Lesbian Simulator, a VR Game About Coming Out, Plays Zutphen
Iris van der Meule's colorful, 40-minute headset piece from Studio Biarritz is a stop on the Dutch city's first Cultuurnacht.
- When
- Fri., Nov. 13, 2026, 5 p.m. to midnight.
- Where
- Dat Bolwerck, Zutphen, Netherlands, during Cultuurnacht Zutphen.
- Admission
- Free.
Lesbian Simulator is a 40-minute VR game by Iris van der Meule, made with Studio Biarritz. You build a lesbian avatar in a magic cauldron, then go looking for a first rave, a first date and a partner, guided by a narrator called the Lesbian Goddess, voiced by Hanna van Vliet. Along the way you come out more than once, fend off harassers and face public disapproval, in a cartoon world built mostly for dancing. The studio's project page says the piece draws on van der Meule's own experiences and those of people close to the director.
An excerpt from the Lesbian Simulator trailer. Watch the full trailer with sound.
Cultuurnacht Zutphen is new this year: for its first edition, more than 50 venues in the city center open their doors from 5 p.m., with free entry. The festival's announcement puts the game at Dat Bolwerck, where the exhibition Witte Wieven is also open that night.
The game premiered in the IDFA DocLab Competition in 2025 and has since played Annecy's Immersive Works selection and Raindance Immersive in London. It is a coproduction with Art et Essai in Canada and Cassette for Timescapes in Belgium, with animation by Colegram and sound by Demute.
Lesbian Simulator, from its trailer. Courtesy Studio Biarritz.
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