Episode 13 | Caper in the Castro

In 1989, a point-and-click mystery circulated through floppy disks and dial-up bulletin boards, quietly becoming the first known queer computer game. It was created by CM Ralph, a San Francisco artist, designer, and activist, during the height of the AIDS crisis—and it wasn’t sold, but shared, with a simple request: donate to an AIDS charity.This is the story of Caper in the Castro, of drag queens and digital resistance, of forgotten floppy disks and the queer archivists who brought them back.Correction/Update:Since recording this episode, I’ve learned that CM Ralph uses they/them pronouns. Earlier drafts and sections of this video may use she/her pronouns based on earlier sources and interviews. I want to honor their identity and deeply apologize for any misgendering. CM Ralph’s work remains one of the most vital contributions to queer game history.You can play Caper in the Castro yourself, for free, at the Internet Archive:https://archive.org/details/hypercard...For more LGBTQ game history, visit the LGBTQ Game Archive:https://lgbtqgamearchive.com/