We Are OFK's portrayal of gender identity and creative struggles brought me and my sister closer than ever before

Sometimes you don't appreciate how much of an impact a game has made on you until some time has passed. Last year, I played the interactive narrative series We Are OFK for the first time. The five-part episodic story follows the musical journey of four friends in a pastel-hued Los Angeles, exploring love, identity, creativity, and all of the struggles that come with pursuing your dreams. With fantastic LGBTQIA+ representation and songs I still listen to repeatedly, I immediately related to Team OFK's portrayal of certain themes, such as imposter syndrome and self-doubt.

But it wasn't until I recommended it to my sister Millie that the experience of We Are OFK became something so meaningful. Millie first told me she's trans several years ago now, but it's been a long journey to get to where she is today. I honestly couldn't be prouder or admire someone more than I do my sister, and through it all, we've grown even closer than we were as kids. We Are OFK became a beacon of encouragement and self-reflection in Millie's journey, and its story and songs have only deepened our bond as siblings all the more. 

Fool's Gold 

My sister is my best friend. The one person I know I can always count on, no matter what happens. I know she feels much the same way about me. As my biggest confidant, we tell each other just about everything. When I'm struggling with my anxiety and trying to get a handle on things, she's always there for me, and when she's about to take the next important step in her journey to transitioning, I'm there for her. 

Ever since we were teenagers, we've connected with each other through music. I think that's partly why I knew I had to recommend We Are OFK. I've always loved the way we've shared our own interpretations of a song's lyrics to express why we like a particular track so much, or why it holds a special meaning to us. The same applies to stories. The beautiful thing about a good story or song is how it can resonate with people in different ways. 

While we both connect to certain songs and characters in We Are OFK, we came to bond over the different perspectives we each have on the same story. Personally speaking, I haven't had much luck in love. I tend to romanticize and daydream about finding love more than I actively pursue it. Whether that be out of fear, apprehension, or my own lack of self-esteem, I saw so much of myself in We Are OFK's vocalist Luca Le Fae. 

Luca is far braver and more open than I am in this respect, but he often romanticizes love itself, which leads to disappointment or, in some cases, avoidance. Even when someone is in front of him that's interested in forming a relationship, there's always the question of 'what if?': What if I'm not ready? What if there's someone I'm meant to be with that I haven't met yet? What if there's something bigger just waiting for me? What if, what if, what if? 

At the end of episode 2, which puts the focus on Luca, we get to play through the Fool's Gold music video, which captures Luca's struggles. While I saw myself reflected in both the lyrics and Luca's story as a hopeless romantic, bisexual woman who's terrified of opening myself up or being disappointed by some ideal that doesn't exist, I soon learned that they hold a different meaning for my sister. 

"Something bigger than this life"  

In the song Fool's Gold, Luca sings:

Hesitate, lifting off
Run away, sabotage
Take a seat, keep an eye on
Something bigger than this life
Paper cuts, evidence
Should've done, might've beens
Wasted time standing by on
Something bigger than this life 

"This is the verse that really hit me in the face when I was playing it, because I could directly relate it to my experience with dealing with my gender identity," Millie shares. "It's a totally different unrelated subject matter, and totally different avoidance mechanisms, but I saw so much of myself in Luca, more than any of the other characters, because I have the same habit of flaking and trying to avoid difficult things... in my case, transitioning."

"An idea I'm obsessed with in broad strokes, a dream I have been playing for 20 years, for as long as I can remember. Comfort in myself; being recognized properly by others; expressing things in a way that feels me. But the minute details, the road to get there, the changes, the risk, the danger I will put myself in, are all reasons to avoid it, because it's much easier to just ignore it and daydream and romanticize it."

Millie adds: "'Fool's Gold' is a song about self-realization, about understanding the mistakes Luca has made and keeps making, wrapped in the context of a love song. Relationships are a core part of his character, and his romanticism of love often leaves him disappointed or left short. But damn if his arc isn't relatable from other contexts."

Through Luca's character, we were both able to face some of our own misgivings or fears, and share them with one another. Suddenly, We Are OFK became so much more than a relatable experience, it opened up the way for both my sister and I to see ourselves reflected in different ways and bring us both closer by sharing our perspectives. 

While we're different people with different hardships, We Are OFK became the shared experience my sister and I needed. Through it, we were able to see ourselves reflected in-game, and relate and connect to each other's differences and troubles in a new way in reality. The beautiful thing about stories and music are the ways they can bring people together and make us feel less alone, and thanks to its themes and diverse cast, We Are OFK did that for us. The game and its soundtrack will forever be special to me, and us, because of it. 

See what's ahead with our roundup of exciting upcoming indie games.