Games With The Most Inclusive Romance Options

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 with romance options 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 July 30, 2024, by Ritwik Mitra: It’s important for modern games with romance options to be as inclusive as possible to cater to players with varying genders and orientations. Male-female romances used to be the norm in gaming for the longest time, but this narrow view of relationships has changed as gaming has evolved over time. It’s become clear that romances should cater to numerous factors instead of just sticking to this binary lens, and a lot of amazing video games have done a great job of ensuring that players can enjoy the romance they want without being restricted by their character’s gender.

1

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla

All Romances Are Viable Regardless Of Gender

The focus on RPG mechanics and a massive open world elicited a ton of mixed reactions from the fans of the series. While they were glad to see the series try something new, the addition of massive sandboxes felt forced and led to many players feeling like the games were unnecessarily bloated. Valhalla faced the same issues, but the game’s strong story and memorable characters helped it stand out in the eyes of many.

It’s one of the better games with romance options for players who want to enjoy more inclusive trysts. None of the romances are restricted to a player’s gender, and the fact that people can change if Eivor is a male or female at any point during their playthrough adds to the freedom that this game lets players enjoy.

2

Life Is Strange: True Colors

Alex Can Choose Between Steph & Ryan

The Life is Strange series is the poster child for how games should tackle inclusivity in video games. Every game in the series lets players interact with a wealth of unique and diverse characters who are a joy to interact with. True Colors is no exception here, and this game with romance options lets Alex romance either Steph or Ryan.

The latter is generally shunned by players for narrative reasons, making Steph the best romance option for these players who want Alex to end up with a person who genuinely supports her. It’s a wholesome romance that helps the events of True Colors feel more iconic, making it another entry in an adventure series players love.

3

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey

Romances Aren’t Locked To A Player’s Gender

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey is a game that players love despite the same accusations of a bloated open world that were faced by Origins and Valhalla. Players who manage to look past this issue will enjoy a strong action RPG with fun combat, memorable characters, and a wealth of engaging missions that will carry the experience and then some.

It’s also an excellent video game with romance options that players will love to explore, even if players can’t change their gender midway through the title like they could in Valhalla. Still, there are numerous romances in the game that people can engage with, even if none of these romances are all that serious or play a serious role in the narrative.

4

The Walking Dead: The Final Season

Clementine Can Engage In A Romance With Either Violet Or Louis

Most people would agree that Telltale’s The Walking Dead experienced a major high that later seasons have been chasing ever since. The two games that followed this emotional story felt lacking in some ways, with the absence of a proper hub and truncated gameplay elements making these titles feel inferior to the title which made players fall in love with Lee and Clementine’s story.

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So, fans were glad to see the Final Season take things in a bold direction, giving more structure to a series that had lacked the same ever since. Players love how AJ and Clementine elicit a lot of what made Lee’s bond with the protagonist so magical while also retaining an original flair because of the child’s lack of knowledge when it comes to a world before the apocalypse. Clementine herself gets a lot of time to shine, with both Violet and Louis being interesting characters that can potentially transform into romances if the player wishes.

5

Fallout: New Vegas

Players Can Engage In Physical Relations With Multiple Companions Regardless Of Gender

With the release of the Fallout TV series, fans are currently enjoying what many people consider one of the greatest video game adaptations of all time — a statement that is not to be taken lightly given the success of modern shows like Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, The Last of Us, and Arcane. There’s no denying that this show’s excellence is bound to compel fans to check out the series for themselves, with Fallout: New Vegas being a great point to jump in.

The game may require a bit of modding to be as enjoyable as possible in modern times, but this effort is worthwhile. After all, players will get to enjoy one of the wackiest and most entertaining RPGs set in this universe that serves as a perfect amalgamation of modern and retro Fallout. Even the “romances” in this game are in the spirit of the series, functioning more like hookups with viable partners regardless of the player’s gender.

6

Haven

A Much-Needed Update Lets Players Select The Genders Of The Two Protagonists

It’s odd to see the developer behind Furi working on a title like Haven, which is more laid-back and story-driven than what The Game Bakers became famous for. Haven‘s passionate tale is one of romance and acceptance, so it was rather ironic that the game only featured a traditional romance back when it launched.

Thankfully, a later update added a much-needed feature where players choose the genders of the two people involved in this romance at the start. This promotion of inclusivity helped the game resonate more with the masses and was a positive change in every way that fans appreciated.

7

Boyfriend Dungeon

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

• Platform(s): PC, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch
• Released: August 11, 2021
• Developer: Kitfox Games
• Genre: Dating Sim

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.

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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.

8

Persona 2: Innocent Sin

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

• Platform(s): PS1, PSP
• Released: June 24, 1999
• Developer: Atlus
• Genre: RPG

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 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.

9

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. Throughout 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.

10

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.

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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.

11

Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen

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

Dragon’s Dogma is a 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.

12

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.

13

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.

14

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.

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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.

15

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 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.

16

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.

17

Fable 2

Many Characters Can Be Romanced And Married Depending On Gender Preferences

Fable 2

Systems

Released

October 21, 2008

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.

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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.

18

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.

19

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.

20

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.

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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.