Edited by Mikkel Hyldebrandt
From heartwarming indie gems to cinematic RPG epics, the latest wave of video games in 2024 and 2025 is showcasing the growing diversity and depth of LGBTQ+ storytelling like never before. Gone are the days of coded characters and blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moments—today’s queer narratives are bold, nuanced, and unapologetically central to the gameplay experience.
Whether you’re navigating messy relationships, romancing gods, or facing the end of the world with your found family, this new era of gaming gives LGBTQ+ players the power to see themselves represented not as sidekicks, but as heroes, leaders, and lovers. Here’s a look at some of the most exciting new and upcoming titles that celebrate queer identity, plus a few screen adaptations that continue to expand these stories beyond the console.
🎮 Lost Records: Bloom & Rage (2025)
Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC
Developer: Don’t Nod Montréal
From the creators of Life Is Strange comes this emotionally charged, two-part narrative game set across two timelines. In 1995, four teenage girls form a punk band and share one unforgettable summer. Fast forward to the present day, and the group is drawn back together to confront long-buried secrets. With LGBTQ+ themes woven into its core—primarily through queer-coded friendships, identity exploration, and romantic subtext—Bloom & Rage promises an emotional, authentic queer coming-of-age experience.
🎮 Goodbye Volcano High (2023–Still Making Waves)
Platform: PC, PlayStation
Genre: Visual novel / rhythm game
Still resonating a year after release, Goodbye Volcano High puts players in the shoes of Fang, a nonbinary teen dinosaur facing their final school year and an impending apocalypse. The game’s queer narrative isn’t just a side plot—it’s baked into the emotional development of its characters and their relationships. It’s an intimate, beautifully written story of love, music, and uncertainty, and it continues to find fans in 2024 and beyond.
🎮 Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical (2023)
Platform: All major platforms
This interactive musical RPG is a triumph of queer storytelling. You play as Grace, a mortal suddenly imbued with the powers of a Greek Muse, caught in a mystery among gods. With same-sex and nonbinary romance options and a cast of characters that break free of gender norms, Stray Gods sings—literally—of fluid identity and the complexity of love. Bonus: you make dialogue choices through song lyrics.
🎮 Thirsty Suitors (2023)
Platform: PC, Xbox, PlayStation, Switch
Part dating sim, part RPG, part cooking game, Thirsty Suitors is a vibrant, chaotic exploration of queer identity and cultural pressure. You play as Jala, a bisexual South Asian woman returning to her hometown to face her exes, disappointed parents, and her own messiness. The game embraces its queerness proudly, celebrating fluid sexuality, found family, and second chances.
🎮 Date Everything! (2025)
Platform: All major platforms
Developer: Sassy Chap Games
A chaotic, hilarious, and wildly creative dating sim where you can romance anything—literally. From hot air balloons to existential dread, Date Everything! breaks every rule and celebrates all forms of love and identity. Beneath the absurdity is a surprisingly touching message about connection, queerness, and the infinite forms relationships can take.
🎮 Cage of Roses (2025)
Platform: PC
Developer: ebi-hime
A gothic visual novel set in 19th-century Europe, Cage of Roses explores the forbidden romance between Meike, a young woman of noble birth, and Magdalena, a mysterious female vampire. This sapphic love story is wrapped in eerie atmosphere and dark elegance, embracing its queerness fully while addressing themes of repression and desire.
🎮 Quantum Witch (2025)
Platform: PC
In this deeply personal pixel art platformer, players control Ren, a young woman uncovering secrets in a religiously repressive world. Drawing from the developer’s real-life experiences, the game delves into trauma, autonomy, and queer identity in a way that’s both haunting and healing.
🎮 Kingdom Come: Deliverance II (2025)
Platform: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S
The follow-up to the medieval RPG adds long-requested same-sex romance options. Players can now pursue relationships with male characters like Hans Capon and Black Bartosch. It’s a welcome addition for LGBTQ+ players who want authentic romance options in historically inspired worlds—proof that even gritty realism has room for queer love.
📺 Honorable Mentions: Queer Gaming on Screen
The Last of Us (HBO)
HBO’s acclaimed adaptation of the beloved game didn’t shy away from its queer roots. Episode 3, focusing on the love story between Bill and Frank, became one of the most talked-about TV moments of the year. And with Ellie’s queerness poised to take center stage in Season 2, queer visibility in gaming adaptations continues to rise.
Arcane (Netflix)
While subtle, the chemistry between Vi and Caitlyn in Arcane has left fans eager for more overt LGBTQ+ representation. Based on League of Legends, this beautifully animated series shows the power of bringing game characters to life with greater emotional nuance—and hopefully more queer visibility in future seasons.
Why Representation in Gaming Matters
Representation isn’t just about visibility—it’s about validation. When LGBTQ+ players see their identities reflected authentically, it transforms the gaming experience from escapism to connection. Whether through tender love stories, gender-nonconforming characters, or the freedom to choose your own path, games have become a vital space for exploring queerness on our own terms.
As we look ahead to the rest of 2025, one thing is clear: queer narratives are no longer niche—they’re front and center. And in a world where inclusion still isn’t guaranteed, seeing yourself as the hero, the heartbreaker, or even the chosen one in a fantasy realm can make all the difference.