Portrait of a Texas Family

(*VERSION 1.1 with minor sprite and credit fixes is now live*) 

(*This is an entry for NaNoReNo 2022. Please leave a rating and any feedback at this page. Thank you!)

(CW: Transphobia, State violence)

Inspired by a tweet by Denton, Texas mother and activist Amber Briggle as well as recent current events in Texas, Portrait of a Texas Family is a slice-of-life story taking place in present-day Houston, Texas about a family caring for their transgender daughter in turbulent times handled with sensitivity and care.

Hours after a controversial, non-binding, and unconstitutional order by Texas Governor Greg Abbott  declares trans-affirming healthcare for children as grounds for parental abuse investigations, you gather the final three items for your "safe folder."

As you gather these pieces of your life meant to show how loving and caring you and your partner Martín are for your transgender daughter Sofía, you recount key, gender-affirming moments from the past while preparing for an unknown but hopeful future.

• ~30 mins of playtime
• A story centered around LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC people that is focused on love and care
• Fully customizable main character including a custom name, four different skin tones, three different body types, choice of he/him, she/her and they/them pronouns and more.
• Full voice acting for every character besides the MC.
• An original music score.
• Flavor choices and optional conversations.
• Choose a name for and (maybe) pet your own cute family cat!
 

Portrait of a Texas Family is the first official game developed and released by Lookout Drive Games, an indie game studio based in New York City hiring folks from all walks of life to work on inclusive, narrative-driven games.

Portrait of a Texas Family's dev team was comprised of almost entirely gender non-conforming/transgender folks of various backgrounds and cities around the world including Houston, Texas.

Our goal was to make a game that tells a story that is life affirming, emotionally honest but handles its subject matter with the utmost love, respect, and sensitivity that affirms the humanity of transgender people and families raising transgender children in both Texas and all across the world at a time where they need all the support they can get.

Follow Lookout Drive Games on Itch,  Twitch, Twitter, Tiktok, Instagram, and YouTube for future updates on games in development and use the hashtag #portraitofatexasfamily on social media after playing to share the game with friends and family!
 

DIRECTOR/ NARRATIVE DESIGNER/ LEAD WRITER/ PROGRAMMER

Robert Pigott

SPRITE ARTIST

Mx. RuK

BACKGROUND ARTIST/ ADDITIONAL SPRITE ARTIST/ COVER ARTIST

Kat Peterson

STORY BY/ SCRIPT EDITING

Meredith Nudo

STORY CONSULTANT 

Isaac M.

CO-PROGRAMMER

Jerry Becerril

MUSIC COMPOSER

Stephan Plummer

AUDIO MIXER

Sourlyx

ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND ART

Tsungelique

SENSITIVITY READER

Raven Smith

VOICE DIRECTOR/ CASTING DIRECTOR/ SCRIPT EDITOR

Sandra "Maxi" Molina

VOICE CAST

Miguel Lackups-Fuentes as Martín

Noelle Palmer as Sofía

Blair Greene-Osako as Michelle

Duffy Weber as Senator

Cody Harding as Stranger

Jeffrey Stanley as Hot Dog Vendor

Kat Peterson as Front Cashier

Meredith Nudo as Food Cashier

Softie GUI Framework created by Katy133

Free Character Creation Template for Ren'Py created by Lunalucid

Pronoun Tool for Ren'Py created by npckc

SPECIAL THANKS

Amber Briggle and The Briggle Family

@ErinInTheMorn

@PinkRangerLB

Chase Strangio

Alejandra Caraballo

The Campaign for Southern Equality

Susan O'Connor

The Narrative Department Discord Server

The DevTalk Discord Server

My Mom, Susan

My Sister, Liz

My Brother, Mike

My Uncle, Jimm

And You, The Player

Portrait of a Texas Family’s concept was inspired by a tweet by Denton, TX mother Amber Briggle: https://twitter.com/mrsbriggle/status/1496584638051016712

We highly recommend giving her a follow to keep up with the most recent news impacting transgender children in Texas.

If you would like to read the entire text of Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s official order declaring trans-affirming healthcare for children as grounds for abuse investigations, it may be found here. Content warnings are in effect for transphobia and state violence. 

A stay against the order has been enacted as of the time of this game’s release. However, the damage has been done, stoking the fires of transphobic discrimination and violence in Texas and beyond. 

As of the time of this publication, there are 24 state bills and counting advocating for discrimination against transgender people, many of them speficially targeting children. Freedom for All Americans keeps an updated tracker of the legislation. We urge you to speak out and/or show support in whichever way you feel most comfortable. 

For more information about what healthcare protocols for transgender children actually entail, we recommend this guide by the Human Rights Campaign. 

If you wish to donate in support of transgender children and their families in Texas, please consider the following organizations: 

• Equality Texas
• Organización Latina de Trans en Texas
• Transgender Education Network of Texas
• Trans Pride Initiative
• ACLU of Texas
• Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund 
• Lambda Legal

Many Texans who support trans rights and other humane causes are unable to do so because of gerrymandering and voting rights suppression. If you wish to donate and help efforts to build fair, accessible Texas elections, please consider the following organizations:

• Brennan Center
• Texas Freedom Network
• NAACP Legal Defense Fund
• Voto Latino
• Texas Alliance for Retired Americans
• League of Women Voters of Texas
• Coalition of Texans with Disabilities

Stop the hate. Trans rights are human rights.