Dark Play refers to practices that include BDSM, kink, and/or fetish activities. These practices may involve sexual and/or erotic acts, alternatively they may be devoid of sex or eroticism, or they consist of a combination of sexual and non-sexual activities.
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The adjective “dark” is used in a sense of secret, hidden, unknown, subconscious, and unconscious sexual, erotic, or other wishes, fantasies, and desires, those that typically don’t “see the light” in the public domain because of being taboo. Dark Play is rather carried out discreetly and privately, may it be by individuals, couples, or groups.
The types of activities in Dark Play are widely diverse and can include one or more touch (like massage, bodywork, bondage, or Impact Play), non-touch (for instance verbal insults, erotic humiliation, financial domination), and/or behavioral practices(such as Role Play and Power Play).
In recent years, Dark Play has become a more mainstream phenomenon, both in the private and commercial (professional) domains. For instance, couples increasingly introduce or experiment with “dark elements” in their (sexual) relationships, somatic therapists sometimes use Dark Play as a means to come to stress, emotional or trauma release, and you’ll find many professional BDSM, massage, and bodywork practitioners who offer dark treatments and training courses.
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Mind that Dark Play is often a combination of practices and activities belonging to different domains. For instance, a Sensual Erotic Massage may include Role Play, bondage, sensory deprivation, erotic humiliation, and sexual intercourse, and may or may not be a fetish for the receiver of the massage.
Or another example: a Dominatrix may use a combination of Impact Play, Medical Play, Sexual Denial Play, and Tantric practices with her male submissive partner who’s dressed up as woman, the latter being a form of Feminization Role Play.
At any rate, Dark Play is a vast domain of incredibly diverse cross-linked activities. In our eBook Dark Play we explore the concepts, domains, and features, and examine the many types of practices, treatments, and activities that are part of the game.
