Over 60 countries have laws prohibiting homosexuality in games and fewer than 20 (including Australia) legally recognise non-binary and trans identities.
In the last 12 months countries such as the UK and Australia have enacted online age verification laws that restrict access to LGBTIQ+ content and US payment processors such as Visa and Mastercard have forced online stores to stop selling NSFW games including queer games exploring sexuality and gender due to morality concerns.
So... do you want to see what they're all so scared of?
This year the Melbourne Queer Games Festival has curated a list of wonderful LGBTIQ+ games from the last 10 years.
Check out some challenging, delightful, political, BEAUTIFUL games that deserve flowers, not stones.
Love On The Peacock Express
Solve mysteries and kiss older women in this WLW visual novel set on a curious train.
Winter
Freya Campbell and Elliot Herriman
WINTER is an interactive fiction about sex, trans insecurity, and a girl with a skull for a face.
Kitsune Tails
Eniko Fox, James Yarrow, Allison Shabet, Elizabeth Dumler
A wholesome ultra queer WLW Super Mario 3-like platformer wrapped in a Japanese mythology inspired setting and adds a sweet and fully voice narrative.
violeta
Gabrielle Serna
Be a cat, be cute, listen to your friends, and knock over some plants if you feel like it.
Grunge
Chloe Spencer
After her parents' divorce, Seri moves to North Carolina and meets her best friend, Carmen Rosales. But as they grow older, Seri worries more about her feelings for her best friend... and about her overall future.
GENDERWRECKED
A post-apocalyptic genderpunk visual novel about traveling broken lands and kissing/fighting/talking to monsters in an attempt to learn the true meaning of a mysterious force called GENDER.
a memorable time
Alicia Luna Ripp
a visual novel about queer self discovery, anxiety and a positive take on the complex topic of sexwork.
The Tearoom
Robert Yang
The Tearoom is a (free) historical public bathroom simulator about anxiety, police surveillance, and sucking off another dude's gun.
queer picnic
Rae White
Attending your first queer picnic and embracing community in this LGBTQ+ affirming Bitsy game.
2064: Read Only Memories
Explore the colorful future metropolis of Neo-San Francisco, meeting a huge cast of fascinating characters and solving a far-reaching mystery.
Minotaur Hotel
MinoAnon
A gay romance visual novel where you meet the legendary minotaur and manage a magical hotel. *
Pretzel After Dark
Tim Snowdon
Pretzel After Dark is an intimate, co-operative, body contortion game.
Queer Olympix Day 1 - Cosmic Room
Lezborado
Queer Olympix is a real amateur football team in Istanbul. This is their game. An RPG based on real people with funny things and conspiracy theories that the Turkish government is producing about queers everyday.
* Minoh Workshop were festival sponsors in 2024
** Up Multimedia has provided technical support to the festival since 2018
