CORTISOL

What is the Feminine Experience? What binds us all together under one standard? And how do we escape its confines and conspiracies with minimal scarring?

CORTISOL is a solo journaling game that uses tarot cards to build a narrative around one of six Feminine Experiences. It asks the player, the writer, the chronicler, to examine an Experience through the cards and their relationships, similarities, and differences, in an effort to deconstruct what to some might be considered ubiquitous feelings, events, or activities.

Players will need:

• A tarot deck with strong imagery
• A writing or typing tool
• A journal or word processing program  (you may also print and use the pages after the How to Play page)
• A six-sided die, if you would like your Feminine Experience to be randomized

Content warning:

This game is an examination of the often difficult and terrifying lives of feminine-identified people. It can include themes of domestic violence, medical malfeasance, internalized misogyny, racism, abortion, transphobia, gender dysphoria, body dysmorphia, eating disorders, and other such topics. There is no possible exhaustive list of all the themes you may encounter within, as you will be the source of many of them.

This game was created for the Femininomenon Jam. I'm incredibly thankful to the hosts; this game's development and production has helped lift me from a creative slump I very much feared would last for months.

CORTISOL was written and mildly playtested by Jes Richards.

Credits:
Content contributions from my beloved friends and creative partners, Megzie and Cris Sass-Council of the Let's Be Legendary Podcast
Made in Canva