Introducing the world’s first LGTBQIA RPG Game. A true story of passion, betrayal and freedom based in imperial China.

Vancouver, BC -- (ReleaseWire) -- 04/24/2015 --Imagine two men… freedom fighters belonging to a group of rebel warriors who are scholars, musicians and poets.  Join them as they battle evil by day and make love and music together by moonlight. 

Our heroes are accompanied by five loyal companions each willing to give their last breath for their cause. Politically serious yet rowdy and fun loving, they combine ancient Chinese alchemy and magical incantation to empower and heal their teammates, while wielding up to eighteen different legendary weapons in two distinct gameplay battle systems. 

The very first in its genre, The Seven Sages of the Bamboo Groves is an LGBTQIA content RPG Adventure game that is inclusive for everyone - even heterosexuals! The thoughtfully written dialogue and solid RPG style game play, is going to make this a riveting experience for the whole LGBTQIA community. (For those who don't know, the acronym stands for: lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual, queer, intersex, asexual).

With such a slim representation of LGBTQIA characters in our current game culture, perhaps it's time developers realize just how important inclusion is to every human being. The creative director Travis Jones decided to take this on as a personal mission, explaining:

"The only way the world of gaming will change is if someone decides to take a risk. I believe if we forge into this market with a sensitive, informative, yet provocative product we could be the benchmark that encourages the bigger companies to follow suit."

The game is liberally inspired by history. The story revolves around Ruan Ji and Xi Kang, members of The Seven Sages of the Bamboo Groves, who lived in 3rd century China. Though their love story has survived 1800 years, it has been made current by Jones through the diverse, lived experiences he has gathered from many in his community. "True elements of history will be faithfully replicated, however, we will also use fictional elements and allegory to communicate about current issues much like the sages were known for in their time," said Jones.

Grief and tragedy will follow players as they battle for their freedom, seek revenge, endure mistreatment, and stand up for their rights. There is also a darker side to the story: possession, demons, exorcism and magic come into play, adding romance and mysticism which is woven into most of Chinese history.

Both revolutionary and inspirational, The Seven Sages of the Bamboo Groves touches on important topics, but is well balanced with fun puzzles, mini games, and plenty of humor. Jones further described, he is setting out to create a vibrant and entertaining player experience, while talking about real issues:

"Though we have had many triumphs as a community of people, I want to discuss our challenges in a non-preachy, and palatable way that all game players can enjoy and be uplifted by". With beautifully immersive gameplay, Jones hopes that all players, LGBTQIA and heterosexual people alike, might be inspired to contemplate their own views and feelings.

The game is currently in rapid development and will soon be available for PC and Mac. In a few weeks, Ingenius Studio will start a crowdfunding campaign that will allow the game to be funded while staying independent.

To learn more about The Seven Sages of the Bamboo Groves visit their site http://www.sevensagesgame.net

Check out the game trailer over at http://www.sevensagesgame.net/trailer

About Ingenius Studio
Ingenius Studios is an independent videogame producer based in Vancouver, Canada and founded in 2015. In Ingenius, we make indie videogames with a passion: we do not produce anything we would not play ourselves. Additionally, we want to make socially conscious games that make an impact on our players. Seven Sages of the Bamboo Groves is our first game and attempts just that: it is a colorful, riveting RPG adventure that will transform the playing field for games with LGBTQIA content. We hope that others will resonate with our vision and contribute to help this project become a reality.

Contact:
David Young
Marketing Agent at Ingenius Studio
info@sevensagesgame.net