In days gone by, the most thrilling way to have sex was always missionary with the lights off – followed by a post-coital cigarette for those really adventurous types.
But here in 2025, things have escalated to jaw-dropping levels – ironically by turning the ‘sexy clock’ back to the Medieval period.
That’s right. If you want to be on trend between the sheets this summer, you need to channel Game of Thrones, or as it will now be known, Game of Erogenous Zones.  But before humping like 14th century noblemen and maidens, you’ll need to make sure those blankets are fur or velvet, preferably thrown over a four-poster bed – and you’ll need to prepare to do unspeakable things with dragon-like appendages. But we’re rushing things here, let’s take it back to basics.

What exactly is Castlecore – and why is it so popular?
It’s based on the surge of popularity of so-called ‘romantasy’ novels. Think fantasy worlds mixed with love triangles, enemy-to-lovers plot lines all mixed up with castles, wizards, fairies, magic incantations and, yes, dragons. Turns out that all those geeky boys at school who loved playing Dungeons & Dragons might have been onto something after all! 
But there’s nothing geeky about this trend. In fact, experts have warned that some of the filthier aspects of Castlecore could easily see you paying a trip to your local Accident & Emergency department.
Corsetry is a big part of the fantasy scene – and we’re talking the kind of corsets that are sooooo unbelievably tight that they’ll have your internal organs rushing for the exits.

Experts have warned that trussing yourself up too tightly could lead to breathing difficulties, skin irritation and weakened chest and back muscles leading to a deformed ribcage. Yikes!
If that wasn’t weird enough, this trend has seen the development of bizarre fantastical sex toys that will really get your juices flowing. And when we say ‘juices’ we’re talking watery eyes!
For example, pop onto Lovehoney and you’ll be able to ‘explore your deep-sea fantasies’ with a 10.6-inch Hydra Sea Monster Creature Cock. Literally, whaaaaat the hell?

Why stop there, though? If you really want to get your fantasy rocks off, you might want to sit on a Kraken’s tentacle [8.3inches], or have your insides rearranged by the Creature Cock Swamp Monster Silicone Scaly Dildo [9.4inches]. Or why not try a slightly more whimsical experience and straddle a Unicorn’s horn [8.3inches]. Surely that will bring you a bit of luck if you rub it the right way?
Perhaps the safest way to enjoy the trend is to stick with a bit of dress-up – knights in shining armour, fair damsels letting down their hair for a romp – and dragons with their private parts tucked safely away where they can cause no harm.
If all this sounds a bit too, well, dark, there are a couple of other hot sex trends right now that you might prefer.
First up, is something much lighter. In fact, it’s so light, you’ll barely even notice it at first. Sounding very much like a song by Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper is Shallowing. The idea here is that sexual arousal is heightened by the fact that nothing – and we mean NOTHING – is allowed to go beyond just a few centimetres inside a va-jay-jay. Everything remains ‘in the sha-ha, sha-ha-llow’… so fingers, tongues and, yes, willies, are only allowed to rub around the outer bit. It’s literally a case of ‘just the tip’. 

It’s not only the sense of anticipation that drives women wild for this; did you know that the vulva contains 90% of all the nerve endings in lady parts. You heard us, guys – this is the one time when you’ll hear a lady say she loves the fact you’re so shallow.
And if you’re ready to be open in more ways than one, another hot trend this year is Sexual Transparency. Nope, this doesn’t mean wearing see-thru undies (though that’s also fun!) In this case, the transparency refers to being completely honest with new partners about what it is that you want to do between the sheets. With the world in a state of never-ending chaos and the threat of total oblivion hanging over us, there’s very little time for being coy. So this trend encourages people to be open about their kinks, fetishes and quirks and hurry it along a bit. Obviously this only works if your kinks are reasonably sane – and it might be worth keeping quiet for a while about the two-foot long dragon dick that you’ve got hidden in your knicker drawer!

By Andrew Hartley