With Pride Month well underway, lots of players in the LGBTQ+ community are looking for games they can both play and connect to on a personal level. Add in the PS5, a great console full of games both old and new, and players have a large array of games to choose from that tell stories from their community.
Whether they’re new to the PS5, backwards compatible, or even made their debut on the new console, players looking for games with LGBTQ+ themes are bound to find something to their tastes, whether it’s something brand new or a game they know and love.
9Bugsnax
A relatively recent game,Bugsnaxwas released on Playstation in 2020 before moving to PC, Switch, and other platforms. On Snaktooth Island, players take the role of a journalist invited to the mysterious isle by the infamous explorer Elizabert Megafig, only to find their host gone with Snaxburg in shambles and its residents scattered around the island.
Taking the role Elizabert left behind,Bugsnaxplayers will track down characters torebuild Snaxburg and feed its inhabitants, all while gathering clues and trying to solve the mystery of what happened to Elizabert and her girlfriend.
8Celeste
Starring a young woman trying to face her demons,Celestefollows the journey of Madeline, who sets off on her journey to climb the infamous Mount Celeste with platformer and rhythm mechanics. The game features a deep storyline and cast of characters as Madeline struggles to reconcile with her inner demons in a story of self-love and acceptance in the face of anxiety, depression, and other messy facets of human life.
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Despite not having explicit references to queerness, the creator ofCelestehas confirmedthe story of Madeline is undeniably a queer one, as the main character is canonically trans. They also stated that their own journey to self-discovery mirrors Madeline’s story.
7Night In The Woods
Well-loved for its rich story, deep dialogue, and character-driven narrative,Night in the Woodsfollows the story of Mae, a recent college dropout returning to her quaint hometown of Possum Springs after years away.
In addition toqueer characters and stories,Night in the Woodsalso touches on the familiar feeling of struggling to connect with a home that doesn’t quite fit and has moved on in the time you were gone. Players reconnect with friends, catch up on what’s changed, and try to solve the mystery in the woods as they navigate all too real feelings of growing up too quickly.
6Life is Strange: True Colors
The fifth game and third main installment in theLife is Strangeseries,Life is Strange: True Colorsfocuses on the story of Alex Chen, a young woman leaving foster care after years to reunite with her brother Gabriel.
Despite hiding her strange powers to absorb others’ emotions for years, Alex must embrace her supernatural abilities to investigate the circumstances that lead to her brother’s suspicious death. She questions various characters and unravels the mystery in a story of empathy, moral dilemmas, and what makes us human.
5Undertale
A classic and for good reason,Undertalecan be enjoyed by new and returning fans alike on PS5. Players ofUndertaletake the role of a small child who’s fallen into the underground, a world filled with monsters of all types. Players canchoose how to face every opponent in the game, with the option to fight, flee, or even reason with every character they come across.
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Should a player choose to get to know the characters they encounter, they’ll find a diverse cast with complex issues and relationships, and even help them work out their emotions along the way.
4What Remains of Edith Finch
What Remains of Edith Finch, well-recognized for its compelling narrative and creative storytelling mechanics, follows a woman named Edith (Edie) Finch as she returns to her childhood home: a secluded and eerie house with a large and labyrinthian array of rooms haphazardly connected to each other.
As the player explores each room, Edie recounts to her future child the tragic stories of how each family member met an untimely or tragic demise. In addition to an observation on the fleeting and preciousness of life, some narratives inWhat Remains of Edith Finchtouch on the queerness of certain family members, even ifnone of those stories are happy.
3Hollow Knight
Offering beautiful art, a somber tone, and vast land of diverse and interesting insect residents trying to get by in a world of darkness,Hollow Knighttakes players through the Hallownest as a nameless knight.
Players explore a once-flourishing kingdom now left to ruin after a mysterious and supernatural plague simply known as “The Infection” took hold on its inhabitants. They will aid the residents of Hallownest that remain whilefighting corrupted inhabitantsand seeking to destroy the god who brought Hallownest to ruin.
2Monster Prom XXL
For players who prefer a lighter-hearted, more comedic tone in their games,Monster Prom XXLhas them covered. Offering a unique blend of competitive multiplayer and dating sim mechanics,Monster Prom XXLpresents players with the challenge of snagging a date to the upcoming prom.
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While exploring a board game-like rendition of the few weeks leading up to prom, players can also enjoy an incredible amount of freedom when it comes to their dating choices. Anyone can date anyone regardless of their pronouns, species, gender, or even if they’ve already died or not.
1Gone Home
With unique gameplaybased on exploration and investigating cluesaround the house, players ofGone Hometake the role of Katie Greenbriar, a 21-year-old coming home from overseas to find her house completely abandoned with her family nowhere to be seen. She finds only a letter from her younger sister Sam asking her not to investigate what happened.
Wandering the now empty halls and reading through old letters, players will slowly piece together the issues that have been troubling Katie’s family while she’s been gone, and what prompted Sam to leave so suddenly.
