Filing Cistem is a game about putting things into boxes (or, more accurately, tubes). You work in a government office, where your job is to sort paperwork into "male" and "female" - all day, every day. Now get to work.

Click and drag objects into one of the tubes to sort them. Press Esc to bring up the pause menu.

This game was a collaboration between a group of queer friends. We started working on it in Spring 2021, inspired by (although not an entry to) the Search for the First Cisgender Protagonist game jam. After working on it in our spare time for a year, we finished and released it in Spring 2022.

Credits:

  • Initial concept: Dylan Jaide White
  • Writing: Coriander, Dylan Jaide White, Kaz Nuckowski, Rat Council
  • Art: Coriander, Kaz Nuckowski
  • Music: 'Flutey Jazz' by Kevin MacLeod (CC BY 3.0)
  • Sound effects: Freesound.org (CC0)
  • Sound design: Dylan Jaide White, Kaz Nuckowski, Rat Council
  • Programming: Dylan Jaide White

Special thanks to Evelyn, Klara, and Morgan for playtesting the game & providing suggestions!

Comments

Log in with itch.io to leave a comment.

I'm lost

(+8)

it was painful having to gender the nb

fr

(+3)

you gender the cas? jail for devs for a thousand years!
(did love the game tho, I feel this pain and it can be hard to explain to people succinctly so I think I will just send them this)

(+2)

I felt the need to reply to this because I literally love this comment so much. Idrk what to say other than that I think you've won at the comments on this game, but I will let you know mini cas, the plushie he is based off of is living happily with a little pride pin on his coat.

(+1)

Haha, glad to know he's living well!!

(+3)

Robots are boys, dragonflies are girls, and we need to make the Turing test harder. I've processed 6 congratulations cards in the last hour, they're just letting everyone pass as human nowadays!

Lovely game. I personally liked the endless aspect, but understand why others might not. I think an ending might have been too heavy-handed for the tone.

(+3)

Well someone here clearly uses Tumblr (Blorbo)

(1 edit) (+1)

items are pretty funny! a "printer test", a paper clip box, a torn paper, blank paper, lipstick, a loupe…

That's a funny game to understand that social roles are totally absurd & there foregender should not exist. But I would have found this game perfect with an ending (or a few messages that add narrative, if the "endless" aspect is intended)

(+6)(-1)

An interactive experience that makes its point neatly. However, the absence of an end state means it loops indefinitely and lacks a sense of resolution. 2/5 - serviceable.

So much fun^^

xnopyt

(+2)

One question: What's the writing on the "SPOR DIRE" mug supposed to be?

(+3)

Sports Direct - the giant mugs from there are very iconic here in the UK :)

(+2)(-12)

Meh!  I just rotated left to right with everyone.  Did note even look at what it was.  I get the point of the game.  To question why you label something male or female.  I guess for me I don't think much in the terms of labels.  The only way I would do this differently is if it was my actual job.  Then I would follow the guide lines and requirements of my job.  Anything that did not fall into those categories I would question with my supervisor and add them to the list after that. 


And if I did a job that made me uncomfortable sorting things in such a manner.  I would find another job.  


So, guess this game does not affect me in any way.  It was interesting but rather pointless to me.   Still, not bad game design wise.  

(+4)

this had me absolutely cracking up, good work and solid commentary to boot. made me think about some things I hadn’t considered

(+4)

this is an amazing game and i love how it exibets how pointlesly gendered so mutch of our stuff is

(+1)

i just decided that the things i like are for girls, since im a girl and i like them. and i think thats a nice way of looking at it :) but if someone else was playing this game and liked the same thing as me but they were a boy, then its for boys too ! this game is easy.

(+1)

I filed everything "masculine" in the girl section and everything "feminine" in the male section

same, just for funsies, wasnt sure what to do with  the enby things tho. i put em in male since people always catagorise enby people as girl lite.

(+3)

This was entertaining! I wish it had an end though

(1 edit) (+3)

Really cute game! I put all the stationery in >:~)

(+5)

fun! i played for a little while, starting off putting non-gendered items in alternately, then trying to go by stereotypes etc, then i just started putting everything in male.

its a really great idea, it would be awesome if it had an end. unless it does, in which case how do i reach it? XD

(+7)

love the bouba kiki reference, gotta be one of my favorite genders

(+2)

oh this is delightful~