Steam Game Receives Surprise Update Following Player Feedback on Female Characters

Experiencing video games is all about stepping into new perspectives, and that sometimes means playing as female characters. While many games offer female protagonists as an option, when a game defaults to a female lead, it often sparks complaints from some players who feel ‘forced’ into that role. What about the guys?

Enter Honcho, the latest title from Minkswork, the creators behind the beloved indie game Jalopy. In Honcho, players take on the role of a Japanese woman aiming to build a vending machine empire. The gameplay involves purchasing real estate and delivering packages using a compact Kei truck. Players can customize these charming little vehicles while navigating a procedurally-generated Showa-era Japan, all while managing wear and tear. This focus on vehicle maintenance echoes Minkswork’s previous title, Jalopy, where players had to keep an old car running.

However, while Jalopy featured a male protagonist, Honcho flips the script. Developer Greg Pryjmachuk has noted that this gender change has drawn attention from the community, with complaints surfacing on platforms like YouTube, Discord, and social media.

In late 2025, one player was so surprised by the female lead that he took to the Honcho Steam forums to voice his thoughts. “There’s really only one thing that I am hoping for and that’s the ability to play as a male character if you wanted to,” he wrote. “I know I have talked to you on Reddit before, but I’m not a fan of playing a female character. Kind of ruins my immersion honestly.”

Fast forward to early March 2026, and it seems the ongoing feedback reached Pryjmachuk. He responded to the thread with an unexpected update. You might not believe what Minkswork had to say next.

“I’ve added the ability to play as Mr. Tofu, a sentient block of Tofu that hides the player’s body, with an option to also hide hands,” the developer replied.

Pryjmachuk elaborated, “This game is funded by hopes and dreams, so it’s unlikely I’ll have the resources to create a fully rigged male character with their own outfits and storylines. Hopefully, this is a reasonable compromise.”

In an email, Pryjmachuk confirmed that this addition is no joke—players can indeed embody a sentient block of Tofu in Honcho. “While I may not have any interest in self-inserting in the games I play, who am I to dictate how someone else enjoys their media?” he stated.

He also mentioned that Honcho is still seeking a publisher to fund the project, making the Tofu character a practical choice. This decision seems to nod to a well-known incident from 2014 when a major studio explained the absence of female characters in a popular franchise due to production constraints.

“I can’t really be spending months animating, rigging, and testing a whole new character model. Tofu fit within these constraints and was chosen because I’m a big fan of Resident Evil 2.”

Since the Tofu revelation, the Steam thread has been locked to prevent backlash against the player who requested a male protagonist. Pryjmachuk clarified that he didn’t intend any malice with the update, and the original poster responded positively to the news.

“I thought the post would be a funny insight into the corners indie devs need to navigate to meet player expectations,” Pryjmachuk remarked.