Every so often I come across a game that just speaks to me on so many levels that I just can’t help but rave about it! The other day I came across, Loving You Fully on Twitter and I was immediately taken in by this charming visual novel that focuses not on romantic love, but on self love. On top of that heroine is a plus sized Black woman and I don’t need to tell you all this is the stuff dreams are made of! As a thick Black woman I have been waiting FOREVER for a game with a heroine like Bianca!!
Game Details
- Slice-of-Life | Short | Story Rich
- Free to Play
- Play the Game: Windows and Mac
Loving You Fully is a very short game, but in just 30 minutes it managed to deliver an emotional and wonderful story about a young woman learning to be comfortable in her own skin and more importantly love herself. In the game you play as Bianca, an 18 year old girl, who dreams of one day attending medical school and owning her own flower shop. Of course, she also hopes to one day find love as well, but there is one big hurdle that seems to stand in her way and it’s her own body. You see, Bianca is a full figured young woman and in a world where appearance is everything, Bianca can’t help but feel like she just doesn’t fit in with society’s beauty standards.
The story kicks off with her taking the plunge and mustering up the courage to create a profile on the dating app OKCupid, something many of us single folks can most likely relate to… What should be a simple task becomes a grueling ordeal as Bianca struggles to find pictures that will make her appealing to potential matches. I’m not gonna lie, her struggle is one that I have had personal experience with and it was almost heartbreaking to watch her being so critical of herself—the comments about her double chin especially hit a bit too close to home. When she finally settles on a picture, she eagerly awaits matches that just don’t seem to come through, and her confidence takes another hit. Things only get worse when her mother makes an offhand comment about her weight, that while well intentioned, really hurts Bianca’s self esteem and she ends up in her room crying her eyes out. Just when she thinks she’s hit rock bottom, Bianca discovers a plus-sized model and YouTuber named Jasmine who exudes the confidence and energy she wishes she had. Curious about how someone like Jasmine could be so popular, she sends her a message and receives a bit of helpful advice…
As someone who is on the heavier side, I could relate to Bianca and her story in ways I never have with any other heroine. Her feelings about her body and the insecurities that creates is something I have had to deal with quite a few times in my life and that scene with her mother… let’s just say I went through something very similar not too long ago and it’s painful to have someone so close to you not accept you for who you are, especially when they’re saying the same things you tell yourself already. I just wanted to give Bianca a big hug and tell her that everything was going to be okay, because honestly Bianca looks absolutely beautiful!
There aren’t many games indie or otherwise that feature full figured characters, let alone plus-sized Black female leads and Loving You Fully has two! And while I would have loved to see either Bianca or Jasmine as the leading lady in a romance, I think telling a story about self love is so much more important. Having people like Jasmine who are genuine and visible is so important because it paves the way for others to see that it is okay to be comfortable doing what you love!
Overall, I really loved this game and I highly recommend giving it a play when you have the chance—if not for the heartfelt story and beautiful message, do it for Bianca and Jasmine, because we need more full figured Black women in games!
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