A History of Queer Interest Video Games

Note, inclusion of this list is NOT an endorsement of the quality of these games in any way, including their relationship to queerness. Bad representation and queerphobia are also of interest.

Please make any suggestions you have, this is always a work in progress. This list is intentionally broad: the goal is to log everything of potential interest to those invested in queerness and queer issues. So while incredibly direct examples like Dys4ia are included, so are things like Final Fantasy VII because the crossdressing sections would be worth looking at when studying queer and adjacent queer-coded representation in gaming.

Cyber Drak-Cools-Yas From Mars: Rat and Bat. Love and Hate.
Disco Elysium
Disco Elysium
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
Mother 3
Mother 3
Will This Bitter Night Bring Change?
Will This Bitter Night Bring Change?
Chrono Trigger
Chrono Trigger
Persona 5 Royal
Persona 5 Royal
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Trials and Tribulations
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Trials and Tribulations
Umineko no Naku Koro ni
Umineko no Naku Koro ni
Hollow Knight
Hollow Knight
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
Yakuza 0
Yakuza 0
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Nightmare Temptation Academy
Nightmare Temptation Academy
Mass Effect 2
Mass Effect 2
13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim
13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Fallout: New Vegas
Fallout: New Vegas
Super Metroid
Super Metroid
Deltarune: Chapter 2
Deltarune: Chapter 2
Hades
Hades
Killer7
Killer7
Undertale
Undertale
Yakuza: Like a Dragon
Yakuza: Like a Dragon
Celeste
Celeste
The World Ends with You
The World Ends with You
NieR: Automata
NieR: Automata
EarthBound
EarthBound
Final Fantasy VII
Final Fantasy VII
Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines
Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines
Super Mario Odyssey
Super Mario Odyssey
Steins;Gate
Steins;Gate
Signalis
Signalis
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
Persona 2: Eternal Punishment
Persona 2: Eternal Punishment
SeaBed
SeaBed
VA-11 Hall-A: Cyberpunk Bartender Action
VA-11 Hall-A: Cyberpunk Bartender Action
The Last of Us Part II
The Last of Us Part II
Persona 3 FES
Persona 3 FES
NieR
NieR
Stardew Valley
Stardew Valley
Fallout 2
Fallout 2
Madotsuki's Closet
Madotsuki's Closet
Three Lesbians in a Winter Special
Three Lesbians in a Winter Special
Wonderful Everyday: Down the Rabbit-Hole
Wonderful Everyday: Down the Rabbit-Hole
Persona 5
Persona 5
Anodyne 2: Return to Dust
Anodyne 2: Return to Dust
Hashihime of the Old Book Town
Hashihime of the Old Book Town
AI: The Somnium Files
AI: The Somnium Files
Ultima VII: The Black Gate
Ultima VII: The Black Gate
Dragon Age: Origins
Dragon Age: Origins
Animal Crossing: New Leaf
Animal Crossing: New Leaf
The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth
The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth
Chicory: A Colorful Tale
Chicory: A Colorful Tale
Ultima VII: Part Two - Serpent Isle
Ultima VII: Part Two - Serpent Isle
Persona 4
Persona 4
Pyre
Pyre
Night in the Woods
Night in the Woods
Yakuza 5
Yakuza 5
Oh, to Bee in Love
The Grown-Up Detective Agency
The Grown-Up Detective Agency
Star Ocean: The Second Story
Star Ocean: The Second Story
Shovel Knight
Shovel Knight
Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Persona 2: Innocent Sin
Persona 2: Innocent Sin
Bully
Bully
Sayonara Wild Hearts
Sayonara Wild Hearts
A Summer's End: Hong Kong 1986
A Summer's End: Hong Kong 1986
Deltarune: Chapter 1
Deltarune: Chapter 1
Yakuza Kiwami 2
Yakuza Kiwami 2
Um Jammer Lammy
Um Jammer Lammy
Grand Theft Auto IV: The Ballad of Gay Tony
Grand Theft Auto IV: The Ballad of Gay Tony
Xenoblade Chronicles 2
Xenoblade Chronicles 2
Deadly Premonition
Deadly Premonition
Terranova
Terranova
Technobabylon
Technobabylon
We Know the Devil
We Know the Devil
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Frogsong
Frogsong
Secret Little Haven
Secret Little Haven
Mass Effect
Mass Effect
Transistor
Transistor
Mass Effect 3
Mass Effect 3
Street Fighter Alpha 2
Street Fighter Alpha 2
The Sims 2
The Sims 2
Birdland
Birdland
Valkyria Chronicles
Valkyria Chronicles
Dragon's Dogma
Dragon's Dogma
Catherine
Catherine
Katawa Shoujo
Katawa Shoujo
Kindred Spirits on the Roof
Kindred Spirits on the Roof
Affinity
Affinity
Dys4ia
Dys4ia
The Missing: J.J. Macfield and the Island of Memories
The Missing: J.J. Macfield and the Island of Memories
Saints Row 2
Saints Row 2
Firewatch
Firewatch
Under a Caustic Snow, I Danced
Under a Caustic Snow, I Danced
Cyberpunk 2077
Cyberpunk 2077

44 Comments


3 years ago

I love the list! It's super important to catalogue and remember queer representation and themes throughout video game history, and I'm glad there's a list here—on this site—that does so :)
Mother 3?

3 years ago

Added, thanks!

3 years ago

I never played it and I don't think a lot of people did but I believe the main characters of Fear Effect Sedna are in a lesbian relationship.

3 years ago

13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim - one scenario has a character falling in love with a crossdresser, the game explores this relationship
NieR - intersex character
Steins;Gate - trans (coded) character, people argue over this similar to Danganronpa/P4 though because of portrayal
Umineko: When They Cry - spoilery, I'm sure others can vouch for it
Wonderful Everyday - gay character, falls under a similar stereotype as Ace Attorney 3 there. More stuff that's spoilery
Hashihime of the Old Book Town - BL murder mystery (not played this one yet admittedly).
AI: The Somnium Files - not played this one yet either but there was a line from a character that expressed support for the LGBT community that caused some controversy because people thought it wasn't in the original Japanese (lol). Think there's also like a gay bar

3 years ago

Wonderful, thanks so much for the suggestions!

3 years ago

Summon Night: Swordcraft Story has some LGBT theming, picking the female partner w/ the female main character has her be attracted and the same is true with two other girl characters.

Fate/Grand Order has multiple instances of characters being explicitly non-binary or transgender along with some gay representation.

Tri Force Heroes has crossdressing Link and the devs even asking pre-release if that'd be fine, if you think that counts.

Valerie Rose in Fantasy Strike is a lesbian and it factors into her story.

Fire Emblem: Three Houses has multiple gay relationship options for both genders.

I hope these suggestions were helpful!

3 years ago

The Yakuza series has consistently portrayed crossdressing bars and the Japanese queer culture in the nightlife setting, pretty much every game has characters involved from that background.

3 years ago

Can someone clarify which Yakuza games in particular? I'm hesitant to add things when I'm not sure of specifics like that.

3 years ago

tysm for the suggestions, added!

3 years ago

The Yakuza games were actually kinda transphobic early on but I think I read that the creator befriended a Trans person and they got much better about it after that, the remasters were even retranslated to remove the transphobia.. I'd say the safe bet is putting any Yakuzas that released after Yakuza 5, and the remasters. Or just the games this character appears in https://yakuza.fandom.com/wiki/Ako

3 years ago

I'll start by adding those, but jsyk plenty of the games on here are queerphobic, my intent isn't to log only good representation: "Note, inclusion of this list is NOT an endorsement of the quality of these games in any way, including their relationship to queerness. Bad representation and queerphobia are also of interest."

3 years ago

That's my bad for not reading close enough.

3 years ago

Since not-so-good representation is also applicable then Persona 5 and Persona 5 Royal would qualify because of these 2 https://megamitensei.fandom.com/wiki/Angel_and_Julian

3 years ago

thank you~
I don't know if this take is seen as hot, but fuck it. I think that using a stereotype is not inherently insensitive. I think that Angel and Julian aren't exactly queerphobic considering the fact that it doesn't seem like the developers/writers intended to offend people. I think it was more of a joke. Just me, though. Correct me if I'm wrong.

3 years ago

I can't comment on the games in question, but intent isn't the deciding factor on if a representation is good or not. I agree that stereotypes can be used in ways that are not queerphobic, but that's a really complicated issue.

I don't want this to turn into a debate comment section, though. Let's leave it at that. This list isn't trying to judge these things anyway.
I noticed that you included Borderlands 1 and 2. You should also include Pre-Sequel and 3. In Pre-Sequel, there is a lesbian character called Janey Springs. In 3, Sir Hammerlock from 2 comes back and has a male fiancee.

3 years ago

Added, thanks~
cool list .could you explain some of the entries?
Fire Emblem Awakening.
Here's list of videogames with lgbt characters on wikipedia. Think it will be helpful.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_video_games_with_LGBT_characters

2 years ago

The Hex: A gay couple exist but it's a secret and somewhat of a spoiler.
Killer7: Suda has stated that Kevin Smith is gay.
Also could you add notes for these games, I don't remember any LGBT characters existing in Mario Odyssey or Breath of the wild, but it's been a while since i've played both.

2 years ago

Edit: Sorry, didn't see the rest of the description.

2 years ago

This comment was deleted

2 years ago

Thank you for the additions! Breath of the Wild was due to the whole sequence surrounding the Gerudo outfit, and Odyssey is due to Mario being able to wear a dress.

2 years ago

Butterfly Soup

2 years ago

Archangel made a pretty good argument about Birdo (specifically Super Mario Bros. 2 and Captain Rainbow): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2V8Be53QXaA

2 years ago

Ah you have SM2 on here already, my bad.

2 years ago

What's super metroid doing here?


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