Incest – A deep look into the popular porn topic

Incest. Probably one of the most popular themes, not just in adult games but also in porn in general. In fact, ‘Step Mom’ was ranked number 7 in ‘Pornhub’s 2021 Year In Review‘ as the 7th most searched term of 2021. In this article we will be looking at what defines incest, the laws of incest around the world and also how certain payment processors and sites can affect development of a game that features incest.

What Defines Incest?

It has been argued what does and what does not classify as incest. Is sex with step-family really incest? What about adoption? Wikipedia defines incest as:

‘Incest (/ˈɪnsɛst/ IN-sest) is human sexual activity between family members or close relatives.^[1][2] This typically includes sexual activity between people in consanguinity (blood relations), and sometimes those related by affinity (marriage or stepfamily), adoption, or lineage.’

It also goes on to say how incest is one of the most widespread cultural taboos both today and in the past. Also, the article goes onto discuss how many modern day societies have laws set into place regarding incestuous relations; stating that societies, where they legally regard incest as a crime, view adult consensual incest as a victimless crime but still is seen as crime. Obviously different countries/states have their own legal views regarding incest, including places where it is legal, but we will go more in depth later on.

The Types of Incest

Incest isn’t just type of roleplay or a popular porn topic but it does happen within the real world also. There are many types of incestuous relations that exist within the world, which can be sorted into separate ‘Degrees of Relationships’ of which there is up to 10 degrees of relationships, which separates certain family relations – mainly based on the average amount of DNA shared between the family members involved within the relationship, though there are some exceptions where a lower degree may also have a lower amount of shared DNA compared to a higher degree. For example a relationship with a Great Grandparent is in the Third Degree but only shares an average of 12.5% of DNA, where as a relationship with Double First cousins is in the Fourth Degree and shares 25% of DNA.

The following information shows the ‘Degree of Relationship’ within incest and contains data that was collected from the Wikipedia article ‘Legality of Incest‘.

Laws On Incest – Where It’s Legal

Incest between consenting adults is completely legal with no restrictions or prohibited relations in the following countries:

• Belgium (Since 1810)
• France (Since 1810)
• Luxembourg (Since 1810)
• Argentina
• Brazil
• China
• Ivory Coast
• Latvia
• Netherlands
• Portugal
• Russia
• South Korea
• Spain

Some countries do allow incest but have some restrictions and prohibited relationships which can result in prison time:

• Ireland – Allows incest between same-sex couples but opposite-sex couples can face up to 10 years in prison.
• Germany – Allows incest between same-sex couples but opposite-sex couples can face up to 10 years in prison.
• Israel – Legal only if both are over 21 or could face up to 16 years in prison.
• Lithuania – Legal only if both are over 18.
• Serbia – Legal only if both over 18 or could face up to 3 years in prison.
• Slovenia – Legal only if both 18 or could face up to 2 years in prison.
• Thailand – Legal only if both are over 15.
• Philippines – Legal only for sexual activities and both are over 18 but it is illegal to get married.
• Japan – Legal but can get 6 months to 10 years in prison if one commits an indecent act upon or engages in sexual intercourse with another person under 18 by taking advantage of the fact of having custody of that person.

Laws On Incest – Where It’s Illegal

Overall in the world, incest is considered illegal but each country usually has their own definitions and restrictions that class as incest.

• Indonesia – Nationwide not allowed by marriage and overall illegal.
• Nigeria – Illegal since 2015 and can face 5+ years in prison if consensual or 10+ years in prison if non consensual.
• Italy – Only illegal if it provokes public scandal and can result in 2 to 8 years in prison.
• Uruguay – Only illegal if it provokes public scandal and can result in 6 months to 5 years in prison.
• Afghanistan – Illegal and can result in the death penalty.
• Australia – Illegal but restrictions/prohibited relations vary by state as well as the penalty.
• Albania – Illegal between ancestors, siblings and relations by blood or adoption which can result in up to 7 years in prison.
• Austria – Illegal between ancestors and siblings (including half-siblings) which can result in up to 3 years in prison.
• Bhutan – Illegal where the relationship is by consanguinity or affinity in such a way that they cannot legally marry except otherwise provided in other laws and can result in 1 to 3 years in prison.
• Brunei – Illegal between blood relatives prohibited by religious law resulting in the death penalty.
• Canada – Illegal between child and parent or grandchild and grandparent. Also between full and half-siblings which can result in up to 14 years in prison.
• Chile – Illegal between ancestors and full siblings that can result in up to 1 year in prison.
• Cuba – Illegal between ancestors and full siblings that can result in 3 months to 5 years in prison.
• Czech Republic – Illegal between ancestors, siblings and relations by blood or adoption which can result in up to 3 years in prison.
• Denmark – Illegal between ancestors and full siblings which can result in up to 6 years in prison (direct line) or up to 2 years in prison (siblings).
• Eritrea – Illegal between grandparent, parent, child or grandchild and also between siblings (full and half) which can result in 1 to 3 years in prison.
• Estonia – Illegal between grandparent, parent, child or grandchild and also relations between blood or adoption which can result in 2 to 8 years in prison.
• Ethiopia – Illegal between blood relatives whose marriage is prohibited by respective law and can result in 3 months to 3 years in prison.
• Greece – Illegal between ancestors and siblings (full and half) which can result in more than 10 years in prison for the ascending relative if the descending relative is under 15 years old, imprisonment if 15 but not 18 years old, and up to 2 years in prison if 18 years and older. Up to 2 years in prison if siblings or half siblings.
• Hong Kong – Illegal between grandparent, parent, child, grandchild and can result in up to 14 years in prison if female and up to 20 years in prison if male.
• Iceland – Illegal between ancestors and siblings (full and half) which can result in up to 8 years in prison for ascending relative or up to 12 years if descending relative is between 15 and 17 years old. Sibling relations can result in up to 4 years in prison.
• Iran – Illegal between blood relatives prohibited by religious laws and also illegal if specifically the step-mother is involved which can result in the death penalty.
• Liberia – Illegal between ancestors, half or full siblings, uncles, aunt or niece of whole blood which can result in up to 3 years in prison.
• Madagascar – Illegal between ancestors and full siblings resulting in 5 to 10 years in prison.
• Malaysia – Illegal between relatives, prohibited by religious law and can result in 6 to 20 years in prison plus flagellation.
• New Zealand – Illegal between ancestors and siblings (full or half) which can result up to 10 years in prison.
• Norway – Illegal between ancestors, siblings, stepfamily and adopted descendants which can result in up to 6 years in prison.
• Pakistan – Illegal between ancestors, blood relations and extended family (current and former).
• Poland – Illegal between ancestors, guardian or ward and siblings (full, half and step) resulting in 3 months to 5 years in prison.
• Saudi Arabia – Illegal and can result in the death penalty
• Singapore – Illegal between grandparent, parent, child, grandchild and siblings (full or half) resulting in up to 5 years in prison.
• South Africa – Illegal between ancestors, first degree of consanguinity, first degree of affinity, adoptive parent or child which can result in up to 3 years in prison and a fine.
• Somalia – Illegal and can result in the death penalty.
• South Sudan – Illegal between ancestors, siblings (full or half), uncle, aunt, nephew, niece which can result in up to 7 years in prison and a fine.
• Sweden – Illegal between ancestors and full siblings.
• Switzerland – Illegal between ancestors and siblings (full or half) resulting in up to 3 years in prison.
• Sudan – Illegal between ancestors (or their spouses), siblings, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew resulting in the death penalty if same-sex relation or up to 5 years in prison if otherwise.
• Taiwan – Illegal between relatives by blood and collateral relatives within the third degree of relationship by blood which can result in up to 5 years in prison.
• Tanzania – Illegal between grandparent, parent, sibling, child, grandchild resulting in up to 5 years in prison.
• Turkey – Illegal between ancestors. siblings (full or half), uncle, aunt, niece, nephew of whole blood.
• Uganda – Illegal between grandparent, parent, child, grandchild, siblings (full or half) cousin, in-laws, aunt, uncle, niece and nephew which can result in up to 7 years in prison.
• United Arab Emirates – Illegal between blood relatives, prohibited by religious law resulting in the death penalty.
• United Kingdom – Illegal between grandparent, parent, child, grandchild, siblings (full or half), uncle, aunt, niece and nephew which can result in up to 2 years in prison for sex between adult relatives (penetration).
• Zambia – Illegal between grandparent, parent, child, grandchild, siblings which can result in up to 5 years in prison.

Laws On Incest – United States of America

The United States work slightly differently to most of the world as their laws generally vary by state. In all but 2 states incest is considered as a criminal offence, though in Ohio incest is legal between consenting adults only when one party is not a parental figure (including natural, adoptive and step parents). Incest is legal between consenting adults in New Jersey (18 or over) and in Rhode Island (16 or over). Each state has their own restrictions/prohibited relationships as well as their own penalties – usually penalties consist of person time and also a fine. More information about the legality of incest in the United States can be read here.

Incest vs Payment Processors

Now let us talk about the topic that probably most of us in the adult gaming community are at least somewhat aware of. Majority of payment processors will not allow payments that relate to adult content in general so incest is definitely off the table.

PayPal’s ‘Acceptable Use Policy‘ don’t allow transactions related to:

• (g) items that are considered obscene
• (i) certain sexually oriented materials or services’.

PayPal don’t permit accounts holders to buy or sell:

• Sexually oriented digital goods or content delivered through a digital medium. Downloadable pictures or videos and website subscriptions are examples of digital goods.
• Sexually oriented goods or services that involve, or appear to involve, minors.
• Services whose purpose is to facilitate meetings for sexually oriented activities.

In the US, PayPal does allow transactions for certain sexually orientated physical goods such as magazines and DVDs but do not permit this outside of the US. A lot of other major payment processors have similar restrictions/policies also.

Stripe prohibits any businesses that deals with:

• Pornography and other mature audience content (including literature, imagery and other media) depicting nudity or explicit sexual acts
• Adult services including prostitution, escorts, pay-per view, sexual massages, and adult live chat features
• Adult video stores
• Gentleman’s clubs, topless bars, and strip clubs

Square prohibits any businesses relating to:

• Adult entertainment oriented products or services (in any medium, including Internet, telephone or printed material)

So how do adult game developers get paid then? Majority of adult game developers will use websites such as Itch.io, Patreon and SubscribeStar to distribute their content but even those still have some restrictions to the type of content that the adult game developer can distribute via their service.

Itch.io and Incest

When it comes to adult content on itch.io they have a ‘all content is allowed as long as it’s legal’ policy but things can get complicated when the developer wants to get paid for their content as they must adhere to the payment processers acceptable use policies (either PayPal or Stripe) which seem to allow adult content based on the amount of adult games on itch.io but their views on incest are unclear; honestly its more of a lottery and you may be the unlucky winner who has to change or remove their game.

Patreon and Incest

Patreon’s community guidelines state that they do not allow pornographic material or sexual services which they define as ‘real people engaging in sexual acts such as masturbation or sexual intercourse on camera’. When it comes to other content such as adult games they claim that they ‘don’t review offensive and graphic creations with strict black and white guidelines‘ and ‘instead review creations in the context of the whole creator page‘. They then go onto discuss that they have zero tolerance when it comes to glorification of sexual violence such as bestiality, rape and child exploitations. They then go onto to say that they ‘do not allow other fringe sexual fetish creations, such as incest, necrophilia, or fetish creations that are hard to distinguish from non-consensual sex‘.

So their rules on incest seem pretty straightforward. Right? Well not exactly as they then claim that they ‘understand that some topics on this list such as incest or rape are a little bit more complicated because these situations are, unfortunately, part of real life‘, so what does this mean then relating to content including adult games? When reviewing content that involve these topics they state that ‘the Trust and Safety team will take into consideration context including personal, historical or educational narrative‘.

So again, it’s really a lottery which you might unfortunately win and have your game removed. Also, again payment processors also have an effect on this as Patreon also uses PayPal so PayPal may pressure patreon into some changes based on their policies when it comes to adult content in general.

SubscribeStar and Incest

On SubscribeStar’s terms of service under ‘Prohibited Content’ they state that ‘We may, but have no obligation, to monitor, edit or remove content that we determine in our sole discretion are unlawful, offensive, threatening, libellous, defamatory, inappropriate, pornographic, obscene or otherwise objectionable or violates any party’s intellectual property or these Terms of Service.‘ Which means that adult content or incest even is not directly prohibited but that they may only remove the content that they deem themselves it should be removed.

So incest games are allowed here? Yes but depending on the overall content it could be removed so be cautious.

So Which Service Should I Use?

Out of Itch.io, Patreon and SubscribeStar? All of the above in my opinion as it does give you a larger reach and multiple options to your fans on how they want to support you. Also if one service removes your game, you still have 2 others that you can rely on.

How can you use Patreon for an incest game if they most likely wouldn’t permit it? Well, most developers will change the relationships between family to something non-related. Most of the time its the room-mates and tenants relationship:

• Landlady/lord = Mother/Father
• Room-mate = Brother/Sister
• Tenant = Son/Daughter

The games that feature that type of relation will usually have a mod/patch available to download from another site that would change the relationships back to being incestuous.

So we have finally reached the end of this article. I want to know what your thoughts on incest were before and what they are now that you have read this article. Have your views/opinions changed? Will you stop playing incest games or maybe play them even more now? If you’re a game developer with incest in your game, perhaps you could tell us your experiences. Tell us in the comments below or over on Discord!