Dys4ia
Dys4ia (pronounced "dysphoria") is a 2012 abstract autobiographical Adobe Flash video game developed by Anna Anthropy, then known as Auntie Pixelante. It recounts her experiences of gender dysphoria and hormone replacement therapy. The game was originally published on Newgrounds but was later removed by Anthropy.
Dys4ia
- Date
- 2012
- Publisher
- Newgrounds
- Genre
- autobiography · LGBT-themed video game · video game with LGBT character
VALÉORINE Encyclopedia
VALÉORINE documentary reading
Documentary summary
Dys4ia (pronounced "dysphoria") is a 2012 abstract autobiographical Adobe Flash video game developed by Anna Anthropy, then known as Auntie Pixelante. It recounts her experiences of gender dysphoria and hormone replacement therapy. The game was originally published on Newgrounds but was later removed by Anthropy.
Admitted source layer · organised and presented by VALÉORINE
Reference Check
Propose documentary evidence for Dys4ia. A contribution is never written directly as fact: identity, source, rights and evidence gates still decide.
Sign in to contribute
World of VALÉORINE
Documentary connections
Only confirmed graph relationships appear here. Images are shown only when their identity and reuse rights both pass the documentary gate.
Documentary evidence
Documentary basis
Authority files
wikidata · Q5319322
In this article
The object
The object
In 2023, the game was republished on itch.io.
Key facts
Key facts
• Title — Dys4ia • Publisher — Newgrounds • Designer — Anna Anthropy • Composer — Liz Ryerson • Platforms — Adobe Flash • Released — 9 March 2012 • Genre — Autobiography • Modes — Single-player
Gameplay
Gameplay
Touching on the 'frustrations' of transitioning, particularly taking estrogen, the game documents a six-month period in her treatment via a succession of mini-games that reflect on gender politics, identity, and personal development.
Development
Development
• Illustration — Dys4ia was created by independent developer Anna Anthropy, pictured speaking at the 2013 Game Developers Conference. The game was developed on and off over a six-month period by Anna Anthropy. Anthropy created the story as an autobiographical title, intended to convey her experiences with gender-affirming hormone therapy over a similar six month period. Gameplay was influenced by the minigame design of WarioWare, with Anthropy designing a "collage of experiences and frustrations" through a sequence of several smaller games. She wished to convey through the game, that while these frustrations were personal, they were the result of societal systems that harmed transgender folk.
Places
Named by the record
Places
Only places the record itself states, plotted where the house gazetteer settles their coordinates. Nothing is inferred from a name or a nationality.
- United States
Named but not plotted · 1
Dys4ia is associated with United States.
Country
Reception
Several critics praised the game as a deeply personal and autobiographical work. Adam Smith of Rock Paper Shotgun considered the game provided the player with "informative and moving" experiences, and stated the game was "very honest" in its insight into the author's life and decisions, to the point of "extreme discomfort". Similarly, Will Freeman of The Guardian praised the game's "touchy and witting insight" for proving "the power of games to communicate complex concepts through playful interactions". dys4ia was classed as an empathy game by some writers, a term that Anthropy dismissed. She felt that true allyship takes work, self-reflection, and "is an ongoing process with no end point" that no game could replicate. She was frustrated that the game could be a shortcut for the privileged to actively avoid that work. In response, Anthropy developed Empathy Game, an installation for her Babycastles exhibition in 2015, where players could literally walk a mile in her shoes, and yet "still know nothing about the experience of being a trans woman". Also in 2015, Anthropy released ohmygod are you alright?, an autobiographical video game recording her experience being hit by a car. She considered this a direct sequel to dys4ia. In October 2023, Anthropy republished the game on itch.io, accompanied by her reflections that she had struggled with the impact of the game and had once "disowned and disavowed it", but had since reappraised its legacy.
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Anthropy, Anna. dys4ia. Auntie Pixelante. 9 March 2012.
- 2.Alexander, Leigh. Road to the IGF: Anna Anthropy's Dys4ia. Game Developer. 12 March 2013.
- 3.Smith, Adam. Life Flashing By: Dys4ia. Rock Paper Shotgun. 12 March 2012.
- 4.Freeman, Will. Dys4ia; Roar Rampage; Dude, Where's My Planet? – review. The Guardian. 6 May 2012.
- 5.D’Anastasio, Cecilia. Why Video Games Can’t Teach You Empathy. Vice. 15 May 2015.
- 6.Anthropy, Anna. Empathy Game. Auntie Pixelante. 2015.
- 7.Solberg, Dan. The problem with empathy games. Kill Screen. 2016-01-16.
- 8.Anthropy, Anna. On dys4ia's return. itch.io. 13 October 2023.
References
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
reference work
Secondary witness
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 17 August 2026.
Elsewhere in Collectables
20,755 published records in this field, each with its sources named.
- Dynasty Warriors NextWork
- Dynasty Warriors OnlineWork
- Dynasty Warriors Vol. 2Work
- Dynasty WarsWork
- DyscourseWork
- Dysfunctional SystemsWork
- DysmantleWork
- Dyson Sphere ProgramWork
Best supported in this field
For owners
Own a copy of Dys4ia?
A specialist will read what you send and tell you what the house can establish, what it cannot, and whether the object is suited to sale. There is no charge and no obligation. The object stays with you throughout; nothing is shipped to us unless it is arranged in writing beforehand.