Games With The Most Inclusive Romance Options

Highlights

• Games are becoming more inclusive with diverse romance options to cater to players of varying sexual orientations.
• Tell Me Why is the first game to feature a trans protagonist in a lead role, showcasing progress in representation.
• Games like Monster Prom and Pathfinder: Kingmaker offers inclusive romances with characters of different sexual orientations, providing a range of options for players.

Over the years, games have evolved a lot in terms of graphics and storytelling. While many feel nostalgic, overall the new influx of games on the market is becoming more rich and diverse, with even more fascinating premises and options to entertain players with. One major development, in particular, has been inclusive romance in major games. While there are tons and tons of visual novels and indie games that truly celebrate gender-inclusive romance, even some major gaming titles have paved the way for complete freedom of choice and expression for players.

Given how important it has become to make games as inclusive as possible, it’s easy to see why players are actively seeking out games that let them experience a diverse range of romances. Fans are glad to see that the majority of video games have received the memo and are trying to make the romances in these titles as inclusive as possible, which is a source of great happiness for players with varying sexual orientations who want these video games to cater to their interests too.

Updated on December 29, 2023, by Ritwik Mitra: It’s important to acknowledge that most entertainment media should be inclusive to cater to a wider audience and open the doors for people from all walks of life to make an impact. Sexuality and gender identity aren’t binary concepts anymore, and there are many games that cater to the interests of everyone. Most games that feature romances feature something aside from the usual boy-meets-girl format, which is much welcome given how exclusionary this can feel for some.

24 Boyfriend Dungeon

A Dungeon-Crawler Dating Sin With A Wealth Of Romance Options To Choose From

Boyfriend Dungeon‘s unique combination of dating sim gameplay and dungeon crawling may falter on the latter front, but the game’s inclusive romances should be praised for what they strive to achieve. Characters are a joy to interact with, with these personalities being the best part of the experience.

The game is fairly easy to complete, making it accessible for most players. Those looking for a challenge should look elsewhere, but players who love well-written characters and fun dating sim gameplay will have a great time with Boyfriend Dungeon.

23 Persona 2: Innocent Sin

A Surprisingly Great Gay Romance Option In A Series That Has Some Regressive Moments

The new Persona games may be pretty engaging in their own right, but there’s no denying that their portrayal of same-sex relationships has been quite lacking and stereotypical. It’s a shame, since the writing present in these games is incredible, and allowing players to romance people of the same gender should’ve been included in the games at this point.

So, it’s rather surprising to see that Persona 2: Innocent Sin actually features a very well-written and nuanced gay romance that the protagonist, Tatsuya, can engage in with their childhood friend, Jun. It’s an excellent romantic angle that has been treated with great care, and it’s a shame that later Persona games turned gay characters into tropes for players to laugh at, which is extremely problematic indeed.

22 Tell Me Why

The First Game Ever To Feature A Trans Protagonist With A Fleshed-Out Romance

The fact that Tell Me Why is the first game to feature a trans person in a lead role is a great piece of news that goes to show how far representation has come in video games. However, this also comes with a huge asterisk, especially since many people are disappointed that it took so long for a trans person to finally be included in a game in a lead role.

Hopefully, more games will take a page out of Tell Me Why and be more inclusive when it comes to the characters in their video games. Over the course of this game’s narrative, Tyler (the protagonist) can share an intimate moment with his twin sister’s friend, Michael. It’s a fun relationship that players can see blossom throughout the game’s three episodes through playful flirting until it evolves into something special… if the player wishes, that is.

21 Monster Prom

Six Varied Romanceable Characters

A romantic visual novel game where players attend a monster high school and try to woo one of six romanceable characters, Monster Prom is a game with excellent writing that fans of the genre should check out. The fact that the majority of its romances are quite inclusive deserves due praise too.

The best part about Monster Prom is that it can be played as a competitive multiplayer game, which is extremely unique and totally unlike most other visual novel titles in the same vein. The game’s excellent writing will keep players engaged till the very end, which is a testament to just how underrated this game is.

20 Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen

Almost Anyone Can Be A Romance Option If Players Interact With Them Enough

Dragon’s Dogma is a pretty unique action RPG set in an open world with some amazing combat. Over the years, Capcom has nailed the combat of almost all of its games, and Dragon’s Dogma is no exception.

The fight against the Dragon who stole the player’s heart starts with their loved one being captured by said Dragon. This lover can be of any gender, which is pretty great despite the lackadaisical romance mechanics in the game.

19 Bully

Jimmy Can Kiss Most People If He Decides To Flirt With Them

Bully is another gem from Rockstar Studios that is a pretty great game in its own right. Controlling a student in a boarding school might not sound all that exciting, but Bully makes the most of this premise with great gameplay and Rockstar’s patented open-world design that is simply in a class of its own.

In Bully, players can kiss other characters to recover their health. This kiss can be initiated regardless of a person’s gender, which is a small but neat inclusion that most fans appreciate.

18 Pathfinder: Kingmaker

Various Romances With Different Sexual Orientations

CRPGs are known for having great character stories and relationships, and Pathfinder: Kingmaker is no exception to this golden rule. This game has several characters with different sexual orientations that players can interact romantically with.

The diversity of the romances in this game will please the majority of people who play this stellar title. It’s great that indie gaming has allowed the CRPG genre to stay relevant since it does feature some great narrative experiences.

17 Dream Daddy: A Dad Dating Simulator

A Charming Dating Simulator With Inclusive Romances Made By The Game Grumps

A game titled Dream Daddy is bound to have a bunch of inclusive romance options. The game’s premise is pretty engaging and makes this visual novel a blast to power through.

The charm of this game’s writing, coupled with its brilliant art style, makes it a highly underrated visual novel. Players who want to go through a visual novel that is full of clever writing and memorable characters should look no further than Dream Daddy: A Dad Dating Simulator.

16 Hades

Numerous Well-Hidden Romances With Great Dialogue To Boot

For a while now, Supergiant Games has been at the forefront of crafting amazing narratives that blend seamlessly with the mechanics of their respective games. However, the developer never really received the attention it deserved until Hades came out.

This action roguelite is a brilliant game with an amazing narrative and gorgeous visuals. The main character, Zagreus, can also engage in romances with a host of colorful characters that don’t conform to the usual romantic stereotypes typically found in gaming.

15 Saints Row 4

Can Easily Romance One Of Nine Characters Irrespective Of Gender

Saints Row 4 might not be the most serious game out there, but it does get a few things right that most triple-A games can only hope to get right these days. Volition’s action-packed franchise’s fourth installment gives the player a ton of freedom to romance any of the nine characters introduced.

This is also regardless of gender, and while the game doesn’t take itself too seriously, it’s a nice breath of fresh air and makes for some pretty hilarious and iconic dialogue between the characters involved.

14 Fable 2

Many Characters Can Be Romanced And Married Depending On Gender Preferences

While many would consider the original Fable to be outdated, Fable 2 still holds decently to today’s graphical and gameplay standards. Fable 2 is one of those medieval fantasy games that goes surprisingly deep into romance and marriage.

The good thing is that a large number of characters from almost anyone can be romanced and married depending on their gender preferences. The downside is that some romance options can’t be executed “safely,” which seems incredibly counterproductive to such an otherwise inclusive and freedom-embracing game. However, for the sheer number of choices alone, it’s a good game to check out.

13 Fire Emblem: Three Houses

Numerous Characters With Varying Genders Can Be Romanced By Male Or Female Byleth

Japanese RPG games are generally well-known for their abundance of romance options, and Fire Emblem: Three Houses is no different in that regard. There’s a whole myriad of characters who can all be romanced, regardless of which gender the player chooses for their character Byleth at the beginning of the game.

The romance options are based on the house the player joins, and while there are more straight options, there are still far more inclusive same-gender options in the game compared to a myriad of other adventure RPG games on the market.

12 Star Wars: The Old Republic

A Great Star Wars RPG With Varied Romances

Even significantly older games like Star Wars: The Old Republic showed signs of modest progress. While the base game itself only had opposite-gender romances, DLCs added options for same-gender and all-gender romances, which significantly improved the romance experience overall.

Depending on who the player picks as their companion, they can unlock more of their storyline and eventually romance and marry them. Some characters can be picked by both genders, and the faction of the player plays a part in the choice as well.

11 Baldur’s Gate 3

Six Well-Written Romanceable Characters To Choose From

Baldur’s Gate 3‘s release has been nothing short of a massive success, with players being able to experience one of the greatest RPGs ever made in the modern era. The game gives players a lot of freedom in both character creation and romance options. Anyone can be romanced out of the six major characters.

While six isn’t much to choose from, it’s still nice to know these options aren’t limited to gender. A system of approval and disapproval will instead determine whether companions will fall in love with the player’s character. The romance scenes might be cheesy, but anyone who’s a sucker for it will appreciate it.

10 Dreamfall Chapters

A Fair Representation Of Same-Sex Romances

Anyone looking for the story of the decade will have to check out Dreamfall: Chapters and its predecessors. This game is a beautiful tale of alternate timelines, magic, and technology, as well as unconditional love. The player controls a variety of different characters depending on the chapter while advancing in the story.

The game became quite famous for one of its major characters openly stating their romantic preference for the same gender during one of the cutscenes, which undoubtedly broke one of the major taboos in the gaming industry. While romance isn’t a huge focus of this game, it’s still a major advance in breaking stereotypes.

9 Fallout 4

Most Companions Are Romanceable And Cater To Both Genders

The tale of Fallout 4 might start quite traditionally, with the main character witnessing the death of their significant other and the kidnapping of their baby. From there onward, though, they’ll be introduced to a colorful cast of characters, which can all be romanced for the most part.

While synthetics, robots, and super mutants such as Nick Valentine, Codsworth, and Strong are not tagged as romance options, the player can engage in a romantic relationship with just about any other companion available in the game, and define their character however they’d like. There are also a ton of mods for Fallout 4 which introduce new companions and open up unavailable characters as potential partners.

8 The Sims 4

The Most Inclusive Entry In The Series

When it comes to a game that’s been known for being groundbreaking in terms of inclusive romance and diversity, it’s definitely The Sims franchise. Back in the late ’90s when inclusive romance was nearly nonexistent in games, The Sims broke barriers by showcasing two women sharing a kiss.

Since then, The Sims franchise has always stood for gender inclusiveness. The Sims 4, the latest installment, allows the player to separately choose a character’s clothing preference, which allows for the creation of trans Sims as well. Anyone can be romanced; it’s completely up to the player what kind of story they want to tell.

7 Mass Effect Trilogy

Plenty of Romance Options Between Gender & Species

Mass Effect 2 and Mass Effect 3 are especially great games when it comes to inclusive romance. The player is free to choose the gender of Commander Shepherd, and from there on they have a few different romantic options. While some are exclusive to a certain gender, there are a few more that are open to both genders.

The cool part about Mass Effect‘s romance is that, unlike most sci-fi game titles, it allows for romance between humans and other humanoid species. The human cast itself is also diverse, which is what makes this futuristic game feel so real and immersive. Although Andromeda was generally not well received, it continues in the line of highly inclusive romance.

The Dragonborn Can Marry Most Of Skyrim’s Residents

Medieval fantasy games were once known for severely lacking inclusive romance options. However, in the last decade, there have been some immense strides in that regard, partly thanks to the way Skyrim revolutionized romance mechanics in-game.

In the world of Skyrim, marriage is a pretty simple thing. Since it’s dangerous and war could break out at any moment, simply wearing an amulet and being somewhat liked by an NPC is enough to marry them. Not to mention, there are over sixty different marriage options to choose from for a husband or wife from various age categories (elder to young adult), races (excluding Khajiit), and genders.

5 Divinity: Original Sin 2

Many Diverse Characters To Engage In A Romance With

Another great medieval fantasy tale, Divinity takes the player into the world of Rivellon, where Sorcerers are hunted down for their powers. The game can either be played by picking up one of the pre-made characters, all of which can romance one another, or by creating an original character.

Rivellon is full of very diverse characters, some of which can be actively flirted with. Only those in the party, however, can be engaged in a long-term relationship. There are also a few NPCs who can be eloped with later on in the game, regardless of gender, so there’s an option for everyone.