Edge makes me think of edgy games – games are pushing or pretending to push boundaries.

I often feel that edgy games are pushing at false boundaries and artificial in their edge. As opposed to making me better disposed towards them it makes me more disengaged. The prime examples for me are Vampire:the masquerade and SLA industries.

I don’t like them – I’m a vanilla kind of guy – I like horror but I draw the line at Hostel never mind Salo, Human Centipede 2 or A Serbian film. In the final analysis if I’m watching a film or playing a game I’m doing it for entertainment and there are personal limits for me.

For all it’s goth styling Vampire just falls into moody superheroes crossed with what we do in the shadows. SLA Industries just comes across like a blending of wannabe edgyness that washes out as cyberpunk without anything to fight for. I don’t require every game to have heroes but I think a notion of trying to achieve something worthwhile does interest me.

One product I think dud deal with an extremely edgy subject well (CW child endangerment, sexual violence, racism) was with a long spoon – while it deals with very dark material it does give the player characters something worthwhile to fight for. I think it could probably stand rewriting today given how conversations have moved on and have advice on using safety tools.

On safety tools I think they are needed for dealing with edge in games. I think they need to not only be available but properly explained. I’ve been at cons when say X cards have been handed out but with little or no explanation. I think the supporting explanation is important. To be honest at cons I look to pitch things at tea time matinee action just to be on the safe side but you never know your audiences triggers.

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