With time, games are getting more and more inclusive to the LGBTQIA+ community. Well-known series like Dragon Age and Assassin's Creed have non-straight romances. Games like Undertale have a non-binary protagonist and games like Night in the Woods have major characters in healthy and happy homosexual relationships.
While those traits and games exist, there is still a long way to go. There are very few games that actually see gender as non-binary in their character creation. Many gamers have been asked all their lives at the start of their games: are you a boy or a girl?
It takes some digging to find titles that actually give the player the option to use non-binary pronouns. It takes even more digging to find games that let them use both male and female-assigned traits in their character. Too often are beards, make-up, and hair gender-locked.
These games either freely allow their players to create characters outside of gender norms and/or give them the option to use they/them pronouns. While a couple of games are well-known in the gaming community, a lot of them are more obscure.
Updated March 15, 2022 by Allison Stalberg: More and more games are opening up to being more inclusive in their titles, especially when it comes to character creation. Even for cisgender players, it is great to have the opportunity to put any character in a dress, make-up, or have facial hair. Some games are also being inclusive when it comes to pronouns, offering they/them as an option for when their created character is referenced. These games are trailblazers and are making room for more to follow their lead.
18 Minecraft
Steve may be the 'face' of Minecraft but the game's skin system allows players to take on whatever appearance they like. Combine this with the title's complete lack of dialogue and players can take on whatever persona they choose. In fact, Minecraft creator, NMarkus Perrson, has mentioned in a blog post that the game is meant to be a genderless one. Perrson even said that Steve, the default character, has no gender.
This level of freedom is very much in keeping with the rest of the game, with players able to approach things however they like. Crafting may make up the crux of the experience, but there are many alternative ways to play the game as well.
17 Pumpkin Days
Released in 2021, Pumpkin Days is a farming RPG complete with mining, fishing, raising animals, and catching bugs. The game is quite comparable to Stardew Valley and Harvest Moon, complete with marriage, raising a family, and giving gifts to others in the town. The game also has multiplayer modes, different difficulties to choose from, and has four different towns to choose from to live in.
Unlike other farming games though, there is a lot more to LGBTQIA+ representation and relationships. Nothing is gender locked in the character creator, there is no gender restriction for marriage, and players can even have polyamorous relationships with up to three people included in a wedding ceremony.
16 Cyberpunk 2077
Console gamers may have to wait a little while longer to enjoy the extensive character customization options on offer in Cyberpunk 2077 due to the current state of the game. Buried beneath the many bugs and glitches, however, are a veritable treasure trove of dials and sliders that make expressing oneself easier than ever. Unfortunately, despite all of this creative freedom, gender pronouns are tied to the pitch of the voice that players select, which feels very much like a case of two steps forward and one step back.
When it comes to the game itself, much like CDPR's Witcher titles, Cyberpunk 2077 is laden with things to see and do and has enough content to keep players busy for quite some time. With an online mode still somewhere on the horizon as well, if the developer can patch things up before interest begins to wain, they'll really have something special on their hands.
15 Saints Row 4
Although some of the earlier Saints Row titles follow a more traditional path when it comes to their approach to character creation, later entries in the series have gone to great lengths to ensure that they are as inclusive as possible. There's perhaps still work to be done when it comes to the way that the games handle the labeling of these options, but they remain some of the most non-binary friendly AAA titles on the market.
Players are given complete control over the way their character looks, the way that they dress, and even the way that they move. What's more, it's possible to continue to make changes as the game's events begin to unfold. There's also an option to select they/them pronouns as well as a decent variety of voices available for selection.
14 2064: Read Only Memories
2064: Read Only Memories is somewhat unique in that the player never actually gets to see what the main protagonist looks like. They are, however, given plenty of options when it comes to the character's name, gender, and sexuality, amongst other things. There is a non-binary gender option, and it's also possible to select between a range of existing gender-neutral pronouns or even add custom ones.
The character's personality depends entirely on the decisions that players make, allowing for a great level of freedom and variety. The supporting cast of characters are also incredibly diverse and have their own distinct mannerisms. It's a fairly short game to play through but also an incredibly enjoyable one!
13 Robots Need Love Too
Robots Need Love Too allows players to name their robots and choose their gender pronouns. There are six to choose from in total, including zie, ey, and xie along with the more traditional options. It's also possible to choose which robots will fall in love, paving the way for a wide range of relationship types.
The game is fairly simplistic in its design and doesn't offer too much mileage in terms of replayability either, but it has enough going for it to provide a good few hours of entertainment nonetheless. The puzzles are well-thought-out for the most part, although they don't quite do enough to set the game apart from other puzzle titles.
12 Forza Horizon 5
Released in 2021 for Xbox One, PC, and Xbox Series X/S, Forza Horizon 5 is a racing game that was met with universal acclaim. It has gotten perfect review scores from places like IGN, GamesRadar+, and VG247. It has also won awards such as Best Audio, Best Sports/Racing Game, Racing Game of the Year, and Innovation in Accessibility. Some awards are still pending for this year.
In character creator, players get the option of they/them pronouns. Another cool feature in character creator that sets this game apart from many is the option to give characters prosthetics.
11 Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Presently, Animal Crossing is one of the most well-known games to make it to this list. The series has slowly unguarded itself when it comes to gender binaries, letting anyone wear whatever clothes they choose. In its most recent game, New Horizons, the player chooses between different styles instead of male or female. You can have any hairstyle or facial hair, any eye shape, and wear whatever accessories no matter what style you choose.
This is just one major progressive change in the series too. This is also the first game in the popular series to let players choose their skin color.
10 The Sims 4
To fans of The Sims, this is old news. Since 2016, The Sims has given the players the freedom to make characters outside of the gender binary. Just recently, they even made their first non-binary stock character in their Island Living expansion pack. The character, Lia, has a masculine physical frame with a feminine clothing preference.
The Sims has always strived for representation, and have had homosexual relationships available to players long before other games followed suit.
9 Monster Prom
This is one of the more obscure titles. It came out in 2018 but wasn't released on the Nintendo Switch until this year. It is a role-playing visual novel. While the player doesn't go through a character creator like in Animal Crossing or The Sims, they do get the option of a non-binary pronoun.
The 2D dating simulation has an adorable style and won Best Narrative at Casual Connect Asia in 2017. Those who don't even like dating sim games tend to still like Monster Prom for its charm and humor.