies. However, copies won’t ship out until June at the earliest. You can play the digital version of the game for free right over here.

The Toronto Comics Art Festival is open April 29th and 30th, but the digital marketplace goes from April 21st to May 7th.