Summary
- Diverse cultures in games help bridge gaps without flattening identity.
- Games like Celeste include inclusivity in design through narrative and themes.
- Undertale and The Sims promote empathy and inclusivity without fanfare.
Inclusivity and diversity, including gender diversity in games, and cultural authenticity, have become some of the most talked-about (and polarizing) topics in video games. Whether it's excitement about bridging cultural gaps that should never have excluded people in the first place with inclusive game design, the discourse around the cynical corporate rainbow-washing in an attempt to grab ever-larger audiences, or angry (but very vocal) minority scapegoating the most vulnerable in society, the conversation is almost impossible to ignore.
These games celebrate difference without flattening (or flattering) identity and walk several fine lines, including acknowledging history (without being overly didactic), embracing inclusive storytelling (without slipping into tokenism), and encouraging genuine connection and integration across backgrounds. They preserve the unique complexities and imperfections of human experiences across the full spectrum without sanitizing them into a homogenous mass.
6 Celeste
Blending Precision Platforming With Inclusive Storytelling
Celeste
- Released
- January 25, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- E10+ For Everyone 10+ Due To Alcohol Reference, Fantasy Violence, Mild Language
- Genre(s)
- Platformer
Celeste's inclusivity is woven naturally into its design, emerging through both narrative and mechanics. The titular mountain, Celeste, is a physical obstacle, of course, but it also represents the ever-steeper challenge of dealing with social anxiety, gender identity, and running on empty in a constantly demanding world. These themes are explored through metaphor and directly in the story.
Madeline, Celeste's protagonist, is constantly visited by a darker version of herself and haunted by her past. But as the bright, poppy visuals suggest, Celeste is ultimately about overcoming obstacles, physical or internal, and finding self-acceptance. Her journey has resonated strongly with many LGBTQ+ players and those navigating thorny questions around identity or dysphoria, but its emotional core remains relatable for players of all backgrounds.
5 Watch Dogs 2
Hacking Away At Systematic Racism And Bias In Tech
Watch Dogs 2
- Released
- November 15, 2016
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood, Intense Violence, Nudity, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Use of Drugs
- Genre(s)
- Open-World, Action, Adventure
A common misconception about technology is that it is somehow neutral and above prejudice. However, the inciting incident at the start of Watch Dogs 2 is Marcus' unjust punishment due to systemic racial profiling by an algorithm that decided guilt based on biased data, a reminder that technological tools often reflect the perspectives and prejudices of those who build them.
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This subtle commentary on systemic racism resurfaces throughout the game, from workplace discrimination to white-oriented facial recognition. In contrast to the original's brooding edge-lord antihero and grayscale setting, Watch Dogs 2 presents a vibrant hero and city that embrace inclusivity and color, with a cast that reflects the diversity of the real-world Bay Area, from gender-nonconforming artists to neurodivergent or code-switching coders, each with depth, agency, humanity, and a voice in the hacker rebellion.
4 Undertale
Everyone Deserves A Chance To Be Understood
Undertale
- Released
- September 15, 2015
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- E10+ for Everyone 10+: Fantasy Violence, Mild Blood, Mild Language, Simulated Gambling, Use of Tobacco
- Genre(s)
- RPG
Undertale appears to be a simple, retro-styled RPG. However, its core mechanic, the ability to spare rather than fight enemies, is a radical subversion of the "fight-to-win" mindset in video games.. The player is encouraged to learn about others rather than destroy them, with many encounters requiring understanding, patience, or humor over brute force. Naturally, this mindset of expanding empathy encourages inclusive and pacifistic (or at least merciful) tendencies in the player, but few would even notice while playing, being swept up by all the fun and theater.
The game's incredibly memorable and diverse cast, including a lovesick dinosaur scientist with anxiety, a flamboyant robot TV host, and a bad-ass fish warrior, is unapologetically weird and tender. Undertale charmingly weaves queerness, awkwardness, and emotional vulnerability into its epic (if often silly) story, normalizing identities and experiences that are often sidelined.
3 The Walking Dead
Everyday Folks At The End Of The World
The Walking Dead
- Released
- April 24, 2012
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Drug Reference, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Strong Language
- Genre(s)
- Graphic Adventure, Horror
The Walking Dead doesn't necessarily have anything remarkable to say about inclusion or diversity. It simply stars a cast of everyday people of different skin tones, genders, and preferences, all bound together by a zombie apocalypse. And sometimes, that's enough. Lee, Clementine, Michonne, AJ, and Javier are just people who grow, learn, love, and suffer.
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They're all flawed and trying to do their best to survive and do right by one another. What makes The Walking Dead different from even some of the best zombie horror games is that players are given their perspective for a change, and that they are tightly characterized as regular folks through great writing, animation, and voice acting.
2 Disco Elysium
Poverty, Politics, And Philosophy In A Saturday Night Fever Dream
Disco Elysium
- Released
- October 15, 2019
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ due to Blood, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Use of Drugs, Violence
- Genre(s)
- RPG
On paper, Disco Elysium doesn't exactly scream "woke," as its protagonist appears like any other cookie-cutter video game protagonist: white, male, and packing heat (or maybe just bad breath). However, even from the first few seconds of the game, it's obvious that the player's cop avatar is hardly a beneficiary of the patriarchy. As the game frequently points out, he (and many other men in Ravachol) is as much a target of it, itself a tool of capital to exploit and divide.
Disco Elysium makes its politics transparent, with every character written as though they share a pessimistic Marxist lens of the world, even if they hold a racist or ultraliberal ideology due to their material conditions or susceptibility to divide-and-conquer propaganda. Through sharp humor and brutal honesty, Disco features some of the best LGBTQ+ characters in gaming. With and through them, it tackles heavy topics like systemic poverty, trauma, and the inherited machinery of racism, all while poking fun without ever getting too preachy (or letting players off the hook).
1 The Sims Series
Love And Variety Are Just A Part Of Life (And Life Simulations)
The Sims
- Released
- February 4, 2000
- ESRB
- t
- Genre(s)
- Life Simulation
Although The Sims ostensibly started its life as an American suburban white 1950s family simulator, it quietly laid the groundwork for one of the most inclusive names in gaming. For example, Sims are sexually ambiguous, with romantic and gender preferences shaped through gameplay rather than imposed by design. This subtle system allows for same-sex relationships and gender variance without making them feel exceptional.
The non-means-tested grant given to all Sims at the start of the game ensures that everyone can own a home and pursue their dreams without being locked out by generational poverty or structural disadvantage. Later expansions and sequels would continue to expand on this foundation, adding deep character customization for body and personality types, nonbinary presentation, and broader cultural representation. Without fanfare, The Sims normalizes diverse character representation, gender diversity, and queerness as just another part of life.
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