Blissful Satisfaction, everybody! We’re updating and republishing this checklist of a few of Swap’s greatest and most inclusive video games in celebration of Satisfaction month. Get pleasure from!
The video games trade has not all the time been good at portraying LGBTQ+ relationships and identities, however because of the efforts of small studios, indie builders, and LGBTQ+ creators, that is starting to alter. Not solely do now we have sufficient video games with robust LGBTQ+ themes on the Nintendo Swap that we will truly make a listing, however all of those video games are exceptionally good. We’re spoiled for selection!
However what precisely constitutes an “LGBTQ+ recreation”, anyway? It is greater than only a recreation that has some illustration in it — it is a recreation that is proudly consultant, that wears its queerness on its sleeve.
For instance, we’re not counting video games like Overwatch, which has LGBTQ+ illustration in characters like Tracer and Soldier 76, however who had been each confirmed to be homosexual in materials exterior of the sport, and we’re not together with Miitopia, Harvest Moon, and Story of Seasons, as a result of regardless that they let gamers marry characters of the identical gender, they name it “greatest buddies” — which is fairly dismissive in 2023.
Nonetheless, please remember that, for a lot of of those video games, their LGBTQ+ content material is a plot level, and so there are a lot of spoilers in right here. Blissful spoilers, however spoilers nonetheless!
Writer: Finji / Developer: Infinite Fall
Though Night time within the Woods’ plot is predominantly in regards to the mysterious goings-on in Possum Springs, and protagonist Mae Borowski’s personal private demons, the precise day-to-day of the sport entails Mae and her buddies being homosexual and doing crimes. No, actually — that is their catchphrase: “Be homosexual, do crimes”. With a portrayal of a loving homosexual relationship between Gregg and Angus, plus Mae’s personal pansexuality, Night time within the Woods paints an image of a bunch of buddies who aren’t afraid to be their most genuine selves.
Writer: Humble Video games / Developer: Blissful Ray Video games
Think about a recreation like Harry Potter, however set in a world that is each welcoming and happy with its trans, pansexual, non-binary, homosexual and queer characters, and you have got Ikenfell, a Chrono Set off-style RPG about saving the world from magic gone flawed.
The teenagers at Ikenfell’s wizarding faculty vary from “discovering their sexuality” to being out-and-out flirts, which is a refreshing tackle the “all teenagers are nervous about kissing” trope. It is also one of many solely video games we have ever performed to characteristic neo-pronouns, with one of many academics utilizing ze/zir.
Writer: 8-4 / Developer: 8-4
Undertale’s most overt LGBTQ+ reference is the “greatest ending”, which — spoilers — entails the completely WONDERFUL lesbian relationship between Alphys and Undyne, which you’ll simply miss except you are doing a pacifist run.
Numerous different low-key queer representations abound, from Mettatron’s gender presentation to the principle character’s use of they/them pronouns.
Writer: Matt Makes Video games / Developer: Matt Makes Video games
Celeste is an excellent, punishingly-hard platformer by lots of the people who labored on Towerfall. Its story is usually involved with protagonist Madeline’s psychological well being struggles as she makes an attempt to climb a mountain, regardless of her self-doubt.
Not solely does the group that labored on it characterize lots of the letters within the LGBTQ+ acronym, however Maddy Thorson — the sport’s director and designer, who’s non-binary — confirmed that Madeline herself is trans. The truth is, it was the making of Celeste that helped Maddy come to phrases with their very own gender emotions!
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Writer: ConcernedApe / Developer: ConcernedApe
The Story of Seasons video games and Harvest Moon video games have traditionally been greater than a bit of dangerous at representing same-sex relationships. Lots of them will let you will have same-sex marriages, however the truth that these are often known as “greatest pal ceremonies” in Japan offers you an thought of simply how progressive this actually is.
Stardew Valley, a recreation closely impressed by Harvest Moons of the previous, is much less shy about its LGBTQ+ illustration.
Writer: Marvelous (XSEED) / Developer: Marvelous (XSEED)
As we talked about above, the Story of Seasons collection has not all the time been nice at same-sex relationships — however the Associates of Mineral City remake on Swap is a step in the proper course. Not solely is it a stable replace of top-of-the-line video games within the collection, however it additionally presents a veritable cornucopia of potential marriage candidates to woo, together with the Harvest Goddess herself. Brandon and Jennifer are two new romanceable characters added to the checklist for the remake, as properly!
Writer: Annapurna Interactive / Developer: Annapurna Interactive
Gone Dwelling is likely one of the first narrative video games that’s instructed virtually solely by discovered objects, as Katie Greenbriar returns residence to her household’s empty home. By strolling round and discovering varied diary entries, cassette tapes, and items of paper, Katie can put collectively what occurred to her sister, Sam.
Whereas we by no means get extra info than what the sport tells us in snippets of textual content, and Sam’s story is rarely expanded upon, Gone House is a gently instructed, surprisingly heartwarming story regardless of seeming, at first, like a horror recreation.
Writer: Plug In Digital / Developer: Plug In Digital
What would you do in case you discovered a locked cellphone belonging to a stranger? If the reply is “I might undergo all of the texts and emails, however I might really feel REALLY dangerous about it,” then maybe you possibly can indulge your curiosity harmlessly with A Regular Misplaced Cellphone.
You discover the cellphone of Sam, a teen whose life you slowly unwrap as you undergo their correspondence with family and friends. Ultimately, it is going to develop into clear why Sam has deserted the cellphone: to start out a brand new life away from their homophobic and transphobic household, and reside authentically.
Writer: Restricted Run Video games / Developer: Novectacle
The Home in Fata Morgana begins in an deserted home, as you — an amnesiac thriller individual — discover the recollections of the mansion. Travelling by way of time, you watch tales of abuse, grief, heartbreak, homicide, and on the centre of all of it, a witch’s curse — however finally you may come to the reality of the entire thing. Fata Morgana is a tragic story of rejection, othering, and discovering one’s true id, even when it means shedding all the things else.
Writer: Recreation Grumps / Developer: Recreation Grumps
Dream Daddy is, on the floor, a fluffy, heartwarming story of dads relationship dads in a dad-friendly utopian suburb. Dig a bit of deeper, although, and you will find themes of what it means to be a homosexual dad, a black dad, a trans dad, a plus-size dad, a closeted dad, and a self-loathing dad.
Physique sorts, race, range, and the struggles of elevating younger girls are all intertwined with the Dream Daddy’s marshmallowy dating-game exterior, and that depth is what skyrocketed this brief narrative-focused expertise into large recognition.
Writer: Annapurna Interactive
If Discovered… is a visible novel centred on the lifetime of Kasia, a transgender girl, as she writes in her diary about her experiences in early ’90s Eire. You may solely work together with the sport by way of erasing Kasio’s phrases, discovering her story of attempting to slot in by not becoming in as you delete it from the world.
With a punky, hand-drawn zine-like artwork fashion, If Discovered… is all about how generally constructing new bridges means burning the outdated ones down.
