Nine important LGBTQ+ video games coming out in 2024
2024 is already gearing up to be a good year for gamers, and there are some queer-inclusive titles to add to the ‘must play’ list. (Supergiant Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment/Rocksteady Studios/Soft Not Weak, LLC)
Last year was a big one for LGBTQ+ video games, and it looks as if 2024 is shaping up to be just as exciting – and just as queer.
Whether partying up online or cuddled on the couch, queer folks enjoyed an excellent bevy of LGBTQ+ inclusive games in 2023. Fans truly felt the thirst with queer romances in the award-winning Baldur’s Gate 3, finally saw Aloy’s queer identity confirmed in Horizon Forbidden West and got to witness bisexual Marvel legend Black Cat in PlayStation 5’s Spider-Man 2.
And in the coming 12 months, there are more queer-inclusive options, from SNES-inspired indie games to a number of highly-anticipated sequels.
Here are nine video games for LGBTQ+ gamers to keep their eyes out for.
The Last of Us Part II Remastered
Set five years after The Last of Us, this remastered sequel focuses on the emotional journey of Ellie, who sets off on a quest for revenge, and Abby, a soldier who’s entwined in a conflict between her militia and religious cult, in a post-apocalyptic US.
The remastered version, which was announced in November, will feature visual improvements, faster loading times, and a rogue-like survival mode called No Return, as well as other pieces that will help players re-experience – or discover for the first time – the pair’s stories.
Hades 2
Queer gamers have been eagerly waiting to play the sequel to one of the best LGBTQ+ inclusive rogue-like video games out there. The 2020 game saw Zagreus, the loveable and sometimes frustrating bisexual son of Hades, hack and slash his way out of the underworld of Greek mythology.
Hades 2, which has early access dropping this year, sees Zagreus hang up his boots after successfully reuniting his parents in the first game. The torch is passed to Melinoë, Zagreus’ sister and basically the princess of the underworld, as she goes up against the sinister Titan of Time, Chronos.
Dragon’s Dogma 2
The sequel to the cult classic action role-playing game looks, from everything that’s been released so far, incredible. It will once again have players take on the role of the Arisen – a hero marked by their desire to challenge the dragon – and recruit allies, called pawns, to take on quests and defeat giant monsters.
Romance in the first Dragon’s Dogma saw players embark on a process to woo the non-playable character of their choosing to become their Beloved. This lover can be of any gender.
Capcom hasn’t outlined how the romance system has been updated in Dragon’s Dogma II, but LGBTQ+ gamers are expecting a good chunk of thirst from the game.
Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League
Picking up five years after the events of Batman: Arkham Knight, this third-person shooter game will follow the Suicide Squad – a band of misfit super villains – do the seemingly impossible: save the world and kill the Justice League.
While not explicitly a LGBTQ+ video game, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League allows players to take on the role of Harley Quinn, who is queer AF.
Over the years, Quinn has evolved from sidekick-slash-love-interest of the Joker into an empowering LGBTQ+ character across the DC Universe. She has been in an intimate relationship with Poison Ivy, botanist Dr Pamela Isley turned villain, in the comics – even getting hitched.
Beloved Rapture
The gorgeous Super Nintendo-style role-playing game blends modern themes, turned-based gameplay and an intriguing plot as players navigate a world of political intrigue and ancient magic.
The game follows Johan, an introverted man from the countryside, as he’s forced to abandon his carefree existence when he comes up against a religious faction. He is joined by Aiden, a mysterious son of a shrine caretaker, and Crystal, a noblewoman who has run away from her family.
Beloved Rapture’s developers have highlighted how “existentialism, spirituality, family trauma, LGBT themes and friendship” are crucial to the game’s story.
They Speak From The Abyss
This game is for fans of everything that goes bump in the night and solving puzzles – and it’s all rolled up into a classic dungeon crawling-style role-playing game.
The story kicks off when Vanessa Rivera moves to a new city to be closer to her partner, but the queer woman’s fresh start turns into something sinister and she’s thrown into a nightmarish world.
They Speak From The Abyss embodies the gruesome body horror vibes that Junji Ito fans adore, mixed with a unique storyline that will keep gamers eager to complete the game even while they shiver in fear.
Spice Sacrifice
Taking place in a surreal dimension full of dangerous beasts, Spice Sacrifice is one for the gamers who enjoy Japanese role-playing games with in-depth story segments, but also like a randomised action-platformer battle.
Playable characters include Oregano, an anxious green canine who is desperate to rescue his boyfriend, and Yonko Donko, a donkey who channels her “inner butch badass” to locate her punk idol.
The storyline features queer camaraderie, mental health themes, sexuality and “finding a sense of place in a hostile world”.
Spirit Swap: Lofi Beats to Match-3 To
The tagline to this adorable and addictive-looking action puzzle game is: “Cast spells, be queer and crash the biggest concert of the year.”
If that hasn’t sold you on the game already, players can bond with witches and demons and even smooch adorable characters in an entrancing narrative-driven world.
Spirit Swap’s creative director told Gayming that this is a game for the “queer extended family”, with all the characters being canonically non-binary and their presentations ranging across the gender spectrum.
Destiny 2: The Final Shape
The Final Shape is an upcoming major expansion for Destiny 2, Bungie’s popular first-person sci-fi shooter game.
The campaign sees the player’s Guardian embark on a perilous journey into the heart of the Traveler, to try to end the war between the Light and Darkness. There’s a new destination called the Pale Heart, new weapons and armour to collect and three new Supers.
Since the beginning, Bungie has offered plenty of LGBTQ+ characters for video game players to enjoy and care about. Some of Destiny 2’s top characters happen to be queer including warlock Osiris, Queen of the Reef Mara Sov, hunter-gunslinger Ana Bray, and the Taken king, Oryx.
