Summary
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 videogames with romance optionshave 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 Aug 10, 2025, by Gerardo Molina:It’s hard to pinpoint exactly when it became popular to include romancing options in video games. However, players of all sexual orientations can agree nowadays that it’s a great thing, as romances often help develop a more intricate narrative and raise the stakes. While there’s still a long way to go in terms of inclusivity and making everyone feel welcome within the gaming community, there’s no denying that the titles on this list go the distance to do it. Some of these games only have a few romancing options, whereas others will give players a considerable repertoire of potential partners to choose from.
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.Valhallafaced 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 bettergames with romance optionsfor 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. Some of the potential romantic partners for Eivor inAssassin’s CreedValhallaare Broder, Gunlodr, Tewdwr, Villi, Ciara, Tarben, Estrid and, naturally, the fan favorite, Petra. Many of these characters can only be romanced after either beginning or completing certain quests, so if players want a love story with any of them, they’ll have to work hard for it.
TheLife is Strangeseries 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 Colorsis no exception here, and thisgame with romance optionslets 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 ofTrue Colorsfeel more iconic, making it another entry in an adventure series players love.
Assassin’s Creed Odysseyis a game that players love despite the same accusations of a bloated open world that werefaced byOriginsandValhalla. 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 videogame with romance optionsthat players will love to explore, even if players can’t change their gender midway through the title like they could inValhalla. 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. While romance is not gender-specific as in other titles, some romantic partners will only be available to Kassandra and others to Alexios, regardless of whether they’re male or female. This is not only very inclusive, but also historically accurate, as the Greeks were known for not being restricted by heterosexuality, often having relationships with people of the same sex.
Most people would agree thatTelltale’s The Walking Deadexperienced 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.
So, fans were glad to see theFinal Seasontake 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.
With the release of theFalloutTV 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 likeCyberpunk: Edgerunners,The Last of Us, andArcane. There’s no denying that this show’s excellence is bound to compel fans to check out the series for themselves, withFallout: New Vegasbeing a great point to jump in.
The game mayrequire a bit of moddingto 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 retroFallout. 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.
It’s odd to see the developer behindFuriworking on a title likeHaven, 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.
7Boyfriend 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 withBoyfriend Dungeon.
8Persona 2: Innocent Sin
A Surprisingly Great Gay Romance Option In A Series That Has Some Regressive Moments
The newPersonagames 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 thatPersona 2: Innocent Sinfeatures a very well-written and nuanced gay romancethat 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 laterPersonagames turned gay characters into tropes for players to laugh at, which is extremely problematic indeed.
The fact thatTell Me Whyis the first game to feature a trans personin 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 ofTell Me Whyand 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.
A romantic visual novel game where players attend a monster high school and attempt to woo one of six romanceable characters,Monster Promis 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 aboutMonster Promis 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.
