As a gaymer, I fell in love with RPGs through video games such as Tales of Legendia and Kingdom Hearts II. Not only are there more RPGs than ever before, but some of them have put a gayer spin on conventional video game character archetypes. From indie RPGs to JRPGs, check out these 10 role-playing video games with LGBTQ characters.
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Mediterranea Inferno begins in Milan, Italy in late February 2020, where we follow a trio of teenage gay boys known as “The Sun Guys”
If you love magic schools and want a video game that’s LGBTQ-inclusive, look no further. Developed by Happy Ray Games, Ikenfell is a tactical turn-based RPG available on Steam, Nintendo Switch, Playstation 4, Xbox One, Windows, and Mac.
You play as protagonist Mariette Hildeguard as she journeys to the school of Ikenfell to look for her missing sister. Not only is Mariette not straight, but the other characters that will join her in her journey are also not straight and/or not cis. One character Petronella, is a nonbinary alchemist that can heal and inflict status effects.
Fans of Pokemon or similar monster-taming RPGs can play this on Nintendo Switch, PC, and Xbox. From Bytten Studio comes this open-word turn-based RPG where you create your character (you can even choose pronouns!) and wind up on the island of New Wirral. After meeting a young woman named Kaleigh, you receive a cassette player and tape that lets you transform into monsters to fight other monsters, capture them on tapes, and then use them to fight other characters with cassette beasts.
While exploring the island, you find mysterious beings known as Archangels, who tell you that you must find a certain number of them in order to find a way home. Not only do you meet a colorful and diverse cast of characters along the way, but some of them can even become your partner in and out of battle. There is one particular lesbian character in this game, but you should see her for yourself. Not only is this game worth playing for the monster catching, but also its gorgeous pixel-art graphics and its kick-ass soundtrack by Joel Baylis and Shelby Harvey.
You know how Scott Pilgrim is about a white dude who fights his bisexual girlfriend’s exes to win her heart? Imagine this but with a queer Desi skater girl protagonist and you’ll have Thirsty Suitors. Created by Outerloop Games, Thirsty Suitors is available on Nintendo Switch, Playstation 4 and 5, PC, and Xbox.
Not only will you fight Jala’s exes in turn-based battles influenced by moods like thirst, charm, and heartbreak, but you will also have the opportunity to befriend or date them. You will also cook meals to try and impress your parents and complete skate challenges for fun. More importantly, you will experience a story of intergenerational trauma and personal growth as Jala learns to see her past and future in a better light.
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There are so many gender-affirming games out there, here are just a few.
Created by Mattis Lindas and published by Deck13 Spotlight, Chained Echoes is a turn-based pixel art RPG inspired by classic JRPGs like Final Fantasy VI and Chrono Trigger. Available on PC, Playstation 4, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch, it is set in the world of Valandis during a time of a multi-generational war between kingdoms.
One of the playable characters, a red-headed thief named Sienna, is introduced as someone who “has broken the hearts of many men and women”.In addition to its retro aesthetics, this game also has no random encounters, the ability to ride giant robot mechs, and all HP and TP healed after battle. It is also notable for its Overdrive gauge, a meter that makes certain abilities more effective throughout battle.
Available on Windows, Mac, and coming to Nintendo Switch this September, Get In The Car Loser is a lesbian road trip RPG made by Christine Love. It features four characters who team up with an angel to fight the Machine Devil and his cultists. Featuring vibrant 8-bit pixel graphics and turn-based combat that utilizes each character’s special abilities, this is a fun modern take on retro-style gaming. Not only is the main protagonist Sam a trans lesbian, but she also has healing abilities and is trying to learn more about herself while saving the world.
From Lily Valeen comes this PC and mobile game where you play as lesbian couple Sophie and Anna, one of whom is also trans. Using both their unique abilities in rhythmic combat, you help them fight devils, flirt and uncover the secrets of the city they call home.
Winner of two Gayming Magazine awards, Baldur’s Gate 3 is a Western RPG from Larian Studios where you create your character and explore a massive open fantasy world inspired by the Dungeons and Dragons franchise. It is available on Windows, Xbox, Mac, and Playstation 5.
Not only can you change your pronouns and voice to play a non-binary character if you wish, but you can also romance and have sex with characters of different genders. The characters that you can romance are also pansexual, which means that no matter what gender your character is, at least one NPC will flirt with you. You can also have polyamorous relationships with them if you want.
From Bioware comes this fantasy Western RPG released in 2014 for Playstation 3, Playstation 4, Windows, and Xbox. Similar to Baldur’s Gate, players create their character and explore an open world as a character known as as the Inquisitor on a journey to settle the civil unrest in the continent of Thedas and close a mysterious tear in the sky called the “Breach”, which is unleashing dangerous demons upon the world.
Despite being a decade ago, this game made some groundbreaking strides with several LGBTQ characters that you can journey with and romance. Dorian is Dragon Age’s first gay male companion and a mage, while Sera is a lesbian elf and an anarchist. There is also Cremisius “Krem” Aclassi, a transgender mercenary who has a rich backstory despite not being playable.
Released by Atlus in 2012, this game is less of an RPG and more of a puzzle and platformer game. However, I am including it here because the rereleased version of the game that came to Nintendo Switch in 2019 features a flawed yet loved transgender character named Erica Anderson. It is rare for a major video game publisher known to make a game with a transgender character, especially one known for making popular RPG series like Persona.
The game follows Vincent Brooks, a man who is beset by supernatural nightmares while torn between his feelings for his longtime girlfriend Katherine and the similarly named beauty Catherine. The gameplay is divided between the daytime, where Vincent interacts with the characters in a social simulation, and his dreams where he must navigate three-dimensional towers through combined platforming and puzzle-solving. One of the characters Vincent interacts with is Erica. Of her character, trans writer Bella Blondeau states, “From start to finish, Erica’s given the chance to lead a fulfilling, fun life doing something she loves and living on her own terms – a rarity for trans narratives.”
The sequel to Blue Reflection was released in 2021 for PlayStation 4, Switch, and Steam. Taking place during summer, you play as Ao Hoshizaki, a teenage girl who suddenly finds herself in a mysterious school surrounded by water. Alongside three other teenage girls, you must uncover the reason why you are there while recovering the lost memories of the other girls by fighting their inner demons. Did I mention you also transform into a magical girl to fight?
Despite being a sequel, you do not need to play the first game to understand this one.One of the girls that Ao meets is later confirmed to have feelings for another girl and her feelings play a key role in the storyline. Not only that, but other parts of the game have sapphic subtext such as the “dates” that involve you going for walks with another girl to specific locations at school, watching cutscenes, and occasionally selecting dialogue options.
