From Girls Who Code to Global Sensation: The Inspiring Journey of Tampon Run's Creators

www.tamponrun.com

Upon hitting enter after typing this URL, you are met with a simply styled, red game screen titled Tampon Run. To the right, there is a box of text that says, “created by: Andi & Sophie,” followed by a pixel figure of two girls. The words “Press Shift” urge you to start the game.

The rules are simple. You control a cute 8-bit girl with a bow in a classic Run and Gun style game. Instead of a gun, you throw tampons at your enemies. Collect tampon boxes along the way, and if you run out of them, it's game over.

This is the viral, award-winning game that high school students Sophie Houser and Andrea Gonzales made in 2014 when they were both attending the Girls Who Code program in New York City. Andrea wanted to make a game with a feminist twist and was initially thinking about a game that addressed hypersexualization. Their brainstorming session turned into a discussion about how menstruation is still very much a taboo topic in their lives.

They got to work on the game, and after some grinding, it was ready to be presented. Everyone at the program loved their game, and they decided to buy a URL and launch it, completely unaware that it would become a viral sensation. It received an overwhelmingly positive response, and Sophie and Andrea went from teens who had made a game to suddenly being in the global spotlight, being barraged with tweets and emails from overnight fans.

Before she attended the Girls Who Code camp, Andrea had dipped her toes in the world of gaming and tech. Her dad, a programmer, introduced her to gaming, and when she was in middle school, she registered for a SummerTech Computer Program.

Sophie, on the other hand, hadn’t written a line of code until she attended the program. Her only insight into the world of tech was through her brother.

Their story is a simple, yet heartwarming one. Curious teens get introduced to the limitless world of tech, and using their experiences, they created something unique. Their entire experience is immortalized in the book Girl Code: Gaming, Going Viral, and Getting It Done, a lovely book about all their time at the camp, all the all-nighters they pulled for making the game, and how their lives turned upside down in a matter of a few days.

For any coder, whether they are an expert or a novice, the book serves as a wonderful reminder of how tech can change lives. It's an easy read, broken up into parts, with Andrea and Sophie both sharing their own perspectives. As an added plus for the novice, the book includes a section on how to write and run your first line of code.

If you are like Andrea, someone who has spent some time in tech, the book reminds you to continue pursuing your passions, for they are always worth pursuing.

And if you are like Sophie, a novice, a starter, a newcomer, it teaches you to close your eyes and take the leap, even if it means leaping completely out of your comfort zone.

Andrea went on to attend UNC-Chapel Hill, majoring in Computer Science and journalism, whereas Sophie attended Brown University. They have rightfully made their place on the list of our beloved women in tech.