Voices of VR #1704: “Lesbian Simulator” is an Interactive VR Narrative Masterclass Balancing Levity, Pride, & Naming of Homophobic Threats
Dec 7, 2025
Iris van der Meulen, a digital artist known for her vibrant work in VR storytelling, dives into her interactive project, Lesbian Simulator. She discusses the origins of the game, drawing from personal experiences to explore queer identity. Listeners will be fascinated by her approach to balancing humor and trauma, worldbuilding through VR sketching, and the innovative game mechanics that simulate both joy and tension. Iris also shares audience reactions and reflects on the desire for more interactivity in VR, highlighting its potential for social change.
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Personal Spark From Everyday Discrimination
- Iris van der Meulen started Lesbian Simulator from personal experiences of subtle public discrimination after coming out at 17 in a small Dutch village.
- She used VR to show those everyday harms because friends and family often didn't notice how different life felt for her.
Sketch In VR To Preserve Handwriting
- Iris sketches directly in Quill/Tilt Brush to prototype VR scenes and emotions early.
- Designing in-VR preserves the medium's handwriting and informs final 3D modeling and level design.
Keep The Sketch Feel During Production
- Draw prototypes in VR then hand them to modelers to speed production and keep the original feel.
- Ask modelers to preserve asymmetry and ‘‘handwritten’’ wobbly lines rather than perfect geometry.