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.
9 Bugsnax
A relatively recent game, Bugsnax was 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, Bugsnax players will track down characters to rebuild Snaxburg and feed its inhabitants, all while gathering clues and trying to solve the mystery of what happened to Elizabert and her girlfriend.
8 Celeste
Starring a young woman trying to face her demons, Celeste follows 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.
RELATED: Great Nintendo Switch Games With LGBTQ+ Themes
Despite not having explicit references to queerness, the creator of Celeste has confirmed the 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.
7 Night In The Woods
Well-loved for its rich story, deep dialogue, and character-driven narrative, Night in the Woods follows the story of Mae, a recent college dropout returning to her quaint hometown of Possum Springs after years away.
In addition to queer characters and stories, Night in the Woods also 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.
6 Life is Strange: True Colors
The fifth game and third main installment in the Life is Strange series, Life is Strange: True Colors focuses 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.
5 Undertale
A classic and for good reason, Undertale can be enjoyed by new and returning fans alike on PS5. Players of Undertale take the role of a small child who’s fallen into the underground, a world filled with monsters of all types. Players can choose how to face every opponent in the game, with the option to fight, flee, or even reason with every character they come across.
RELATED: Best Games With Inclusive LGBTQ+ Romance Options
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.
4 What 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 in What Remains of Edith Finch touch on the queerness of certain family members, even if none of those stories are happy.
3 Hollow 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 Knight takes 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 while fighting corrupted inhabitants and seeking to destroy the god who brought Hallownest to ruin.
2 Monster Prom XXL
For players who prefer a lighter-hearted, more comedic tone in their games, Monster Prom XXL has them covered. Offering a unique blend of competitive multiplayer and dating sim mechanics, Monster Prom XXL presents players with the challenge of snagging a date to the upcoming prom.
RELATED: Hilarious Games That Parody Dating Sims
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.
1 Gone Home
With unique gameplay based on exploration and investigating clues around the house, players of Gone Home take 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.
MORE: Why Dragon Age: Inquisition’s Transgender Character Is So Important
