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WhitepaperWorcester Polytechnic Institute3 Nov 2026

Implemented & Evaluated Euphoria: Transgender Gender Euphoria Principles in Rainborough

Key insights

7 takeaways

01
Gender euphoria in games is highly idiosyncratic and multi-dimensional, meaning that identical design principles can evoke positive experiences for some players while causing non-euphoria or ambivalence in others.See it on page 6
02
The study of 56 trans participants revealed that 'Discomfort Overrun' occurs when narratives focusing on trans experiences become too heavy or traumatic, effectively erasing the intended comfort or joy.See it on page 21
03
Designers must avoid 'Affirmation Overreach,' where overly idealized or insincere representations of trans-affirming environments feel disingenuous to players.See it on page 21
04
The 'De-othering' of trans characters can lead to 'Obscuration Overreach,' where making an identity too subtle results in accidental erasure rather than meaningful inclusion.See it on page 23
05
Future design should adopt 'calibrated visibility' strategies—such as obfuscation or mutability—to ensure trans identities remain visible to allies while staying protected from hostile perception.See it on page 23
06
Rainborough’s prototype demonstrated that while visual-novel, space-customization, and life-simulation mechanics can support self-expression, they do not universally address the distinct needs of nonbinary or agender players who may prefer making gender optional rather than affirmed.See it on page 6
07
The research confirms that binary trans, nonbinary, and agender experiences are not interchangeable, and design frameworks must account for these distinct needs rather than applying a 'one-size-fits-all' approach to gender diversity.See it on page 5

Summary

Implemented & Evaluated Euphoria: Transgender Gender Euphoria Principles in Rainborough SHANO LIANG∗ , Worcester Polytechnic Institute, USA MAX CHEN∗ , Worcester Polytechnic Institute, USA BASTIÓN TOLEDO-ALTAMIRANO, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, USA ELIZABETH PAPA, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, USA CROW ZUBRICK, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, USA THEA R CLOYD, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, USA MICHELLE V CORMIER, Monash University,...

Implemented & Evaluated Euphoria: Transgender Gender Euphoria Principles in Rainborough

Implemented & Evaluated Euphoria: Transgender Gender Euphoria Principles in Rainborough

Key insights

Summary

Next steps

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