MAKING A DIFFERENCE
Play these amazing inclusive games
Pioneering videogames such as Life Is Strange, If Found… and Dream Daddy broke ground by making queer themes or storylines their focus. Now a new crop of titles have picked up the torch by subtly weaving LGBTQ+ characters into their narratives.
We spoke to the creators of three recent releases about this quiet but important shift in LGBTQ+ representation in gaming.
Hannah, Finding Hannah
In this hidden-object adventure, as you find items in richly illustrated scenes, you’ll learn about the life of a woman in her late thirties named Hannah. The fact that she’s queer, is simply part of the story, not the point of it.
“The decision to make Hannah queer was natural,” says writer Rebecca Harwick of female-led studio Fein Games. “I think of Finding Hannah as widening the kinds of stories that are told. People are much more familiar with the coming-out narrative and queer trauma stories, and a lot more people know queer people in their day-to-day lives.”
That familiarity has allowed stories to evolve, says Harwick. “It’s possible for me as a gay woman in her late thirties to have a family and a nice apartment, to walk down the street with my wife and child, and have all my energy on my midlife crisis,” she says. “It’s possible for me to tell this story because of the acceptance of queer lifestyles.”
Felix, Alba: A Wildlife Adventure
As you roam through the Apple Arcade game Alba’s sunlight-speckled forests and orchards, your objective is to photograph its people, places and wildlife while cleaning up the island.
You’ll interact with dozens of characters, among them Felix, a transgender man with visible top surgery scars.
“I suggested we include someone with top surgery because at the time I was doing a lot of research about that for myself,” says Ustwo Games senior artist Fen Beatty.
Players have taken note. “We had a fan email to say they were so grateful we appropriately represented the scars, because I also added drain scars,” says Beatty, referring to a small round mark left by the surgical tube used in some chest reconstructions.
“We have a lot of LGBTQ+ characters in the game, and we didn’t announce any of them or their relationships to each other,” says Beatty. “Alba is all about viewing the world through the camera lens and picking up on small details.”
Sven and Angus, Love & Pies
In this drama-filled puzzler, you’ll help Amelia renovate her cafe by merging ingredients to create delectable treats. Among the game’s inclusive characters are Amelia’s uncle, Sven, and his furniture-building partner of 25 years, Angus. You don’t find out the two are a couple until well into the game – an intentional decision by developer Trailmix.
“How we introduce storylines is really natural,” says Carolin Krenzer, Trailmix CEO and co-founder. “Same-sex relationships or they/them pronouns just crop up as part of conversations between characters.”
“We want to represent every part of our audience, and for the game to be a microcosm of the real world,” says Krenzer. “Players appreciate being seen.”