Brats, pets & primal
Primal play: a beginner's guide
Instinct over technique: chasing, wrestling, growling, biting. For some people it’s the most freeing kind of play.
In the quiz
- Primal play
How to start
- Clear a space.
- Agree on a safeword and a tap-out.
- Start with wrestling.
- Then try a chase.
How to keep it safe
- Watch out for furniture and joints.
- Biting with no broken skin.
- The safeword always works.
What you need
- Starter: a rug or mats.
Ideas to try
- A chase through the house when you have it to yourselves.
- Wrestling where the winner calls the shots.
Is your partner into it too?
Take the quiz on your own phones. You'll only see primal play in your results if you both said some kind of yes.
Sources
- Brown, Barker & Rahman (2020). A systematic scoping review of the prevalence, etiological, psychological, and interpersonal factors associated with BDSM. Journal of Sex Research.
- Ambler et al. (2017). Consensual BDSM facilitates role-specific altered states of consciousness: A preliminary study. Psychology of Consciousness.
Related guides
- Ownership and collars
Belonging to someone, and claiming them. A collar or a discreet necklace makes it something you can wear.
- Pet play
One of you takes on a pet role: kitten, puppy, eager to please. It’s often more playful and affectionate than sexual.
- Brats and brat taming
One of you pushes back on purpose so the other has to make them behave. It’s playful defiance, and many couples trade roles.
Educational, not medical or legal advice. Updated 2026-11-09.