Gay multiplayer online games have been around for a while, but they've really taken off since 2018. According to GLAAD and a Gallup survey, 17%, nearly 1 in 5, of gamers are LGBTQ. From the open-ended farming game Stardew Valley to the wildly popular battle royale Apex Legends, these multiplayer gay games online are showing us that gaming is for everyone.
Stardew Valley is a cult-classic indie game that reignited interest in farming simulators after it was released in 2016. The title opens with your grandfather dying and leaving you a letter telling you to move back to his rural farm. You will find yourself growing crops, romancing NPCs regardless of gender, and exploring a sprawling world that holds countless secrets.
The multiplayer gaygame online wears its heart on its pixelated sleeve, and it doesn't shy away from its anti-capitalist undertones. Whether it's arguing with Joja Corporation or turning your children into doves, Stardew Valley has a charm that makes you feel compelled to play for hours at a time, even when your spreadsheet of food recipes and schedules begins to fill up.
The online gay multiplayer game has been updated numerous times since it was first released, introducing new features such as the Witch's Swamp and Ginger Island. Each new addition adds something to the gay gameplay, whether it's a new romance option or an additional dungeon.
The Blizzard sci-fi shooter Overwatch is an online multiplayer gay game that features characters who can pursue same-sex relationships. This makes it a great choice for gay players who want to explore the world of the game in an inclusive way. The multiplayer gay-option simulation takes place on a fictionalized version of Earth thirty years after the Omnic Crisis, a war between robots and humans.
The game's main character, Soldier: 76, is a gay man and two of its other heroes, Tracer and Sojourn, are also part of the LGBTQ community. These characters are well-represented in the multiplayer gay game, and their back stories have been fleshed out through animated short films. However, the reception of the game has been mixed. It was criticized for its depictions of violence and sex, but it received critical acclaim for its portrayal of the Stonewall Riots and other gay rights events.
A spinoff from Titanfall, Apex Legends is a fast-paced multiplayer gay online game that was released in 2019 by EA. It was well-received by players, with many writing tons of fan fiction and sharing heaps of art. Its ping system allows players to communicate without using the microphone, making it safe for kids and teens to play with friends.
In contrast to Overwatch, which only shows queer characters through supplemental media, Respawn's queer representation is a natural part of the multiplayer gay game. This approach makes it feel much less like a performance and more like these characters are just the way they are, including Bloodhound being non-binary and Gibraltar having an intersex relationship.
This is one of the reasons that Apex has received so much positive feedback from its players. It's refreshing to see a major triple-A game embrace diversity in a way that doesn't feel forced or awkward. This approach should be a model for other gay games multiplayer mode.
The Mass Effect trilogy was a groundbreaking series of video games in many ways, including its inclusion of LGBTQ characters. Its third and final game, "Mass Effect 3", even allowed players to continue their relationships with Kaiden, a character who was first introduced in the previous two games. This helped to normalise LGBTQ relationships in gay gaming and show that the industry was starting to catch up to society in general.
Another ground-breaking multiplayer gay game was Paco, a gay character who was the first ever to appear in a video gay simulation. While Paco wasn't a playable character, he was the murder suspect in a story that took place in a fictional town, and his sexual orientation was revealed at the end of the multiplayer gay game.
The gay online multiplayer game was praised for its story and characters, but it also featured some very graphic content, such as a scene where a character is raped while in a car. This was one of the reasons why it received a rating of NC-17.