Toya and Dove design Roblox game to boost girls’ confidence

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toya is a female-led game studio dedicated to increasing girls’ self-esteem and body image. And today, it’s teaming up with Dove to launch a game that reflects its ideals on Roblox.

The Tel Aviv, Israel-based company said: Super U Story is the first Roblox game to tackle unrealistic beauty ideals, especially on social media. It is now in beta and available to play for free with no in-game purchases.

Designed for girls ages 9 to 16, this is Toya’s 31st game and Dove’s first foray into gaming. Super U Story is a story-driven game that helps players experience the many versions of what today’s beauty can be. Characters in the game represent different bodies, skin colors, skills and circumstances and are revered for their uniqueness and ‘gifts’.

Through gameplay and in-game messaging, players are inspired to think about their own body confidence and encouraged to reject unrealistic standards, especially those perpetuated in social media.

According to new research from Dove, endorsed by Women in games and the Center for Appearance Research (CAR), 60% of female gamers still feel misrepresented and recognize a lack of diversity as a major problem in video games and 35% of young girls report that their self-esteem is negatively affected after seeing a lack of diversity. diversity in characters and avatars, which often continues into adulthood. Super U Story was developed with support from the personal care brand Dove.

“With thousands of games being made every year, it’s astonishing that none of them address the ongoing societal challenges and pressures young girls face every day, especially regarding their bodies,” said Toya CEO Anat Shperling in a statement. “In reality, we are all in different shapes, sizes, colors and capabilities and need to be reflected and celebrated in the digital content consumed every day. Since no one else did, we decided it would be us to create the experience and spark conversations that we hope will help the next generation avoid the pitfalls and self-loathing that so many women struggle with today.”

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