Don't Drop the Soap

Lore & Background

Don't Drop the Soap was created by art student John Sebelius for a class project at the Rhode Island School of Design. The game officially went on sale on January 29, 2008 in Lawrence, Kansas and through Sebelius' personal website. Its gameplay consists of six levels, with the ultimate goal being to make parole without dropping the soap in the prison shower; dropping the soap leads to rape by fellow inmates.

The game drew sharp criticism from individual members or spokespersons of the National Prison Rape Elimination Commission, a U.S. bipartisan panel, with one stating the title made light of 'a serious and all-too-pervasive violent sex crime.' The Pitch labeled Sebelius 'The Idiot Son of an Elected Official,' and politician Tim Huelskamp requested the Kansas Attorney General investigate the game being marketed and stored at Cedar Crest, the Governor's mansion. Sebelius responded that the game was meant as a lighthearted spoof and not an endorsement of prison rape.

Reader's Guide

Don't Drop the Soap is significant primarily as a flashpoint in the intersection of art, satire, and social sensitivity. Its release in 2008 by the son of prominent Kansas political figures—Governor Kathleen Sebelius and U.S. Magistrate Judge K. Gary Sebelius—amplified public and political scrutiny. The game's treatment of prison rape as a gameplay mechanic provoked condemnation from the National Prison Rape Elimination Commission, a bipartisan panel, and led to calls for investigation by politician Tim Huelskamp. The controversy highlights ongoing debates about the boundaries of satire and the responsibility of creators when addressing serious crimes. Though the game was a limited release, its legacy endures as a case study in how a student project can spark national discourse on prison violence and the ethics of humor. The game's similarity to Monopoly in gameplay and its three playable characters—including a disabled prisoner named Wheelz—further illustrate the designer's attempt at parody, which many found offensive rather than humorous.

Did You Know?

• Individual members or spokespersons of the National Prison Rape Elimination Commission criticized the game for making light of prison rape.
• Politician Tim Huelskamp requested the Kansas Attorney General investigate the game being marketed and stored at Cedar Crest, the Governor's mansion.

Origins & Family Context

Don't Drop the Soap emerged not from a corporate board-game studio but from a classroom at the Rhode Island School of Design, where art student John Sebelius developed it as a class project. The game's creator carried a name that immediately drew public attention: he was the son of Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius and U.S. Magistrate Judge K. Gary Sebelius, a fact that amplified every headline surrounding the title. After completing the project, Sebelius moved to bring the game to a small but real audience. On January 31, 2008, it officially went on sale in Lawrence, Kansas, and was also available for purchase directly through his personal website. In terms of structure, the game borrows heavily from the familiar territory-based progression of Monopoly, translating that classic loop into a prison setting. The combination of a student-made origin, a politically prominent family name, and a subject matter as charged as incarceration made the title a magnet for scrutiny long before most players ever opened the box.

Gameplay & Structure

At its core, Don't Drop the Soap is a turn-based, Monopoly-like experience structured around six progressive levels and designed for up to three participants. Players select one of three inmate characters to represent them at the table: Sal "The Butcher," a figure whose name evokes brute force; "Anferny," a more enigmatic choice; and "Wheelz," a disabled prisoner whose inclusion adds a layer of vulnerability to the cast. The central objective is straightforward in concept—reach parole—yet the mechanic that defines the experience is the ever-present threat of the soap. In the prison shower, the player must avoid dropping the bar of soap. Should it slip from their grasp, the rules dictate that the character bends down to retrieve it, and in that moment of exposure, a fellow inmate subjects them to rape. This single rule sits at the heart of the game's controversy, turning a mundane household object into a trigger for the most violent possible consequence in the prison setting the game depicts.

Public Backlash & Institutional Criticism

The game's release triggered a wave of condemnation from institutions and media outlets that found its treatment of prison sexual violence deeply offensive. The National Prison Rape Elimination Commission, a bipartisan U.S. panel specifically tasked with reducing sexual assault behind bars, publicly criticized the title, arguing that it trivialized what they described as a serious and all-too-pervasive violent sex crime. The Pitch, a publication, went further in its personal attack on Sebelius himself, branding him "The Idiot Son of an Elected Official" in a headline that conflated the game's content with his family's political standing. The controversy also crossed into the political arena when Kansas politician Tim Huelskamp called for an investigation into the game and raised specific concerns that it was being marketed and even stored at Cedar Crest, the official residence of the Governor. These combined pressures turned a student art project into a statewide political flashpoint.

Sebelius's Defense & the Game's Place in Culture

Facing mounting criticism, John Sebelius pushed back against the characterization that the game endorsed or celebrated prison rape. He explained that his intention was to create a lighthearted spoof, a satirical take on the board-game format rather than a serious exploration of incarceration or sexual violence. In his view, the soap mechanic was meant as dark, absurdist humor within a Monopoly-like framework, not as a statement on the realities of prison life. Despite this defense, the game never achieved mainstream commercial distribution; its availability remained limited to a physical location in Lawrence, Kansas, and Sebelius's own personal website. The title ultimately stands as a case study in how a single class project, when combined with a politically prominent surname and a subject as sensitive as prison sexual assault, can ignite a national debate about the boundaries of satire, the responsibilities of creators, and the weight that family names carry in public discourse.