Is Life is Strange a LGBT game? What about other LGBT games?

The heart of the Life is Strange franchise has always seemed to be diversity and inclusion, especially when it comes to the LGBTQIA+ community. From the very first Life is Strange game, players could have a protagonist involved in a same-sex relationship without it being fetishized or out-of-place. This trend only continued throughout later releases, as Life is Strange: Before the Storm and Life is Strange 2 both have a variety of LGBTQ+ characters.

How Queer Is Life is Strange Really?

Life is Strange and Before the Storm both feature a reasonable amount of queer activity. Before the Storm features an explicitly queer character in Stephanie — one of Chloe Price’s friends and an adorable nerd. However, Price’s own relationships are constantly up for debate. Is she in love with Rachel or is it just a friendship, does Max see her as a childhood friend turned into something more or do they remain best friends?

The game can include as much subtext and even text as it wants but ultimately these choices are left up to the player to make. Lead Writer Zac Garriss does address this problem in an interview with Game Informer where the maintaining of relationships becomes a point of good game writing.
“Game writing is weird and unlike other kinds of writing, because you have to think discursively. If you’re really going to embrace player agency in the narrative, you have to think about multiple branches simultaneously. I think in writing Rachel, it was important to us to try to do both of those things — to say we’re going to tell a love story and we’re going to tell a story about best friends. But what we’re really telling a story about is neither love or friendship; it’s about people that completely change your life. And that can be love and that can be platonic.”

Whether or not the relationships Chloe has are explicitly romantic or not, they are certainly life changing. It is also important to point out that Deck Nine has learnt from what fans wanted in the first game and adjusted the plot structure for the second — there are infinitely more options to explore a romantic relationship in Before the Storm, whereas the original game heavily focuses on the friendship aspect and the romance is more incidental.

This is also likely to be because of the type of relationships involved — Rachel and Chloe are exploring something new together and whether that becomes a friendship or a romance is up to them, whereas Chloe and Max have a shared history irrevocably tying them together. When you are given the choice to explore the romance options, they feel natural, and are often more rewarding (with longer cutscenes and more character development) than alternate options. “We were going to treat queerness as incidental, as matter-of-fact.” Garriss states. “Not casually and not disregarding the intricacies, but we let that not be the most important thing going on. When they kiss, it’s just going to be a romantic kiss. And we set it up to be as lovely and as crazy and awesome as it could be and just not care about the fact that it’s two girls.”

How about its queer content?

While Life is Strange, has explicitly included queer content in the first two games, there remains the disconcerting feeling that an unwilling player could easily sweep it all under the rug. The creators of Life is Strange use twitter and meta-text to emphasise the queerness of its characters, leading players to believe that while there are choices, the “true” end are the ones where Chloe in particular is a queer character and, ultimately, dies.

It would be lovely to see this flipped on its head in the next game. What we have seen so far leans towards an examination of brotherly love and coming-of-age rather than growing into ones powers and life direction. The characters of Life is Strange 2 are younger and still learning about the harshness of the world. We know they are also on the run — but we don’t know yet what exactly from — it is a supernatural force or the more regular terror of a slowly failing justice system?

Life Is Strange: LGBTQ+ Representation & Character-Drive Story Are Standouts

So far all of the Life is Strange games have had LGBTQ protagonists and Life is Strange: True Colors follows that trend. Although, this game sets itself apart from its predecessors by including two equally complex characters as love interests. In past games, some players found the love interests to be one-sided and had obvious biases toward one character over another. But with True Colors, fans are not pushed in one direction over another; indeed the game does not force a love interest at all, and while Alex’s bisexuality is a canonical part of her character, romance is not the focus of this game.

True Colors is a story about empathy, morality, and what it means to be human. Players will experience an emotional rollercoaster as they discover the secrets of Haven Springs, and grapple with Alex’s supernatural abilities. For fans of deep character interactions and thought-provoking storylines, this game is a must-play. Life is Strange: True Colors will offer an escape to a quiet place where neighbors care deeply about each other, and one girl can find closure, even if it hurts.

10 LGBTQ+ video games like Life is Strange

It’s been a little over a month since Life is Strange: True Colors released, but already it’s become an important game for many queer gamers out there. Yet some of us – us included – are still feeling some cravings for some queer, story-driven goodness, which is why we’re offering you something rather neat: 10 LGBTQ+ video games that are like Life is Strange.

While there have been numerous lists about games similar to the Life is Strange series before, most focus on the story-driven aspect of the series. That’s valid, but have you considered… story-driven games that are also super gay?

Not only do you get the fun of intense story-driven gameplay, but you also can rest easy knowing that you’ll experience some incredible queer characters and stories too.

Tell Me Why

Much like Life is Strange, Tell Me Why focuses not on a huge, overarching story of epic proportions, but on a small location and the people that live there.

Instead of having one singular protagonist, Tell Me Why focuses on twins Alyson and Tyler Ronan – the latter being a huge pull for trans gamers as the very first triple A trans protagonist. It also helped that this game came from DontNod, the people behind the original Life is Strange and Life is Strange 2.

Tell Me Why combines intense emotions, the supernatural, and a cast of inclusive characters that’ll stick with you long after you finish. What better time to play than straight after a Life is Strange game?

Gone Home

Gone Home might not have choices in the same way as Life is Strange, but don’t let that put you off because what it lacks in choice it makes up through the game’s hard-hitting and impactful environmental storytelling.

You play as Kaitie, the sister of the character whose life you’ll slowly explore and unravel as you make your way through the house. At your arrival, you expected to be greeted by someone, but as it turns out your sister Samantha is nowhere to be seen and for a very good reason.

Not only is Gone Home very good, but it is an incredibly important game in the way it changed how we tell stories to players. You’d be missing out to not have played it at least once.

Raptor Boyfriend

If you thought Max Caulfield was an awkward but endearing protagonist, then you’re going to absolutely love Stella Starosta.

In Raptor Boyfriend, a dating-sim, you play as 17-year-old Stella. She returns to her old home in Ladle, a small, nothing town that’s full to the brim with supernatural creatures like vampires, fae, sasquatches, ghosts and… velociraptors? Yeah, it’s quirky like that.

Despite the strange – but let’s be honest, cool as hell – scenario and setting, Raptor Boyfriend is incredible at conveying the importance of a place and the people within that place. After this game, there’s no doubt you’ll find yourself head over heels for any of the three romance options that Raptor Boyfriend provides.

Lake

Lake doesn’t quite have the same sort of story as Life is Strange, nor are there any supernatural elements. In fact, everything about Meredith Weiss is ordinary, including her new job as a mail courier in her hometown of Providence Oaks.

Still, we included Lake in this list because of how the game encourages you to take in your surroundings and talk to the people around you – something very familiar to the Life is Strange games. That and there’s plenty of queerness within the game’s narrative, something you definitely shouldn’t miss out on.

If Found…

If Found… was our standout game during the 2021 Gayming Awards thanks to its incredible characters and its focus on themes of found family, music, and identity.

If Found… focuses on the story of Kasio, a trans woman who returns home to the island of Achill after time away to discover that her family doesn’t agree with her being true to herself. Her brother dislikes her, and her mother is confused. Unable to cope with this, Kasio runs away to be with people who she feels do understand her.

A beautiful, emotional journey that feels magical thanks to its art, characters, and enchanting music, If Found… is a must for players who want games like Life is Strange.

Heart of the Woods

Did you say faeries, magic and the supernatural? While that may sound like Life is Strange, we’re actually talking about Heart of the Woods – a yuri visual novel that follows four, female protagonists as they navigate the mystery surrounding a small, remote village.

All four protagonists in Heart of the Woods are queer, and there is even a trans protagonist too. With this inclusive cast being such a delight, coupled with a story that’s equally mysterious as it is sinister, it pairs perfectly with Life is Strange.

Love is Strange

Is it cheating to include a fan-game of the original Life is Strange game in this list? Maybe, but we’re still going to do it so you’re gonna have to deal with it.

Fan-games get a bad reputation among some players, but don’t let that stop you from giving Love is Strange a chance. For one, it has a lot of love (hehehehe) to give, with easter eggs, inside jokes, and a sapphic experience that doesn’t include creepy Warren trying to spy on you 24/7. Frankly, we love to see (and play) it!

Based on an alternate universe where everything is okay and Max is just a normal teen, players get the chance to date four characters from the original Life is Strange: Chloe, Rachel, Kate and Victoria.

No Longer Home

Our time with No Longer Home was a pretty positive one. For one it’s a game that has two well-written non-binary protagonists that are just dealing with the crap that life throws at them, and that’s certainly the same kind of vibe that we get from Life is Strange.

Ao and Bo, the protagonists of this slice-of-life adventure game must face the scariest thing known to anyone: letting go of the life they’ve always known. But will they have the strength to do it? Play the game and find out for yourselves – we’re certain you won’t regret it.

Scarlet Hollow

Unlike the other games on this list, Scarlet Hollow is a narrative-driven horror game that really fits players who would like a touch of sinister and gore alongside their queer romance and intense story. It also includes the supernatural, because if you ask us, variety is the spice of life.

You play as the unnamed protagonist who must travel to the sleepy, isolated town of Scarlet Hollow after the death of your aunt in order to help out your cousin, Tabitha. Only when you arrive do you find out that there’s more to the town than meets the eye…

What we loved about Scarlet Hollow is that it combines the absolute thrill of supernatural abilities (such as having a sixth sense and/or talking to animals) with the warmth of knowing that even in the most desperate times, friends have your back. Does that sound familiar, Life is Strange fans?

Monster Prom

The original Life is Strange is set in a school and while it isn’t full of literal monsters – just metaphorical ones! – the game does do a decent job at exploring the pros and cons of being in a setting where everyone is just doing their utmost to fit in. And yes, that does mean finding love.

So it makes sense to include Monster Prom – a multiplayer (though it can be played by yourself) dating sim where you’ve got 3 weeks to find a date. It’s absurd, silly, and borders on ridiculous. But it’s also heartfelt and it’s hard not to love it.

Did Max and Chloe end up together?

Max and Chloe have formed a new life together in Seattle

Is Kirby a boy or a girl?

He has also starred in his own anime and manga series. Since 1999, he has been voiced by Makiko Ohmoto. Kirby is well known for his ability to inhale objects and creatures to gain their powers, as well as his ability to float by expanding his body.

Are there any LGBT characters in Pokemon?

There are no known gay characters in Pokemon.

Are Life is Strange 1 and 2 connected?

Although the sequel to Life is Strange takes place after the events of the first game, it is not a direct sequel. Life is Strange 2 revolves around the brothers Sean and Daniel Diaz, who decide to flee from their hometown Seattle after a terrible accident.