It's Pride Month, baby! I made a list last year sharing a few queer games for the queer and the theys, so I thought I'd add to the list because there's never enough queer games out there. Some are cute, some are fun, some of these games are depressing and real as hell and some are...weird. (Looking at you Later Daters) Speaking of...
1. Later Daters
"You’re the newest resident at Ye OLDE retirement community, where you’ll meet a cast of sexy seniors who are all dying (not literally) to meet you. It’s a lot like summer camp, but with orthopedic shoes, bridge clubs, and more jell-o. It’s an adjustment as you settle in, but who knows: maybe these will turn out to be the best years of your life!"
"Later Daters is a wholesome dating sim about queer seniors. The game, from Toronto developer Bloom, is a romantic romp that sheds light on the lives and stories of queer and trans elders." And with some of the most racially and culturally diverse cast of characters I've ever seen!
Later Daters is available on: Steam, itch.io and Nintendo Store.
Price: Under 10$
2. Your Royal Gayness
"Ah, fairy tales! The Prince saves the Princess, they get married and live happily ever after - or that's how it usually goes. But what if the Prince was gay?
Your Royal Gayness is a story-driven fairytale parody game where you must navigate royal life as Prince Amir and rule your kingdom while your parents - the King and Queen - are traveling. Manage your Kingdom's resources, make challenging choices and come up with funny and absurd excuses to avoid marriage!"
The game is faithful to the fairytales it's modeled after: the stories are at the front and center. The difference is that you get to choose how the story goes! Every playthrough is different not only because your choices affect what happens, but also because you never know what kind of problems Prince Amir has to face each day. The content and order of the story is always different!" Your Royal Gayness is available on: PC
Price: Under 20$
3. //TODO: Today
College dropout and aspiring artist Teal only wanted to live life without major complications, but one way or another they found themselves without enough money to pay rent, even though the month had only started. On top of that, an almost tailor-made AI suddenly appears inside their computer, claiming they'll tend to Teal's every need. And with a new co-worker who seems to be everything Teal aspires to be, the chaos is complete.
Can Teal untangle the mess that their life has turned into, all while making enough money to not be evicted?"
//TODO: today is available on: PC
Price: FREE!
4. Night in the Woods
"College dropout Mae Borowski returns home to the crumbling former mining town of Possum Springs seeking to resume her aimless former life and reconnect with the friends she left behind. But things aren't the same. Home seems different now and her friends have grown and changed. Leaves are falling and the wind is growing colder. Strange things are happening as the light fades.
And there's something in the woods."
Night in the Woods is an adventure game focused on exploration, story, and character, featuring dozens of characters to meet and lots to do across a lush, vibrant world. After a successful Kickstarter it's being made by Infinite Fall, a teamup of Alec Holowka (Aquaria), Scott Benson (Late Night Work Club), and Bethany Hockenberry."
Night in the Woods is available on: PC, Xbox, PlayStation, Switch
Price: 21.99$
5. A Normal Lost Phone
"A Normal Lost Phone is a game about exploring the intimacy of an unknown person whose phone was found by the player.
The game takes the shape of a narrative investigation: you have to search the phone’s text messages, pictures and applications, in order to learn about its former owner. Through this phone, you uncover Sam’s life, friends, family and relationships, until the evening when they turn 18 and mysteriously disappear."
Price: Under 5$
6. Long Story
"On your first day of school you discover that the previous owner of your locker has “mysteriously” disappeared. Do you want to figure out what happened or are you too busy being a social butterfly and trying to avoid your enemies…
Long Story gives you a chance to find true love as a middle school student (yes with all the awkwardness that entails) but we promise it will be so much better this time around!
Long Story, a charming and LGBTQ+ friendly dating sim set at the weirdly lovable Weasel Heights Middle School lets you pick your pronouns as well as who, or even if, you would like to date any of your romanceable friends."
Price: 14.99$
7. Best Friend Forever
Step off the bus at Rainbow Bay and start a new life with your furever friend! Adopt a dog, find true love and experience all the wacky hijinks this colourful city has to offer.
Best Friend Forever is the world’s first simulation game to combine pet care and dating (just not necessarily at the same time). Train, pat and play with your very own dog to form a bond that will last the ages. With your four-legged companion by your side, meet, woo and cherish the many cuties of Rainbow Bay’s thriving singles scene.
Encounter and develop relationships with six residents of Rainbow Bay! From a family lawyer to a youth counselor; from a Pomeranian lover to an ice-skating Samoyed owner, there's someone for anyone looking for love in this city. All you have to do is load up your Woofr - the app for people who love dogs who love people who love dogs - and get going.
8. Life is Strange Franchise (LiS, LiS: Before the Storm and LiS 2)
Follow the story of Max Caulfield, a photography senior who discovers she can rewind time while saving her best friend Chloe Price.
The pair soon find themselves investigating the mysterious disappearance of fellow student Rachel Amber, uncovering a dark side to life in Arcadia Bay. Meanwhile, Max must quickly learn that changing the past can sometimes lead to a devastating future.
Price: 21.99$
9. Coffee Talk
Coffee Talk is a game about listening to people’s problems and helping them by serving up a warm drink out of the ingredients you have in stock. It is a game that depicts lives as humanly as possible, while having a cast that is more than just humans.
Immerse yourself in the stories of alternative-Seattle inhabitants, ranging from a dramatic love story between an elf and a succubus, an alien trying to understand humans’ lives, and many others modern readers will find strongly echo the world around them.
Coffee Talk is available on: PC, Mac, Switch, Xbox, Playstation Price: 15$
10. Mass Effect Franchise
As Commander Shepard, you lead an elite squad on a heroic, action-packed adventure throughout the galaxy. Discover the imminent danger from an ancient threat and battle the traitorous Saren and his deadly army to save civilization. The fate of all life depends on your actions!
The Mass Effect games are available on: PC, Mac, Xbox, PlayStation Price: Varies!
11. Butterfly Soup
Butterfly Soup is a visual novel game by independent American developer Brianna Lei about gay Asian girls playing baseball and falling in love. The game is set in 2008 and follows four young, queer Asian-American girls as they attend their first year of high school and bond as members of a baseball club.
Butterfly Soup is available on: PC, Mac Price: FREE!
12. Dream Daddy
Dream Daddy: A Dad Dating Simulator is a game where you play as a Dad and your goal is to meet and romance other hot Dads. You and your daughter have just moved into the sleepy seaside town of Maple Bay only to discover that everyone in your neighborhood is a single, dateable Dad! Will you go out with Teacher Dad? Goth Dad? Bad Dad? Or any of the other cool Dads in this game? With minigames, side quests, and a variety of paths and endings, Dream Daddy: A Dad Dating Simulator is this year's most anticipated Dad-based game.
Features
Dream Daddy is available on: PC, Mac, Playstation, Switch, Android and iOS
Price: 16.99$
13. Monster Prom 1 & 2
"There’s only 3 weeks left before prom and you haven’t got a date yet..and you’re a monster. But that’s okay ‘cause at your high-school everyone else is too! These are the stepping stones into the world of Monster Prom, a one-to-four player competitive dating sim that has you thinking: I never knew I was into that!
Choose your own adventure and get all the way to your special monster’s heart before anyone else does, take personality quizzes to determine your stats, get into all kinds of funny and absurd situations to seduce your sweetheart and find out more about yourself than you or your friends ever knew."
Monster Prom is available on: PC, Mac, Xbox, Playstation, Switch Price: Under 20$
14. The Lion's Song: Episode 3, Derivation
"“The Lion’s Song: Episode 3 – Derivation” dives into the scientific world at the beginning of the 20th century – an era of great achievements, but also dark downfalls. On the eve of World War I mathematician Emma Recniczek enters the academic stage to solve a problem revolving around."
In the third episode of The Lion's Song, we play as a character who, as they face gender discrimination within mathematics and other inner struggles, also question their gender identity.
The Lion's Song is available on: Steam, Nintendo Switch, iOS and Android.
Price: Episodic, around 5$ per episode.
15. Get in the Car, Loser!
"A lesbian road trip RPG by the co-creator of Ladykiller in a Bind about fighting for love and justice in the face of indifference, inspired by choice-driven visual novels, and a battle system influenced by classic and modern JRPGs. WILL YOU STAND AND FIGHT IN THE FACE OF EVIL?"
Get In The Car, Loser! is not yet available. (Steam)
Price: TBA
16. Hustle Cat
You are Avery Grey, the newest employee at a popular cat cafe called A Cat's Paw. The coffee's good and the staff is friendly (and kinda cute!) but mysterious. One day, you find a strange book in the basement, with letters you can't quite read. You'll work hard at A Cat's Paw, but there's still time to get to know your new coworkers! Who's your favorite? The brusque, but devoted cook Mason? Or maybe Reese, the fashion-obsessed waiter who knows more than he says? And there's always your strange-eyed boss, the enigmatic Graves.
Hustle Cat is available on: PC & Mac Price: 22.79$
17. Max Gentlemen Sexy Business
Victorian Business Tycoon? Dating Sim? Why not both!?
Max Gentlemen Sexy Business! is a hilarious and titillating romp through Victorian era London as a social elite. Your family business has been stolen and you must partner with other powerful executives, fight your rivals and regrow your business to its former glory. Live out your Victorian tycoon fantasies to the maximum in this love letter to all things genteel.
Max Gentlemen Sexy Business! Is a game that was created to both contain nudity and mature content in a mindful manner. We've taken great care to be inclusive and respectful while we crafted our world. We hope we've created something that can stand as an example of great adult content.
Max Gentlemen Sexy Business is available on: PC Price: 22.79$
18. A New Life
"A new life" is a slice-of-life, bittersweet visual novel about connection, love and letting go. When your loved one hurts you, what do you do? Is it better to love and be hurt, than never love at all? It's your classic love story: Meet, marry, grow old.
19. Arcade Spirits
Arcade Spirits, a romantic visual novel, follows an alternate timeline set in the year 20XX where the 1983 video game crash never occurred. After a turbulent work history, you are granted employment at the Funplex, a popular arcade, home to a host of unique personalities and customers. Where will this new-found employment take you? Who will you meet along the way? Will you find the romance you're seeking?
Arcane Spirits is available on: PC, Xbox and Playstation Price: 19.99$
20. Ghost of Miami
On average, one person is murdered every day in Dade County. Between the drug cartels, the AIDS epidemic, and a flood of undocumented immigrants, hundreds more will vanish, never to be seen again. Chelo Martínez finds the people who slip through the cracks.
Ghosts of Miami is a mystery visual novel, featuring a lot of decision-making, crime-solving, and heart-breaking. In each of the five cases, you get to pick how Chelo spends her time. You can follow leads or get distracted by dangerous romantic options.
Ghost of Miami is available on: PC Price: 16.99$
21. Dragon Age Franchise
Dragon Age is a media franchise centered around a series of fantasy role-playing video games created and developed by BioWare. The franchise takes place on the fictional continent Thedas, and follows the experiences of its various inhabitants, with events from the main series games taking place primarily in its southern regions.
The Dragon Age franchise is available on: PC, Mac, Xbox, Playstation Price: Varies
22. Heaven Will Be Mine
It’s 1981, and the dream of a new home in space for all humanity is dead. After fighting for decades against an intangible and ephemeral existential threat from beyond the solar system, Earth command has declared the war effort a huge waste of time. The honeymoon is over, and a future of glittering cities across the solar system and cosmic battles between giant robots just isn’t going to happen. The outcome is clear: it’s time to come home.
Heaven Will Be Mine is a queer science fiction mecha visual novel from the creators of queer cult horror visual novel We Know The Devil, about joyriding mecha, kissing your enemies, and fighting gravity’s pull. Follow three women piloting giant robots in the last days of an alternate 1980s space program fighting for humanity’s future—or ditching their jobs to make out with each other instead.
23. Our Life: Beginnings & Always
A nostalgic visual novel where you design your own character and grow from childhood to adulthood with the lonely boy next door. Create an experience that’s all your own in this near-fully customizable, choice-heavy story.
Our Life: Beginnings & Always is a feel-good simulation, as well as a “feel-better” one, where painful emotions such as sadness, anger, stress, and worry can all be expressed, then met with reassurance, understanding, and support.
It’s a wholesome experience that faces large steppingstones of life, while having a focus on familiar everyday moments. With notable amounts of customization for even tiny details, you can enjoy pleasures as simple as having a preferred type of drink and a neighbor who cares enough to remember what it is.
Our Life: Beginnings & Always is available on: PC & Mac Price: FREE!
24. Missed Messages
‘goth gf’s iPhone’ airdrops you - accept or decline? A love/horror story about life, death, & memes. Missed Messages is a beautifully designed love/horror visual novel about death, life struggles and how we want to go through them. Missed Messages is made by Angela He (Zephyo), the same developer who made another visual novel called You Left Me.
Missed Messages is available on: PC, Mac Price: FREE!
25. Herald: An Interactive Period Drama - Book I & II
Herald is a choice-driven adventure game set during an alternate 19th century in which the West is united as a colonial superpower: the Protectorate. Help tell the story of Devan Rensburg, a man of mixed heritage who became steward on board of the HLV Herald, a merchant ship set for his country of birth. As Devan it is your job to keep the peace among the crew and passengers by resolving their daily squabbles. Set during a time of widespread inequality and injustice, you are challenged to uncover a great mystery that surrounds the Herald's perilous voyage.
Together, Herald Book I & II have around 4 hours of gameplay. Each Book has its own contained story in a larger narrative. Book III & IV are currently in development and will conclude Devan's adventures. The final books will be released as a bundle in 2021.
Herald: An Interactive Period Drama is available on: PC, Mac, Xbox, Playstation, Switch Price: 10.99$
Enjoy, celebrate being you the way you want to be, your truest self, during this month of pride, or any other day of the year.
Donate:
Black Lives Matter: https://bit.ly/3cHcnKM
Black Lives Matter Canada: https://bit.ly/2MOZBiB
NAACP: https://bit.ly/2UsYc5B
Also,
Here is a list of organizations to support Black Trans folks: https://bit.ly/30AAgkO