Play gay

But I’m looking for something a little deeper to consider these games of the LGBTQ+ variety.

I want canonically queer characters (regardless of player intervention), inclusive gender identities, and themes/storylines relevant to LGBTQ+ experiences.

Some of these games may deal with difficult subject-matter, like dysphoria, discrimination, depression, and homophobia/transphobia.

Tyler Ronan has become something of a hero to both gay and trans gamers out there, as he has become the first of both in the triple-A scene. The character customization system is very inclusive, so you can build the (trans or cis) dad avatar to suit your deepest dadsona. The game is heavy on the themes of belonging, self-acceptance, and found family.
Wholesome —————————————|—– Gritty
8.

Good thing there are six full romance options for you to choose from!
Coming Out on Top is a hysterical, oddly relatable, romp throughout college life. * They have their sexuality mentioned or strongly hinted at within the game (as in, no J.K. Rowlinging it and retroactively making characters gay without mentioning it in the story).

Moonstone Island
Genre: Creature collection
Moonstone Island is an open world exploration, creature collection, plus card battler. In One Night, Hot Spring, Haru agrees to visit the hot springs with friends Manami and Erika. The narrative is anywhere from one to ten minutes long, so you can easily play through all of the story routes.

Played in portrait mode (mobile is obviously the intended audience), you’ll interact with a lost-and-found smartphone, and the “game” consists of trying to unlock everything inside of it to see to whom it belonged. Is there one?
It’s a story-driven exploration game with light puzzle platforming. Dark corners, doors slamming, eerie locked spaces…the game is meant to be a riff off the horror walking sim genre. In doing so, you might even uncover a throughline across some of these mysteries, and uncover a darker story waiting to be heard.
LGBTQ+ Content: The diverse cast of characters include folks who go by they/them, they/she, and they/he.

Under the guise of trying to return the phone to its owner, you’ll learn about Sam, the owner. Go get it now!
Life is Strange 2
Life is Strange 2 differed from the first game in a small number of ways, but what it didn’t change up was the potential for the main protagonist to express their feelings for both men and women.

I’ll leave it to you to play the game and find out who is what.
Wholesome ————————————-|——- Gritty
Stay cozy, gamers!

Gay Games (Gaymes, if you will).
Games with gay or bisexual characters.

This time around you play as Sean, a sweet, but troubled young man who has to flee after accidentally, and unwillingly, breaking the law. When Max uses her strange powers to save a friend’s life, she becomes thrust into the center of a supernatural catastrophe of her own making. She is a fully fleshed out character who can be straight, gay, or pansexual depending on your choices.
Wholesome —–|————————————— Gritty
2.

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Coming Out on Top is indeed the game that possesses that very image you remember. This is something that Haru struggles with, what with being trans in a country where she is not yet able to change the marker on her ID. The story invites you to see the world through Haru’s eyes, and join her in her struggle to navigate a society that isn’t always inviting.
LGBTQ+ Content: The main character is trans and queer.

Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town
Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town didn’t resonate with me personally during my time with it, but that doesn’t stop it from being a pretty good game for LGBT+ folks.

Being that Tara is not a “player self insert,” dating a woman actually feels meaningfully queer.
It’s also just a different take on farming and romance from Stardew Valley, another game that also lets you play as a queer man or woman.