Trans Folks Walking

Trans Folks Walking is a 3D, first person narrative anthology game made with Unity that explores experiences of trans embodiment, being, and mobility. The game currently consists of several stories/levels that put players in different situations drawn from the experiences of trans folks in contemporary America. The first story is of a trans man who is a student studying for finals in a library when he realizes he needs to use the bathroom and has to pick between binary bathroom options. The second story is of a trans woman elder returning to her childhood church and encountering the memories of that space including how important it was to her and how it became less welcoming and safe for her over time. The final story is of a trans nonbinary person seeking gender affirming care at a community health clinic where they find support but also the limitations of medical systems and unintentional discrimination from well-meaning people. The game creates space for trans folks to share their stories and for players to experience small parts of what it means to be trans. The game is intentionally designed as an anthology of short experiences that will grow in collaboration with trans people and their communities.

Cody Mejeur is the project director for Trans Folks Walking and can be contacted at codymeje@buffalo.edu. The narrative, social media, and communications lead for the project is Madison Ford, they can be reached at madison.fay.ford@gmail.com.

Trans Folks Walking has been funded in part by a Mellon Foundation grant (2021-2023). It received initial funding from the Empathic Games Initiative at Michigan State University (2018-2020).

Spring 2026 PRODUCTION UPDATE!

The game has a complete and final playtesting build available here: https://cmejeur.itch.io/trans-folks-walking-final-playtest-build. The team is finishing final polishing and bug fixing on the game for a release later this year. We plan to launch the game at the UB Center for the Arts Spring into Art event in April 2026.

Team:

Cody Mejeur (lead designer, project director, artist, programmer)

Famous Clark (lead programmer, level designer)

Madison Ford (project manager, narrative designer)

Austin Wilson (composer, sound designer)

Past Team Members:

Ellie Locatis (programmer)

Angela Satullo (artist, environment designer)

Wes Turner (artist, environment designer, 3D models)

A screenshot of the second level, which tells the story of a trans woman returning to the church she grew up in. The image shows a large, dimly lit interior space for a cathedral-like church, filled with pews and columns. There are blue chat bubbles spread throughout the area that provide interactive text and narrative.
A screenshot of the first level, which tells the story of a trans man who is a student studying for finals in a university library and must choose between binary bathroom options. The image shows two chairs, a coffee table, and standing lamp in the hallway outside the bathroom. Behind the chairs are windows showing a sunset outside. The hallway is lit by fluorescent lights.