My Dad is a Femboy: This Indie Visual Novel Forces Men Over 40 to Choose Between Death and Becoming a Femboy

My Dad is a Femboy is a new indie visual novel that combines sci-fi, dark humor, and a premise that’s as absurd as it is grim: in the near future, men who turn 40 must choose between dying from a disease or becoming a femboy.

Developed by PopElephant Studio, the game is available for free on itch.io, with support for English and Simplified Chinese.

How Does My Dad is a Femboy Work?

The story of My Dad is a Femboy takes place in a futuristic society where the environment has pretty much “gone to hell.” In this world, men have begun suffering from a condition known as Y-Erosion Syndrome.

The disease comes with a particularly cruel rule: once men turn 40, they must choose between succumbing to the illness or undergoing a transformation that turns them into a femboy.

That’s where Bull and Jim come in. They’re a father and son who have little else in their lives besides each other.

Bull has always made it clear that he’d rather die a man than become a femboy. For Jim, however, things aren’t that simple. Accepting his father’s decision means watching him die, while trying to convince him to choose the alternative raises some complicated personal and ethical questions.

And it’s this very conflict that gives the game a much more interesting layer than its title might suggest.

A Short Visual Novel With Two Endings

My Dad is a Femboy offers a relatively short experience. The game has two endings, with each route taking approximately 30 to 45 minutes to complete.

The idea seems to be to use this short runtime to put players face-to-face with the central dilemma without turning the story into a massive adventure.

The visual novel also tackles some heavy themes, despite containing no explicit content. The developers’ content warnings include:

• Illness;
• Coma;
• Death of a family member;
• Medical ethics dilemmas;
• Implied incestuous attraction… yaoi?
• Other sensitive themes.

In other words, a game with a title that sounds like it came straight out of an internet meme might actually hide a considerably darker story.

My Dad is a Femboy is available for free on itch.io.