Best LGBTQ+ Switch Games

Spoiler alert.

Fantastic list. Loved Celeste (GOTY 2018 for me) and Night in the Woods, need to try Fate Morgana and Ikenfell at some point

That's a pretty huge spoiler on Gone Home.

Just under the wire, NL.

@Cyz There's a spoiler warning in the introduction!

Funny about Stardew Valley, my female avatar married Emily today. Coincidence? I think NOT!

@TheJGG Congratulations! I married Leah, myself 😊

Where’s jump force

@KateGray This list could give people idea of what to play, I'm here for that and I don't mind some spoiler, but this spoil pretty much the whole plot. ^^"

As a trans woman myself, i'm going to look into some of these (aside from Celeste, already played that and its great!)

just wish nintendo would have released DISASTER DAY OF CRISIS a wii game that had a gay male character . this was never released in the US. the game was a 1st party game made by nintendo. it was a great game. I was suprised it never came to the west. maybe a switch version?

I didn't know that Celeste was LGBTQ.

I didn't know Celeste was a queer game..

@Cyz hmm, you have a point there — I assumed no one would mind spoilers for an almost 10-year-old game, but I'll tweak the text so it's not the whole story

@RareFan Neither did I, until I saw it front and centre in the thumbnail for a LGBTQ+ article.

@RareFan

It's somewhat retroactively LGBTQ. There wasn't anything of the sort itself directly in the game or story, until I think a DLC added a cutscene still image that has a trans pride flag somewhere.
In isolation, that's all the game has.

@Guthrum

Mario Kart is a great heterosexual game.

Wonderful piece. Didn’t realise Celeste though!

@KateGray

Can I nominate Strawberry Vinegar? It’s a childhood friends lesbian love story VN and in one of the endings they get together as adults (well older teenagers anyway) and one of the girls is a gluttony demoness obsessed with food. I enjoyed it since the main character reminded me of myself at that age. (Very cynical and logical- for a child anyway. )

I tend to look for games that are purely female homosexual focused so most of this list doesn’t resonate with me at all. Just wanted to add a game or two that was missing. Nothing wrong with the list itself.

Celeste is probably the hardest hitting one for me, all of Madeline’s feelings and worries over the course of the game were contextualised with the reveal that she was trans. I appreciate lists like this though, it’s the end of Pride Month so might as well go out with a bang!

@Bmartin001 there is nothing on the game itself about it.

After how other comment sections have been lately, they probably should have just left this one disabled from the start. I hope to be wrong and that people are gonna be civil and respectful to each other...

But it's the internet in 2021. I'd sooner bet on aliens making first contact via NintendoLife comments than on people being respectful on a topic like this...

@Heavyarms55 oh the jerks will arrive soon enough but we do have a right to discuss games that appeal to us and the haters can look at it as a what not to buy list imo. Win win?

Also it’s a fantastic way to add to the ignore list. I have found users that I thought were cool that showed their butt in these types of articles.

@Heavyarms55 you’ve now reminded me of that terrifying UFO report from a few days back

Thank you for publishing this list!

@Heavyarms55 I’m not even sure it’s an Internet problem in general, this site just seems to attract the crazies. These sorts of articles on Push Square and Pure Xbox would have a little backlash but not anywhere near the level of this site.

@Zach You're welcome, Zach! I'm hoping I can add a bunch of games to it in future

@KateGray
You could add Timespinner to the list. There's a very prominent LGBTQ aspect to the game if you invest time into the sidequests.

@KateGray I feel like some games are missing that touch on the subject in interesting ways, but feel reluctant to mention them for the sake of spoilers...
So, at everyone's own risk:
Catherine and the recently announced but not new game Life is Strange

@nessisonett I don’t know. The RE TV show -on push square I think- article was a little nuts.

Had no clue Celeste was even a LGBTQ game. All I knew was that the game was Canadian made

Also, Celeste is one of the most beautiful games I’ve ever played and I urge anyone who hasn’t played it to give it a go

@Heavyarms55
Well, consider this viewpoint.
If discussion on this subject matter were to be locked, it would be a victory for bigots that want to continue to suppress this sort of discussion.

Pride Parades are held for this very reason, to allow LGBTQ people to declare their existence and their right to live with pride in themselves and their identity, without oppression or discrimination.

Thank you for the list! I wish some more bigger games and companies would try to be more inclusive but in the meantime, thank god for indie developers.

Good grief. Why does everything have to come down to "I need to be represented" in everything these days? What happened to playing games for escapism? Play a game for the damn game, not for how closely a character matches you.

@Ryu_Niiyama Yeah, they have one every once in a while but this site seems to have one once or twice a week these days.

I love Stardew, but the relationship stuff is kind of underwhelming. The mechanic that you can make people fall in love with you just by bringing them gifts, just makes it feels like another meter to fill up.

I forgot about that Cyberpunk bartender game. I heard good things about it.🤔

@nessisonett lol sounds about right.

I’m not much for Indie games but I’m playing Mass Effect trilogy on PS4 atm. 😍

@ilh for many, being accepted for who you are is escapism.

Having that representation has never harmed anyone, cannot see why people have a problem with this

so many deleted comments, I wonder why

@ilh Not "every" game has to represent who the player is. But most games assume a default straight stance if there is romance involved in the plot. Do you also complain about those games being forced in some way to represent straight players?

@Shambo LIS will be added to the list when it's out, don't worry (I have a separate piece about the games going up soon!)

Thanks for making this list!

Thank you for not including Immortals: Fenyx Rising on this list, as the GLAAD media awards did for some reason that I have never been able to figure out...

Some pretty solid picks on here...even if you did forget Hades!

I'm not sure the site's readership is ready for articles like this. Whenever a controversial subject comes about, the comments section gets locked within 100 posts. Most of the time, the site is pretty light-hearted, but whenever these types of very heavy articles come about, it makes me wonder how well the site knows it's audience.

@iIh Our cultural production is vast and diverse - with countless works of art, products and stories exploring all kinds of issues from all kinds of perspectives.

The idea of writing about queer titles is no different than writing about what survival horror games or jrpgs there are out there. It's just a topic that a lot of people are interested in. As Kate has explicitly stated, this isn't just about sexuality - it's about queer culture more generally.

But, even more significantly, the idea that someone could be frustrated by others' desires to see themselves represented in the world around them is, quite frankly, baffling. If nothing else, it gets dull when every single story is orientated around the same perspectives again and again.

Thanks for planting a flag! Representation is important, and so is visibility.

@moodycat OH MY GOD I FORGOT HADES

I wish The Sims 4 on Nintendo Switch also.
It has LGBT things too. 🌈

@Terra my problem is that I don't see how sexual preference is important to a video game. Sex isn't the be all and end all in life. Consider the asexuals.

@KateGray Binding of Isaac

@Scapetti You realise that’s an inherently privileged thing to say yeah? Some people can’t just ignore it

@KateGray Star Wars pinball features Grand Moff Tarkin 👀👀👀

@Scapetti As an asexual myself, I am. But it's not just about me

I will take this time to nominate Wandersong as well, the main character themself, the bard, goes by they/them and can possess whatever name you can sing.

@BloodNinja This is a list. Hardly a ‘heavy’ article!

@KateGray I can’t believe you forgot Hades 😂😂

@nessisonett Gay Death lives rent free in my head I gotta be honest

This article should not be controversial at all. It's Pride Month, for heaven's sake. The fact that it's stirred up such a reaction — from confused folk worrying about straight representation (which, lolz) to pseudo-intellectuals digging up old homophobic positions, among other usual suspects of internet toxicity — is disheartening.

@ilh - Well, all these games are new games (as in not retroactively changing anything), so really... The developers can set their own goals if they like. If it's gay, then it's gay.

Calico was funded on KS on the whole premise it will be strictly a feminist developed game, too. It's called markets. As long as they don't compare themselves to bigger successes and keep their game good, they will grow. If they lean near-exclusively on the premise of "progressive" content, they'll go broke. Simple.

Night In The Woods represents one of my biggest disappointments in video games... I was expecting big things due to the hype, but found it to be very non-interesting, overly weird/confusing, and with a bad/abrupt ending.

Maybe I missed something?

Celeste, however, was way better than I expected due to the non-punishing checkpoints/restarts... the story was a cool addition, albeit a bit heavy-handed at times.

@Paraka I am now considering Calico hm

@DeclanS98 @Terra Sex isn't the most important thing in the universe and we shouldn't teach people that it is. Especially when people are already chased to reproduce when maybe they don't want to and/or can't. In a progressive society nobody should give a **** about your sexual preference or gender.

Why is everyone so backwards these days... reinforcing gender stereotypes by putting them in their twitter bios and the like. We were moving past pink is for girls!!!

@dartmonkey Considering that people kill themselves over their lack of acceptance, I find it highly disingenuous to the conversation that you come back with "it's just a list."

@Terra if you're looking for asexual representation in games (which there really isn't much of, sadly), I can recommend Guenevere — it's a CYOA-style romance game where you play as Guenevere, King Arthur's wife, and you can play her as asexual! It's also just a really lovely story!

@Beaucine Bang on. If straight people (hi me) can’t shut up during Pride, God only knows when we will

@Scapetti Comments are removed when they’re insulting to other users or staff, written to elicit a negative reaction, or simply don’t add anything constructive. Our new system makes this more visible than before.

@nessisonett I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU MEAN HADES IS RIGHT THERE AND ALWAYS HAS BEEN

hehe

@Beaucine Disheartening but not unexpected if you've followed previous discussions on this website. That's why the importance of publishing such a list is so great!

I see that even the mildest of opinions that don't toe the line are being removed. Isn't it interesting that those who demand tolerance from others seem so unwilling to extend it themselves.

@Scapetti But you accept homophobia exists? Which is why pride needs to exist? It’s really not complicated man

@KateGray Nice recovery

@KateGray I'll take a look into Guenevere, hadn't heard of it before. Thank you! Honestly, the only other game I can think of with any real rep is Dusa in Hades.

@dartmonkey okay, so maybe there should be a way to reveal removed comments because the very idea of removing comments for arbitrary reasons such as "trolling" is only going to rub people up the wrong way.

I have no idea the nature of the comments but because so many were removed I make assumptions and defend. It doesn't look good, it looks like censorship. And nobody likes censorship. When every comment is saying "what a great list" and the only other comments are removed it is easy to make the assumption that maybe comments were removed because they didn't like the list.

@DeclanS98 - I guess? I mean, it's just a Café Sim. I wouldn't expect anything crazy.

I ain't touching it though, the vids I saw is an eyesore.

@Mountain_Man That double standard exists in a big way. "Tolerate me, but I don't want to hear your voice" seems to be the tone.

@KateGray Heh, I was just posting about this in the SOS:POOT thread. Figured I'd try and say something before Pride is over...

Please reconsider excluding SOS from these lists. Yes, the representation is somewhat relegated to subtext and "cleaned up" to avoid offending conservative parents, but these games still have better representation than most games. In fact, I just found out about Marian and Giorgio in SOS, and since that game released six years ago they were definitely ahead of the crowd in representation of LGBTQ+ lifestyles. Yes, it could be better, but I feel like the SOS devs are very much "on the team" and deserve some appreciation.

@BloodNinja Not wanting to hear homophobic voices is pretty reasonable mate

I hate the word "queer" 🤢 Used to get called it at school for being gay. I'll never understand the reclaiming argument when it literally means "weird"

There's a lot more removed comments lately. Nintendo Life no longer letting people debate things among themselves like adults? Unless people are abusing other members there's no need to become so censorious. Very boring to turn the site into an echo chamber. 😐

I don't agree with all the opinions posted on here but if I see something I don't like I can say so to the author or simply scroll past.

Damn, some real heavy hitters like stardew valley, undertale and Hades. That's very good.

@Terra I think part of the problem is the idea that representation is more important than content. Media is being praised more for its inclusion of particular themes than for the quality of the art. Its also the idea that people should base their core views and sense of worth on their gender or sexuality.

I have played a few of these games (mainly Celeste which is a cracking game) and enjoyed it massively because the gameplay is sublime. Its great if people get a lot from the story as well but it didn't resonate with me particularly. Its such a good game because its a good game and the story can just be the cherry on top if that speaks to you.

I'm a straight man and I have never felt any particular affinity for video game characters. Mario doesn't represent me, Sonic is a blue hedgehog, I'm not a bodybuilding wrestler like Zangief and I still love those games/characters.

The ideas that we see ourselves in video game characters simply because we are straight and male and a character is straight and male is really bizarre to me.

@Bmartin001 Someone perhaps worded it best:
"Celeste is probably the hardest hitting one for me, all of Madeline’s feelings and worries over the course of the game were contextualised with the reveal that she was trans. I appreciate lists like this though, it’s the end of Pride Month so might as well go out with a bang!"

It's a game that resonated with every trans people I know for a lot of this before even the one cutscene added in an update.

With a lot of people focusing on the gameplay over it's story and dialogue, there's actually a lot of that theme that many players might have missed out on. Especially for outsider's point of view and such.

@Fiskern Word! Being accepted for who you are is escapism. I've been playing "if found..." recently and as someone who relates to Kasio, I find escapism in the story of someone finding themselves and having friends to support them through it.

I missed Zelda Botw in this list.

@LaVelle A topic that people are interested in is one thing but it's a topic that has absolutely zero bearing on 99% of games for what they are, games. I couldn't care less what the characters are except when it comes to the whole "I need to be represented" argument. It's like the whole female doom slayer redesign saga, it's an FPS so you don't even see yourself so what's the point? Joanna Dark, Samus, etc were designed that way from the start and are great but there's no need to change something 30 odd years old just for representation. The thing that is baffling is that anybody would compile a list, search for a list or play a game just because of this unimportant aspect rather than how good a game it is.

I get that many of these are classics in themselves, but listing them thanks to an "ending" or something can raise an eyebrow if it stole a potential slot from similar genre representatives like SoS FoMM and My Time at Portia among farming RPGs, Nights of Azure 2 among non-farming RPGs, A Little Lily Princess or Forest Guardian among visual novels... seriously, the latter kind in particular - you'd think a blatantly romantic game with a blatantly all-female cast would ring a bell. Not that the above isn't a neat list in itself, but it could have been bigger. Or do these articles have a character limit?

@KateGray Weird, I somehow remember the list having 2 pages...

@Savino Good!!!! Point!!!

@Scapetti Our community rules can be count at the bottom of the page, and the reason cited for removal relates directly to one of the rules.
Eg. Do not "troll" or "bait" other users; Posts that purposefully or systematically go against the grain to trigger a reaction from others are prohibited. Purposefully disrupting discussions with unpopular opinions to create arguments is not allowed, we simply suggest you don't get involved in these conversations. Users that are seen to be continuously trolling or baiting will be banned.

@BloodNinja Normalisation is a key part of acceptance, surely? In whatever way a small number of commenters react to it, this is still just a list article.

@Chlocean I've been adding games as people have mentioned them, which bumped it up to three pages!

@nhSnork I'll be adding to this list as people suggest games — it's by no means a finished list

@KateGray It’s a very small one but being able to Marry a same-sex partner in Skyrim really surprised me!

@dartmonkey - "Unpopular Opinions."

Oooooh that's not promising to expect from the comment sections in your review category going forward.

[Removed for unconstructive opinion] for half a mile.

@Chlocean Adding Hades bumped it over into 3 pages - I've rejigged things now.

@Clyde_Radcliffe seconded. I’m not gonna tell people how to call themselves but that word is and will always be a slur to me. I know folks like to “reclaim” harmful words to try to lessen the blow but I feel like it muddies the waters as those that use words to threaten, harass and intimidate are not going to stop using them just because some of the people they hate adopt those words.

@Mountain_Man Imagine thinking a phobia of gay people was a real, genuine thing. Imagine actually thinking that, it’s just blind hatred mate

@dartmonkey "Purposefully disrupting discussions with unpopular opinions to create arguments is not allowed..."

And this is where the problem occurs, when a comment is removed not because it's objectively wrong, but simply because it says something "unpopular".

So many people here are saying the things I want to say. I just want to say I'm with you all. And I'm glad we are all saying it with respect.

A better way to include LGBT games would be to include them naturally in other lists. Not to make a list separating them from everything else.

Don't make lists based on representation or companies start forcing it unnaturally to fill a quota.

@dartmonkey First off, let me say, I'm 100% with you about normalization. I think when things are spoken of in a positive manner, that's a good thing for society as a whole. But please, look at the various discussions taking place under this article, and recognize that it's not "just a list," and that it's actually an extremely weighted topic. Top 10 lists don't trigger these types of discussions, so while we want it to be just a list, and it should be considered just a list, it ain't just a list.

@DeclanS98 - Actually, if there can be a phobia of homosexuals. People have a phobia of peanut butter.

It may end up being based on false information and understanding, but it can exist. It's why that word has been around for some time.

But most of the time, yeah, it's likely just intolerance.

@Mountain_Man yeah, comments should be removed if they're straight up spam or flaming. "Unconstructive" and "trolling" are meaningless. There is nothing transparent about it and even after it's been explained to us we're still just as confused as before.

In most games it makes very little difference to the plot of the game what way the characters swing so as long as the story is good it doesn't matter to me. More LGBTQ+ would be good to help us identify the intolerant people it's better not to interact with. In most games they don't give a character a sexuality, probably for a more widespread appeal, but I can't think of any where a character has been declared specifically asexual. I am sure someone out there knows one.

@Paraka It’s just an unfortunate quirk of language, I partly wish we had another term for it. But people pretending as if it’s a legitimate fear (ie. spiders) is deeply disingenuous

@DeclanS98 Homophobia is defined as having an irrational fear, as well as a dislike. So, if the dislike is irrational or rational, one must take each as a case by case, instead of painting everyone you disagree with the same brush.

Thank you for this. I typically overlook indie games because I'm not a fan of sprite-based games, but there are some of these I might like to check out.

It's a shame that triple A games are not doing better. I know Assassin's Creed Odyssey lets your character date one way or another (or both or neither) but then...force you straight in the DLC. Oops.

@BloodNinja There is no rational reason to hate gay people :/

@dartmonkey So in essence, you control who has a right to speak? That seems quite marxist in a way. Yes, it is good to limit comments that target individuals based on their attractions, but would it not be another thing entirely to remove them if they made the distinction between same-sex attraction and acting on that attraction?

Furthermore, is it truly right to view valid philosophical frameworks as antiquated and prohibited just because they do not agree with what a society allows or common thought?

@dartmonkey
" Posts that purposefully or systematically go against the grain to trigger a reaction from others are prohibited "

Maybe you should consider if your articles are likely to break your own rules, especially after the recent article you shut down. It seems to me you have broken your rules in order to get comments/clicks.

@DeclanS98 indeed, can't believe I forgot that one myself in my comment. Pots and kettles, pots and kettles everywhere...

@Paraka Also buddy, “homophobia” was first used in the 60s, and it was a term used between straight people when they were worried others would see THEM as gay, fun historical quirk

Nice that you refrained from politics in this article! Certainly would not want Nintendolife to turn into Kotaku...

@DeclanS98 There's no rational reason to dislike something? Dude, what totalitarian mindset are you coming from, where there has to be this unbending positivity directed towards you?

You forgot one of the best of the lot…Knockout City!

Oh Wow, thank you for posting this list Kate. I personally do appreciate it!
But no doubt these comments will devolve into a cesspool (have they already? I haven't read through yet) and I wonder if they can keep from being locked. NERVOUS.

@nhSnork I remember being SO chuffed when I found out I could marry a guy in Skyrim!

[comment was deleted - it was too awesome for this comment section!]

Night in the woods is a massively underappreciated gem! Loved every minute of it.

@DeclanS98 - Words start somewhere, 60s or otherwise. No more legitimate than "computer" as a word a decade later. Or "radical" which lived in the 90s.

So, as someone else mentioned, you are missing Catherine, which not only already had a trans character in the vanilla game in the protagonist's circle of friends whose trans-ness is plot relevant, Full Body specifically adds an agender/nonbinary major character.

Also, you're ironically missing The Missing: JJ Macfield And The Island Of Lost Memories, where both of the ladies (the titular JJ who we play as, and her maybe-girlfriend Emily) at the center of the story are LGBTQ (and neither is a lesbian to make things MORE fun!). TW for suicidal ideation and some censored but still extremely grisly dismemberment. Otherwise an exceptional puzzle platformer that carries a well-designed triple-layer mindfuck of a story about finding true love when everyone around you is a self absorbed (and occasionally homophobic) idiot.

Perfect example of what I'm talking about: comments accusing people of being homophobic are allowed to stand, while comments objecting to the term being casually thrown around are removed (as this one probably will be).

@jump I’ve been absolutely done. Hoodwinked.

Imo games like Hades should be the golden standard when it comes to normalizing topics like LGBT in video games. There was no signs of anything going on against "the norm" and then it's just casually revealed that Zagreus and Thanatos had a thing going and the game made no big deal out of it. That is exactly how you normalize a gay relationship, by making it a normal thing.

This article reminded me that I still have to buy and play VA-11 HALL-A. Also, I see the moderation is going wild again. If the last article is any indication then a comment being removed for being "unconstructive" just means the moderator doesn't agree with the poster's opinion. And yes, I have read the community rules multiple times.

Ignore the toxicity in these comments, your list is very much appreciated, Kate.

@Harmonie Yeah absolutely, top notch list

I believe Going Under is LGBTQ+? Maybe?? Help??

@Harmonie thank you ♥

@Scapetti What I find confusing is the people that put the pronouns in bios...but they use the default pronouns.

@Scapetti people don't realise that it's forced inclusion and forced representation, that turns people against each other, it's the very actions of those on the progressive left who are causing divisions in our society, especially when a minority is massively over represented, as is the case nowadays.

Im just waiting for my comments to be deleted because the moderators dont agree. And they want to try and call themselves tolerant 🤣🤣.

@KateGray Ah, Abigail I think was destined to by my object of affection — haven't popped the question yet; still wondering if the ship had already sailed with Leah...

I had no idea about Madelline being trans though — man that game hit me hard; I played both it and Undertale back to back in the same month, such a great pair.

Oh nevermind, the comment I replied to by @RoguePirate which said absolutely nothing wrong was removed for "trolling". So now I have a first hand example of the kind of content that is removed. Now I'm angry... please can you explain EXACTLY what was wrong with that particular comment. Because it certainly wasn't "trolling"

That's a lot of comments in only an hour and a half; without even reading them I'm sure they're all really lovely and supportive

Thanks for this article, Kate <3

@ilh Cis people using pronouns in bios helps normalise it for those who do NEED to use it, simple.

@Scapetti A lot of people don't seem to realize that "tolerance" is not a synonym for "acceptance". I can tolerate someone holding a contrary opinion, but I don't have to accept that opinion as my own.

@Scapetti I agree with you, and the proof would be if they did a "straight pride," style article. Nobody is allowed or encouraged to talk about heterosexual pride, and all the heterosexuals just have to grin and bear it in silence while every other community gets recognized and celebrated. I know people wouldn't believe it, but there are heterosexuals who are just as confused about their identity and/or sexuality as any other community.

@Dogorilla A pure comment :,(

@tntswitchfan68 It came out in the UK.

@Anti-Matter Why doesn’t the rainbow emoji go all the way round :,( wishing you all the best 🌈

Well, this may get me blocked but I hate seeing the terms bigot, racist, sexist, and any kind of phobic etc because it denies any real discussion and seems the tolerant are in fact intolerant. I wish everyone the best. If you can’t see the irony in representing certain groups but not others then I can’t help you. I hope everyone feels important whether you’re part of a group or not. We are in fact all human.

Most people reading the list have probably played at least a few of these games, because they're good games. They've been included on other lists as well, many times. Highlighting that they include elements reflecting the LGBTQ community doesn't take away from that, it in no way invalidates other reasons for playing the game, and yet people are still mad?

Maybe that representation is one reason to play one of these games for some people. It's not the only one and I don't see that anyone is claiming that.

But I'd agree that the clear censoring of comments is probably not going to help, NL. You've beaten the naysayers in the past with reason and wit out in the open. Just removing these comments is only going to fan the flames.

I loved Night in the Woods. I like to play it in the fall a day at a time starting on October 24th. That way the days in game correspond with the actual days of the year (Halloween in game lands on October 31st for instance). I didn't play it in 2020 and 2019, but I plan to this year.

As a gay man, seeing comment sections like this are so disheartening. On one hand I'm happy @KateGray /NL is giving us this list, but then there's all the folk that still, in 2021, have an issue with gay/queer/anyone-that-isn't-straight getting representation. I'm tired of being considered controversial. There were the Facebook comments on Near's death, now this. It's exhausting. Absolutely exhausting.

Edit: it is nice to see other more pleasant comments that are on topic, between the ridiculous debates.

@Jmjfrank Some of the comments have been quite frightening, especially in the nation I’m in, you can dance through life assuming most people are tolerant. Things like this are a stark reminder

Why did you make a point of explaining why games like Overwatch aren't in because they only confirmed the characters were gay outside the game, but Celeste counts for... confirming Madeline was trans outside the game?

Like, Overwatch has official comics that confirm this stuff, idk how you figure that counts less than a tweet or however Maddy confirmed this information that wasn't in Celeste at all. Just all seems super arbitrary.

@Jmjfrank which comments exactly are disheartening to you?

@Jmjfrank I'm exhausted, too. I'm dismayed that so many people are demanding tolerance of their intolerance, when all I did is write a list celebrating LGBTQ+ representation in games — something that's hugely important to me.

I'm going to keep writing about LGBTQ+ games, though! They can't stop me!

Probably should have taken that spoiler alert more seriously, lol. But that's not your issue @KateGray or Nintendo Life's.

Anyways, while not necessarily a member of the LGBTQ+ community, I consider myself an ally with many family and dear friends who are. I am a part of a group that is traditionally underrepresented in these kinds of mediums. So anything that showcases and promotes more representation is always welcomed. It'll be a great day when this is seen as just is. So thank you @KateGray for doing this. And don't let the ignorance here discourage you

Shout it for those in the back

YOU HAVE A RIGHT TO SAY SHI**Y THINGS, NINTENDO LIFE HAVE A RIGHT TO NOT HOST IT

@Jmjfrank don’t worry about people on the internet. Just some advice. You can find many dark things on here. People’s opinions on the internet including mine and yours don’t carry any weight.

@KateGray Maybe a seperate list for games where you CAN be gay? Unsure how others feel on this, but I’m sure being able to play as yourself is a wonderful feeling!

Thanks for the brilliant list and article, it's much appreciated and a nice addition to the list.

I also want to say thank you for the closer moderation of the comments section. Far to many discussions are derailed by people who jump onto any article discussing inclusivity in gaming with their criticisms. It turns reading comments into quite an unpleasant experience.

@KateGray it's about wording. Maybe rather than call the games queer. Say they have LGBT representation. Celeste isn't exactly Brokeback Mountain...

@tntswitchfan68 ha I liked that game. it was quirky and arcade-y. Had to import it and play on a modified Wii, though. Never beat it. Didn't know the main dude was gay... did he find a love at the end or something?

@nessisonett Only be tolerant if you agree with me, don't be tolerant if you disagree with me.

I could relate to and understand Madeline's struggles in Celeste without having any idea of her retroactively added character trait. I don't think it was in any way essential to understanding or relating the original story.

I really liked Celeste, but I can't help but feel that retroactively added character traits, especially in this nature, are made to make the material appear more inclusive than it would "normally" be to appease a certain group of people. Kind of like all the additional tidbits J.K. Rowling decided to add to Harry Potter after finishing the story not many seemed to like. I get that the intentions are good, but it comes off more as a bit disingenuous, at least for me.

As a queer person I find it absolutely ridiculous and stupid to have a thing like "queer games".why can't we be part of the "normal?"games

Okay, I see my comment is completely removed. It was not trolling or even harsh criticism, but now I can see the direction this website will take in the way it censors its user feedback. Any opinion they don't like will be moderated to achelieve the perfect echo chamber of positivity about the content they are posting. Previously I supported this website strongly but moving forward I won't be doing so and I'll also make sure to turn that adblock back on if I happen to visit. Good luck.

@nessisonett so many people think they have an inherent 'free speech' right on what is essentially a private site. Especially exercised when any discussion of representation or inclusivity for others is discussed. Good shout!

@KateGray Keep on writing them! =)

Damn this comment section is something. Also, what’s up with censorship? It’s like you can’t have different opinion here unless you agree with something.

This is not you create a community and have productive discussions.

@KateGray

Knockout City certainly needs to be added to this list because of its characters and general awesomeness.

This was a very helpful list, now I know what games to avoid

@StarMetroid It’s their website, no one has an innate right to have their comment seen - free speech doesn’t exist on a platform that isn’t yours

I don't leave comments typically, but I wanted to say I absolutely love Kate's articles and this one in particular is not only very well-written, but also incredibly relevant. This is not a time for negativity and intolerance. I'm proud to be an ally, and there's still much left to do.

@BarryandWill you didn't see the comments removed... the thoughtful and respectful ones were removed whereas others saying "why are there so many gay games" were kept.

I don't know if it was in an effort to make the removed comments look bad or what but this whole thing has been a complete mess. We need greater transparency with regards to the content of removed comments.

@Ahlvin23 Perhaps it doesn't fit the agenda? I dare say that the reason some may have a problem with articles like this is the sledgehammer subtlety employed when discussing. I doubt many would disapprove of the intention, but when one is bombarded with the same old stuff the whole time, it gets a bit tiresome.

@KateGray Nobody should be made to tolerate something they believe in their core isn't right for them, especially if they believe it for the right reasons, and are non-violent. I also think that tolerance is weak, and that full-on acceptance and understanding is the way we should be heading. Many people tolerate but still hate. But that takes discussion, and patience. I'm tired for being labeled as intolerant if I speak up against being silenced for my views, or if I speak up against double standards.

@BloodNinja I will politely say the need for a "hetrosexual pride celebration" is unnecessary when a good chunk of content and rules in our culture is automatically centered on the idea of heterosexual relationships to begin with.

It's similar to people who whine that the network, BET (Black Entertainment Television) exists, but there would be an outcry if a White Entertainment Network were to be created. Of course, conveniently ignoring the fact that the majority of television has been and continues to be centered on white entertainment, which prompted the development of BET and other black centered networks. Same with networks that center on the LGBTQ+ community and their experiences

@Ahlvin23 Because some people want all other to know that they are different but treated as part of the majority in the same time.

Until all those classifications are gone there will not be any acceptance

At least it is good to see normal thinking people like you.

@Tuulenpoika

Yeah I was thinking of Rowling too with Celeste.

Given Maddy's own transition I can certainly believe they're being genuine, though. And I think they did a good job of making a game that can apply to transgendered people while still keeping a broader and less specific overall message.

But I find it really weird to call it a "queer" game.

For that matter I kinda resent the implication that Undertale's nonviolence ties into it being more queer. Like cool thanks I guess being straight makes someone more prone to violence?

@KateGray I believe they are referring to the fact that their comment was removed. That is what they mean by forced. Forced to like the content or their comments are censored. What did RoguePirate say wrong before? I mean now they're being rude because they're understandably angry now after their comment was removed. But what did they do wrong before?

@nessisonett They never used to seem to mind "unpopular opinions" as long as people weren't abusing members. There were many rigorous debates on here and I never saw all these removed comments under articles until the last couple of weeks! New staff members changing things maybe? I dunno, but this site was never a ResetEra style echo chamber.

@KateGray I do not think you are forcing people to do anything, but I am sharing my thoughts on the topic, separate from you, specifically.

A while ago, before she joined this site, I played Ikenfell on Kate's Twitter recommendation. Loved it. Stonking little RPG. The battle system is the closest we've got to the Mario RPGs since they stopped being RPGs, and the characters were really interesting too. Arguably needed a bit more time to develop some of its ideas, and felt a bit rushed as a result. Nonetheless, strongly recommended if you can stand the art style and won't go running at the sight of neopronouns.

Nice feature @KateGray, keep it up. Noli illegitimi carborundum.

@BLD the "queerness of games" meaning non-violence, intimacy, and community is an academic concept, and I highly recommend reading Dr Bo Ruberg's writing on the subject!

It’s a shame that an article like this can’t be taken in the spirit it’s written - and that goes both ways.
Every article featuring a genre list has arguments about games’ inclusions and validity. Why should this be an exception?

I understand that there’s some pretty hateful and ignorant people who like to opine, but I’d like to see their comments for myself and decide what is and is not appropriate.

I’m all for more diversity in games and featuring them, but if it is going to come at the cost of being able to criticize these titles that’s a huge problem for trust in the media.

It’s also a horrible strategy to expanding people’s viewpoint. Games might be the best tool we have to explore these ideas for the uninitiated. You want people who don’t think like you to play these games.

The fact is, LGBTQ+ politics make a lot of people uncomfortable, rightly or wrongly. We should be able to discuss these games in that context. For example, I’d like to applaud Hades approach to subject by allowing the character to role-play the characters sexual preference as opposed to say, Celeste who did a “J.K. Rowling” and stamped the player-character with a label out of the game’s context. There needs to be space to discuss these things if we want a more mature audience and hobby... even if it gets nasty sometimes.

@Scapetti we are not censoring people; they are free to have their opinions elsewhere. We are not obligated to host those opinions, especially when they are harmful to our staff.

@DeclanS98 I am aware but what about letting members in LBGTQ community speak up than being gatekeeper?

What about Murder by Numbers? Had some genuinely funny gay humour in it, one of the cases is set at a drag by, Bright Light Bright Light sings the main theme…

Why did my reply about be proud of being LGBTQ got removed ?
I didn't say anything bad or against the rules.

@dartmonkey @BloodNinja Keep in mind too that the developers of one of the titles on the list demonised one of their fellow creators into suicide not too long ago as well.. these things need to be raised more.

I've played a lot on the list and can't say I have disliked any. 'queer' or not doesn't dictate if the game is good or bad. Some people here need to realise that. Some stories need to be heard.

@KateGray "the "queerness of games" meaning non-violence, intimacy, and community is an academic concept, and I highly recommend reading Dr Bo Ruberg's writing on the subject!

It's a ridiculous concept and sounds like it's saying straight people are violent thugs without community and lgbtq people are all hippy pacifists. Awful stereotyping.

@KateGray Probably best to lock the comments section entirely then. Free speech or no speech.

@KateGray listen... people get worked up and angry when their voices aren't heard. Remove the comments that are explicitly homophobic sure. Not those by people sharing an honest and respectful opinion. And stop suggesting this is an attack on your community. It's not. That has nothing to do with the argument right now. Listen to what people have to say

@UmbreonsPapa That's my point. Taking appropriate pride in oneself is 100% necessary, regardless of your identity. It shouldn't be seen as unnecessary to be proud to be whatever you are.

@Anti-Matter this ^

@MajinSoul I couldn’t agree more. Hades was so well done, and more - if not all - games with a sexual component should be commited to player choice, running the full spectrum, including abstinence.

@Clyde_Radcliffe I'm definitely not saying that. The idea is that exploring alternative ways to depict conflict and interactivity is considered "queer", not necessarily in the sense of sexuality, but in the sense of moving away from the ways we have historically done things.

Now I know the games I will be dropping off.

@KateGray how are comments by people saying they are proud of being LGBTQ harmful to staff?

@RodK79 Weird, it was on my list of games to add — I must have forgotten!!

@Spiders Unrelated by my God Skyrim is the least sexy game around

@StarMetroid The comments are removed when they break our community rules.

@DeclanS98 Free speech is a value. You can bring it with you wherever you go. It’s platform agnostic.

Cool, a lot of the games on this list on my list of indie games to get around to. Definitely going to remember this and check back when I'm looking to pick one.

Also I'm torn over wanting to replay Celeste so I can re-experience Madelaine's story knowing the creator is trans and not wanting to play it because it's was damn hard. I loved Celeste but do I want to put myself through that again?

@RoguePirate I agree with you but you're not doing yourself any favours by getting angry now. I understand why it would make you angry though. I actually have no idea what is going on in terms of which comments they think should be removed. This is a shamble

@timleon "there wasn't anything particularly homophobic or transphobic from what I saw"

We're deleting comments as they're posted, so you won't have been able to see the content of them all. Trust us, many of them are either trolling, offensive or totally unconstructive. Our community rules are pretty easy to find. Any posts which don't abide by them will be removed.

@DeclanS98 yeah i can agree with this for sure.

We don't run the website so it's not free speech, the dictatorships that moderate this website, their brand of ideals and opinions are the only free ones on this website.

Other opinions and ideals that don't fit the closed minded narrative of the people running this site are not welcome.

As we can see in the rules section.

May as well change it to "if you don’t agree with us your points of view will be deleted in the name of tolerance".

@timleon I vote we stick it to Nintendo Life by purchasing the games they rate badly while avoiding their recommendations. In love as in game ratings, I'd gladly settle for a 3/10.

@Spiders It’s a value, sure. But it’s not a right, especially online, especially on a curated platform such as this. NL absolutely has the right to monitor and remove comments as they see fit, it’s their community

@timleon yep, it's a complete mess

@Rpg-lover Freedom of speech in the US means freedom from government censure so long as you don’t incite actions that harm others (and a few other restrictions like burning draft cards). You are on a UK based corporate website with a TOS that you agreed to when making your account. People have got to stop tossing out “Freedom of Speech” as the catch all answer for everything. It is a legal definition with legally defined stipulations. And even if it wasn’t, it doesn’t mean Freedom FROM consequences of your words.

(This is a response to the common missuse of freedom of speech only)

A fantastic article again but as I thought it has maybe got a little bit heated in here. Too hot for me so I’m gonna chill and play a bit of bare knuckle 3. Take care everyone xxxx

@Damo Why not just delete them completely at least in order to not make a mess of all your comments pages. If will put people off even joining and commenting given how many mild comments, alternative opinions or even jokes have been taken out the past week or so!

@Damo I don't trust you because a comment I replied to had absolutely nothing wrong with it. You have lost all trust in my eyes.

@strykerking I honestly feel the same way, I've noticed the censorship for a while now. It's really too bad as I used to enjoy going to this site for gaming news. Seeing how things are now, I'm done with this site as well, and I can guarantee that you aren't alone in feeling the same.

I think Celeste's inclusion is so forced, I never felt anything LGBT related in that game, and I'm gay! Many LGBT people work in the videogame industry and that does not mean that every game they do is LGBT

My comment removed. Double standard at its best. So because we don't share in your views or opinions, you take out the comments? FREEDOM of speech is just an illusion if it have come to this extent. When did people become this soft?

@Clyde_Radcliffe That was the old system - we now leave a note which shows the comment and been deleted, as well as a reason for deletion. It's more transparent.

@Ryu_Niiyama Nobody's voice should be silenced, for any reason. Let them say what they feel they need to say, and either listen or don't listen. But do not silence, especially the voices that disagree with you.

@Scapetti Nothing wrong with it? We beg to differ.

@Anti-Matter "Why did my reply about be proud of being LGBTQ got removed ?
I didn't say anything bad or against the rules"

LOL, the mods have gone mad here recently. What is going on?

@KateGray

"The idea is that exploring alternative ways to depict conflict and interactivity is considered "queer", not necessarily in the sense of sexuality, but in the sense of moving away from the ways we have historically done things."

That feels like you're just conflating two different meanings of queer.

@JedRock this a spoiler for those who may not want to know. at the end of the game he visited his lover's grave. it was very sad. the game was great but had a very somber ending.

As much as their are some very out dated views posted I really don't think peoples posts should be deleted unless they where nasty and insulting which doesn't appear the case with most.

Deleting them just makes you appear as bad .

At this point, I have no idea which words is safe to say to comment about this article, like any mild comments can get removed.

@Spiders This assumes that having a conversation with bigots will be mature and intellectual, which is naïve. I trust NL that the comments, which have been deleted were harmful enough to warrant deletion. 'Sometimes' there should just be no space for being openly harmful. Criticizing LGBTQ titles is not an issue - criticizing them for their inclusion of LGBTQ characters and themes IS. People will not change their viewpoint by trying to have a reasoned conversation with them: ideally, yes, this would happen but the conversation IS rarely reasoned (see comment above about mature and intellectual). These topics do make people uncomfortable but why should their discomfort be allowed to lead to verbal, or otherwise, violence? Who in their right mind would allow this? Hence NL removing the comments.

Final note: what content creators do, J.K Rowling etc., with their characters is up to them since they own them. Forced politics or not, they give them the identity they want and that is that. I don't think twice about heterosexual identities being represented (I am gay) and believe that no one else should think twice about any others being represented. Why? Because they DO exist in reality and mean something to someone.

@suikoden @BloodNinja The comments we're removing are either offensive, trolling or totally unconstructive. We're not 'silencing' anyone.

@suikoden I think it all comes down to making a community. If I was LGBTQ+, I certainly wouldn’t want to come to a website I like to see that nonsense

I would add Ai the somnium files and Night of azure 2 and Gun gun pixies to the list.

Ai the Somnium files includes a person who is either transwoman or a gay crossdresser, and the other games icludes yuri goodness

sigh This site is going the way of Kotaku. Great, another place to get pushed out of.

Whelp, this is going exactly the way I thought it would. On the bright side, I can't believe we can all still post comments atm.

@Damo well this is why I asked you what was wrong with it. But you won't tell me. A complete lack of transparency.

@Damo I'm not referencing comment deletion, and I understand why you would want to delete something that is simply insulting or unproductive.

Less politics, more reviews. That's what's needed here.

How many of you would like a Nintendo website for purely gamers. Regardless of how you associate yourself the website will purely focus on all good games?

@Damo

Hold on, regardless of how deserving the comments were of being deleted, removing them is absolutely silencing them.

Oh also I think The Red Strings Club would be a good addition to this list

@RadioHedgeFund did you have it? it was a great game though the ending was very sad. would love to see this. come to the US. on the switch.

@BloodNinja Okay. I guess my point is (to use myself to explain my point) I identify as a heterosexual male who sees no need for a celebration dedicated to that as much of society celebrates and champions those aspects of my identity to begin with. I am confident in who I am and love the life I've built with whom I built it with. But does things about my identity haven't been traditionally maligned or vilified.

Anyway since as usual we have lost the plot, does anyone have any good female homosexual games to suggest?

And I do agree that story of seasons need to be re added even with the censorship in Japan due to the lack of legality for same sex marriage there.

@Mountain_Man See the problem with this argument is so obvious and I'm surprised so many people try to use it. You should tolerate people's life choices, Race, gender/sex/etc as it has no effect on you whereas you shouldn't tolerate the opposite opinion that often descends into abuse as it has a legitimate negative effect on other people's lives. The people who don't tolerate or accept LGBT etc are often in positions of power and their biases have clear and negative impacts on people and their ability to live how they want. Whereas someone enjoying entertainment that is aimed at their demographic and commenting on this doesn't effect anyone.

@finalstan “This assumes that having a conversation with bigots will be mature and intellectual, which is naïve.”

Define “bigotry”. Having different opinion on certain things doesn’t make people bigots. The word “bigotry” get thrown out a lot for no reasons.

@Damo

Well then it true just proves that gaming hasn't changed in over 30 years it's still a very intolerant and hateful group.

No wonder others see gamers as bunch nasty bunch of weirdos.

While I appreciate the compilation you's have provided, your audience of entitled whiners was clearly not ready for this subject matter.
Can we for once just focus on the friggin videogames, people?

I'm tired of websites reminding me that I am straight, and that it is only okay to openly support being anything but straight.

Forgot Story of Seasons Pioneers of Olive Town.

@BLD

No, they aren't being silenced. They are just not being published.

Ya'll need to understand that a website moderating comments is not censorship or violation of your free speech, either morally or legally.

@Damo "The comments we're removing are either offensive, trolling or totally unconstructive."

All very subjective criteria that can be decided on a whim. I know for a fact that several of my comments have been removed that could not be reasonably said to be any of those things.

@quartet1986 It's not about politics, it's about games and gamers. And those represent a wide variety of behaviours and identities. At some point, all of those deserve a spotlight. It's not like NL is posting an LGBTQ article every day, are they? Pride month + queer themes and identities + personal interest of the editor make for a compelling reason to write one. No need for anyone to get their knickers in a twist.

@Ryu_Niiyama In Skyrim you can marry a girl! It’s all very low key and understated, but in such an in-depth game. It’s cool

@UmbreonsPapa Thing is, my gay friends see no need to celebrate their gayness. They just live it.

Back to the games, playing Stardew Valley with my kids and seeing how naturally they viewed same sex marriage was wonderful. They saw it as perfectly natural in terms of the game and hopefully this translates into their 'real space' life. Gaming is escapism but also can educate or expand our perspectives. I think it is wonderful that their is greater representation of LGBTQIA+ characters and communities in games and broader culture. There once was a time when queer kids saw no one like them and coming out was fraught with shame. Games like these on the list may just help some young people feel not quite so alone or different. They are to be celebrated

@Purgatorium Thank you for saying what I’ve been struggling to!

@Mountain_Man don't forget "attacking our staff" which I'm pretty sure I never saw...

Can’t we all go back to that bayonetta bloke saying that things were progressing nicely xx

@Ryu_Niiyama Night of azure 2 is good and has lesbians

I'm not sure if you've even heard of it, but play Celeste

I actually only learned of this game earlier today. I saw some reviews, felt it looked interesting, looked into it more, bought it on a whim, and... damn.

I don't remember the last time a game took so much out of me emotionally. Celeste is so incredible. On so many levels. It's a very sad game, but it's extremely hopeful. The themes and core message are resonant and universally identifiable. The writing is remarkably straightforward but very, VERY strong. The characters all feel fleshed out and real, the dialog feels authentic. The art style is gorgeous, the music is beautiful, and unlike so many indie games of this nature, the gameplay is great too, featuring some well thought out puzzles and legitimately fun gameplay loops.

It's also remarkably how well the game hits this balance between feeling like the sort of breezy adventure that A Short Hike felt like last year, and having decidedly heavier stakes. Like the entire game makes its sadness clear and pervasive, and there's this theme of mortality that's constantly weighing on you. But there's also this innocence that it has, and this breeziness of getting to live a day in an ordinary life, that really helps it feel really relatable and charming in an everyday way.

I honestly wish I had the words to do it justice, but this game resonated with me on an incredibly strong level. It seems to have totally gone under the radar, I haven't seen it discussed anywhere, I don't know if any major outlet has even acknowledged it, but this is too much of a hidden gem to just wither on the vine like this.

If you can, play Celeste. It's an amazing game. It's been a very long time since a game touched me like this, and I cannot recommend it enough.

One tip to support the developers: NEVER EVER buy this game on sale. Doing so would mean less hard-earned cash to the indie devs. Imagine if they go bankrupt because you couldn't be bothered to buy this Hidden Gem at its full and worthy price? I've already bought seven copies, all at RRP.

@Purgatorium

That is literally silencing them. If I put my hand over my mouth before you say something, I'm silencing you. This isn't about politics, it isn't about whether anyone was justified in silencing someone, but to deny that removing someone's ability to say a thing is silencing them is insanely disingenuous.

@DeclanS98 Agreed! I sorta like the fact that same sex marriage is understated in Skyrim because that means it is normalized.

@finalstan "All those deserve a spotlight."

Can't wait to see the next article on straight pride, and games recommendations with straight relationships.

Great list Kate, thanks for making it. It means a lot

@Mountain_Man Yeah, I've been a little surprised by some of the comments that were removed early in this comment section as some of them (not all, some have been pretty bad) honestly seemed fine. Makes me a little hesitant to comment in case I accidentally say something that can get taken the wrong way.

@StarMetroid Bigotry, noun: obstinate or unreasonable attachment to a belief, opinion, or faction; in particular, prejudice against a person or people on the basis of their membership of a particular group.

@mrmariomaster please don't encourage people not to buy games on sale. If lots of people buy a game on sale it gets pushed to the top of the charts meaning MORE sales

@WillQuan "The people who don't tolerate or accept..."

This is where your argument fails because these are not synonymous terms. I can tolerate someone's choices, but I don't have to accept those choices as right.

@Tobiaku good to know. I have that game (and the first one) but they have been sitting in my backlog forever. I may spin one up this weekend. Thank you!

@BloodNinja But they DO get a spotlight, every day of our lives, in media, games, on the streets etc. We're so immersed in it that we don't see it, which is why any mention of anything else than that sticks out like a sore thumb to those more 'sensitive' among us to anything different than themselves.

This was always gonna be a very controversial list, and I wonder if we really needed it. What's next: A list for feminist games? A list for Black community games? Sounds political and jumping on the bandwagon!

Some comments have been removed because of being unconstructive, I wonder who that decides?

Me? I don't really mind. I played some of the games on the list and was very surprised that Celeste is on the list. Doesn't make the game worse for me (and for some it might make it better).

Hmm, I hope they won't remove my comment. Let's say this: The list has killed off many games for many people, but at the same time attracted new people.

Nice to see Celeste there for trans rep!

@Ryu_Niiyama The Outer Worlds has probably the best example of an actual LGBTQ+ couple, never mind just a lesbian one, in any game I’ve played. I loved how instead of the generic harem trope of trying to shag your entire crew, you encouraged them and were their wingman instead.

@finalstan It also means:

“ stubborn and complete intolerance of any creed, belief, or opinion that differs from one's own.”

This is what happens in this very thread.

@Scapetti there's no point of it being top of sales charts if the starving indie devs don't get enough money! Instead of buying it on sale, just literally never stop talking about it to your friends, and encourage them to buy multiple copies — AT FULL PRICE!

Another hidden gem is a social deduction game called "Among Us". Apparently it released on the Nintendo Switch™ system a few months ago.

@mrmariomaster Celeste is hardly a 'hidden gem' at this stage, mate. It was one of the most popular indies at it's time of release, often getting perfect scores from reviewers... Glad you like though.

I dont work for Nintendo Life, but I imagine they agree that if you are being homophobic, as in you are disrespecting peoples very existence for no reason, you do not deserve a say in the matter because you add nothing of value except hate and misinformation. No wonder it gets deleted! “Oh poor me, I can’t say hateful things about a minority group anymore, boo hoo!” Get a grip. Your views are outdated and don’t deserve space in modern civilisation anymore!

@Henmii The editor didn't jump on the bandwagon and neither did any of us LGBTQ folk - we've been on it, riding it since birth!

@finalstan There's literally no straight pride day, and you will never see an article about it. That means it's actually background noise, and there is no spotlight, quite the opposite of what you are suggesting, actually.

Gay or straight I think we can all agree the mods are on a power trip.

No rhyme or reason too the deleting of posts, weather positive or negative posts are being deleted .

Why not just lock all topics as it now looks like nintendo life don't want anyone too have a opinion!

@BloodNinja I look forward to "A History of Duke Nukem" tomorrow. I wish

@finalstan ride or die

@SnobbyLuigi if you think politics isnt a part of videogames, you are clearly mistaken. It doesnt even have to be overt, most games will have some ideology sprinkled in to set the story and establish the characters morals

@quartet1986 That would balance the website nicely, but yeah, not gonna happen LOL

@suikoden Sadly, yes.

@BLD
No one is putting a hand over anyone's mouth, literally or figuratively. You are free to give your opinions. You do not, however, have the right to have them published.

If I walk into the offices of Vanity Fair and demand they publish my Mario/Wario fan fiction I can't say I'm being silenced if they don't. I can't go to your house and start reading from it in your living room and complain I'm being silenced when you (rightfully) call the cops on me.

Seriously, ya'll need to understand, you don't have any right at all to post on this site. This ain't a public space. It's not your site.

@nessisonett Yessss! I pretty much “awwed” my way through Parvati and Junlei’s whole setup! So adorable. I think I got too invested because once that storyline ended I started noticing all the issues I had with the game and stopped playing. I did watch a let’s play though.

@BloodNinja Just google straight pride, you might be surprised...

Heteronormativity is mainstream. You don't need to spotlight it because it's in the light all the time. Any kind of privilege doesn't need it because it gets it by default - it's part of its definition.

Super Mario Bros 2 should be added to this list!

@ninoishi You've hit the nail on the head.

@nessisonett Speaking of Outer Worlds, that game had some rather curious character design for its female characters. None of them were particularly feminine or conventionally attractive. I'm not sure if that was deliberate, or if the art department simply wasn't up to the task of creating attractive females.

@Purgatorium Of course you have the right to have your views published. Your example is a huge indication of the problem, though: that only thoughts that echo in the chamber will be allowed.

@ninoishi you didn't see the comments. The majority of people said nothing like that. I know it's easy to assume since there's no way to see deleted comments but trust me, it was chaos. 99% of people here were respectful. And the more mods deleted the more angry people got. About not being heard. Not about their views on LGBT which I'm pretty sure everyone was inclusive of.

Nice article! I didn't know about Ikenfell - looks nice! I had really fun with Monster Prom too - who would have thought you could have a multiplayer visual novel, with versus gameplay none the less!

@Mountain_Man and your argument falls apart as you clearly don't understand the meaning of the word or. I meant people who don't tolerate or accept, not complex.

In Super Mario Odyssey, both Mario and Bowser proposed to Peach, but you dont see us lgbt people having a fit over straight representation in videogames

@finalstan I don't live my life by google searches, with search results that are tailored to match my views.

@ninoishi yeah, stop because no one was saying anything like that. That is incredibly manipulative

@nessisonett Last of us: left behind also had great LGBTQ couple.

@ninoishi that is such an astute point. Looking back over the decades since I started gaming politics have ALWAYS been part of games, often with some quite horrible worldviews when one looks back from a modern perspective. They have never been culturally or politically neutral (and likely have reflected the communities they serve).

Asking for politics to be kept out of games is kind of code for 'put things back the way they were' and typically are only discussed when greater exposure of marginalised groups is celebrated (as in this article)

@finalstan,

To me it felt like jumping on the bandwagon because literally every media at the moment is handling this topic ALL THE TIME! But yeah, the counter-argument might be that the topic might have been silenced for to long. I understand that.

But some media (Disney for example) aren't sincere: They just do it for money, karma-points etc.

Lets face it: If you want to convince people with your media you shouldn't hammer people on the head constantly with said topic. Some people will never get convinced while at the same time people might get disgusted. I accept all people, but I won't shout it all the time!

@BarryandWill What are the political views in Super Mario Bros. 1, then?

@Purgatorium

You're trying to conflate legal rights with real simple definitions here.

If you come to my house and yell, and I force you to leave or hit the mute button or whatever- that IS still silencing you.

This isn't about the right to talk or the right of someone to moderate what gets said in a space they own - that is a conversation that cannot even begin to take place if we don't acknowledge that one person is preventing another person from saying something, somewhere. That is silencing. Discussing the morality of it is impossible unless that much is established, and it's not something I wanted to discuss anyway

Transparency for removed comments is essential. I feel bad for those who had comments removed. Particularly the person who said they were proud of being part of LGBTQ. Now they too will be seen as an old fashioned homophobe. I think the comments should be wiped entirely. And next time put a little more thought into which comments should be removed

@KateGray great list, but with all due respect I think you are a bit too emotionally invested in this topic and may not realise that some comments being removed are no more harmful than others being posted and allowed here but from the opposite perspective.

A lot of the comments removed are not harmful or abusive, they are just different opinions. Some are just asking questions.

NintendoLife has every right to monitor and control the content on its site. But if that control goes too far one way it will turn people away from the site. And I’m not talking about bad people, just people with common sense.

@BarryandWill Very true! They only see it as a politics game when its not representing them...

@Mountain_Man I honestly wouldn’t say I ever thought about the attractiveness of the female characters in The Outer Worlds that much. I mean, Parvati and Nyoka were relatively attractive if I remember correctly? I dunno. Doesn’t impact my enjoyment of the game.

@BloodNinja Super Mario Bros supports capitalism — it implies that money (coins) can be exchanged for lives (1-Ups).

@Scapetti Evidence of that proud comment?

@BloodNinja so that's all you want out of games, 2D platformers with no story?

@Henmii Why not? There is nothing wrong with genre lists from an objective point of view as they are designed to let people know quickly if a game’s content might appeal to them. (Nobody has time to play everything after all. )

The issue is when people tear down those lists and muddy any positivity for those lists to keep those that enjoy whatever genre or feature from enjoying or discovering them.

It’s like if I wandered into the racing article and started yelling about fighting games and keeping the racing game fans from discussing the topic of the article. People can’t stay on topic and they can’t let others have something they don’t like.

@Kienda this is exactly it. Well said

@Scapetti wait, that happened? Ugh, thats so disappointing. Sorry for jumping the gun earlier, when I saw the commenters reactions it reflected what a lot of people who said something wrong would say, if you get what I mean? 😂 (the whole ‘no one can say anything anymore!’ kinda stuff)

@Kienda Telling an LGBTQ+ person to accept those who don’t like them isn’t it, man

@PessitheMystic #215

@Kienda the entire NL team is keeping an eye on the comments and modding them, not me.

I do apologize for fanning the flames. As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, I appreciate this article

@ninoishi yeah, people were made to look bad... and people rightfully got angry when their comments were unreasonably removed so they made themselves look worse. And it all just got very heated and silly haha

@Sonichu Oh no

@WillQuan That's quite the reach, friend!

@finalstan Thank you for that explanation. I gotta say, having these same discussions and arguments is exhausting. Truly is. It shouldn't be because it's important to have these discussions.

And on some level, I try to respect that people have their beliefs, however much I disagree with them. Or more so, I respect that they have the right to share them. But for some, there seems to be an ignorance that I can't tell if it's genuine or if it's purposeful for the sake of ignoring a conversation or derailing it.

@KateGray tell them to chill out. The entire team moderating one article is exactly how things got so insane

@nessisonett Pavarati was probably the closest to a conventionally cute female character in the game, but even she had a distinct tomboy vibe. I still like the game. It's just a curious detail.

@KateGray This might be a stretch but Murder by Numbers had a lot of LGBTQ characters and explored some issues I knew nothing about. Great game, too!

@KateGray okay, well sorry for making that assumption. I still think it is heavy handed editing of the comments though.

Of course, remove hateful comments. But don’t allow NintendoLife to become an echo chamber. This happened previously during political debates and it only alienates one side.

I’m a centrist and hate extremists. But having reasoned discussion/debate with those holding different views to my own is something valuable to me.

@DeclanS98 provide a quote

I loved you before @KateGray but I love you even more now. The fact this article is met with so many reactions (negative or positive) is proof it had to be written. Thank you.

@-Juice- o geez not the whole ‘gayness goes against God’s natural order’ stuff. Gays, lesbians, trans and non-binary people have been here as long as humanity has. An important element to it, in fact.

@KateGray please don’t close this article or at least open a thread in the forums so that we can actually discuss and suggest more games to add to the list. I always get nervous with stuff like this because others come in and stir arguments which distracts from the actual point of the article which is to provide information.