Thankfully, there are ways to combat this, and casual gamers, especially women and non-binary people, are doing just that, creating, helming, and joining online and IRL communities and platforms aimed towards combatting toxic spaces and fostering inclusive gaming. Earlier this year, Paidia, a platform geared towards female and non-binary individuals, launched to create a safe space in the industry, and other platforms like TheGameHERs and The Noir Network have been creating inclusive spaces for years. In addition to using these platforms, Sachi, as a part of her own local content collective, put together a charity event called #GirlsGameNight, which provided a space for girls to game without stigma or feeling judged. “A lot of women don’t even bother gaming because they know how harsh the community can be if you aren’t the best,” she says. “At #GirlsGameNight, we run all female/non-binary casual tournaments and provide free play so they can feel comfortable and hopefully find a game they love, or make friends with others they can game with.”
