5 video games led by LGBTQ+ protagonists that you should try out during Pride Month

In recent years, video games have taken up their responsibility to include LGBTQ+ characters, especially in lead roles. In the last couple of years, large-scale RPGs have started giving players the option to play as non-binary, gay, or even trans characters. Whether as an option as to which characters to romance or even by offering variety in the character creation settings, these changes are a welcome step forward in the right direction.

However, there also exist certain games which provide the audience with an outright LGBTQ+ protagonist, requiring no input from the player whatsoever. These video games proudly represent the community, doing their best to create an authentic experience for the audience.

In recent times, these kinds of games have risen in popularity and number, with enough outings to suffice a handful of examples. Here are 5 video games where the primary protagonists are LGBTQ+ characters, which are worth a look at this Pride Month.

Note: This article reflects the writer's opinion.

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5 video games with LGBTQ+ protagonists

1) The Protagonist - Unpacking

While Unpacking does not contain any sort of voiced lines of dialogue, it manages to portray such a compelling narrative throughout its eight levels of unpacking boxes into empty rooms that it will leave most players in tears. At its heart, Unpacking is a story about the passage of time. It focuses on the act of growing up, realizing the role one plays in their own life, and figuring out one’s own identity.

The unnamed protagonist goes through this journey, with the first few stages being simple and mostly straightforward. When they move in with their first partner, things start to take a turn, which the game makes quite clear. Players are immediately made aware that the man they are with does not fit into their life, nor do they in his.

This follows a small setback in the protagonist’s story, after which they pick up their pieces and continue, finally moving into a place of their own. They even meet a woman they eventually settle down with and adopt a baby together. All of this is told primarily through context clues and new or old items which players may spot in the protagonist’s belongings.

Unpacking was nominated for three awards for its narrative, scoring a win at the 2022 BAFTA Games Awards, which it rightly deserves. This video game ran with the concept of telling a story through exploration and took it to another level.

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2) Alex Chen - Life is Strange: True Colors

Life is Strange: True Colors follows the story of Alex Chen as she arrives at the small town community of Haven Springs to visit her brother Gabe. But, as is the norm for a Life is Strange game, no one is allowed to have a relaxing time. Alex soon gets embroiled in a plot by a megacorporation to keep a murder under wraps, as well as the lives of the other characters in the game.

The game returns with various player choices that determine how the ending of the story will work out, as well as how certain characters will end up. Like in other LIS video games, Alex also has the option to romance either park ranger Ryan or radio shop DJ Stephanie (returning from LIS: Before the Storm), or neither depending on the player’s choice.

While previous video games in the series have had primary protagonists who could be either played as gay or straight, Alex is the first true LGBTQ+ protagonist in the series. This is mainly because existing text conversations on Alex’s phone and in-game dialogue imply Alex’s past relationship with both men and women.

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3) Ellie - The Last of Us Part II

The Last of Us Part II sees returning protagonist Ellie and new protagonist Abby on opposing sides as they both deal with the loss of a loved one and embark on a journey of revenge. While audiences have pretty diverse views on both protagonists, it’s almost ironic to point out that these two women essentially go through the same emotions and struggles.

Regardless of the route the story takes, the video game has done exceptional work representing a diverse female cast. Abby is the strong female lead who doesn’t necessarily have feminine features, while the other lead, Ellie, stands for the LGBTQ+ community as she is finally confirmed to be exclusively interested in females in this game.

Despite these and a couple of other idealistic differences, the two women on opposing sides are essentially mirrors of each other. Abby ends up doing the very thing she condemned Joel for, for she kills him, which in turn puts Ellie on the same path that Abby had been walking all those years. It is only at the end that Ellie finally understands the cycle she’s perpetuating and decides to break the wheel.

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4) Zagreus - Hades

The ancient Greeks were pretty fluid about who they enjoyed a night with. So it's quite natural to see Zagreus, the protagonist of the video game Hades, who has no preference for gender and casually flirts with men, women, and monsters alike.

This rogue lite sees the Zagreus traverse through the underworld in a bid to escape its confines and reunite with his mother. Along the way, he meets many foes he has to fight and make new friends. Both these groups are composed of legendary figures from ancient Greek myths.

The video game also features a romantic side-story, with Zagreus being able to confess his love to Thanatos, the god of death, Megaera, one of the three furies, and Dusa, who is a disembodied head of a gorgon (possibly Medusa). While Thanatos and Megaera will take up Zagreus’ offer to be his lover, Dusa will turn him down. Poor Zagreus seemingly doesn’t have what a gorgon wants.

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5) Tyler - Tell Me Why

While Dontnod Entertainment is primarily known for its Life is Strange series, the developer has also released Tell Me Why, an episodic adventure video game similar to LIS. The game tells the story of two siblings who return to their childhood home after many years with the intention of selling it. From there, the larger narrative unfolds, with the two protagonists learning secrets about their mother and coming to terms with her difficult parenting.

The twin protagonists are Alyson and Tyler Ronan, who share a mental link with each other, which is a key gameplay element. In addition, Tyler is also a trans man, which is a crucial point in the narrative at certain times, with different characters reacting differently to Tyler due to his identity. This also affected his past, as he felt that his mother never gave him the support he needed.

The video game was praised for its depiction of its trans character, with it being the first AAA game to portray a transgender main lead. The developers seemingly did their homework by consulting experts to make the experience of playing as a transgender individual as authentic as possible.