I played the adventure game so scandalous that it was physically destroyed by UK customs
A 1988 erotic adventure game, Sex Vixens from Space, was allegedly destroyed by UK customs in 1989 after 75 copies were seized, though formal bans remain unverified.
Sex Vixens from Space, a 1988 graphic adventure developed by Free Spirit Software, was reportedly intercepted and destroyed by UK Customs in 1989, with 75 copies seized from a larger shipment. The game’s destruction was documented in brief 1980s computer magazine reports, though it remains unclear whether the UK government formally banned it. The action effectively prevented the game’s UK release, mirroring a ban despite no official prohibition being confirmed.
The game’s director, Joe Hubbard, criticized the seizure in a statement to The Australian Commodore and Amiga Review, calling the British authorities either prudish or lacking humor. Hubbard argued the act violated artistic expression, framing it as a fascist government overreach. The controversy surrounding the game’s content and its destruction has since become a footnote in gaming history.
Sex Vixens from Space casts players as Brad Stallion, owner of the phallic-shaped spaceship Big Thruster, tasked with neutralizing a colony of “sex starved women” called the Tribe. The game’s premise and humor rely on crude innuendo, such as Stallion’s ship resembling male anatomy and a death animation showing it going limp. Despite its adult themes, the game’s execution is rudimentary, with limited interaction and simplistic graphics typical of 1980s graphic adventures.
Playing the game today reveals its unintentionally absurd tone, with characters like Lila collapsing onto beds unconvincingly and She-La’s ambiguous role in the Tribe’s society. The game’s most memorable element is the sex-ray gun, a crude device with buttons labeled for two types of herpes and arrow keys for aiming. The experience underscores how early adult-themed games often prioritized shock value over coherent design or genuine eroticism.