Video games with nonbinary player character options: Difference between revisions

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    For non-player characters that canonly have a gender outside the male-or-female binary, see [[Nonbinary gender in fiction#Video games]].
    For non-player characters that canonly have a gender outside the male-or-female binary, see [[Nonbinary gender in fiction#Video games]].
    {{toc}}


    *''VERSUS: The Lost Ones'' by Zachary Sergi (published in 2015 by Choice of Games LLC) is a sci-fi interactive novel where it's possible to play a nonbinary character. The player's character, Thomil, comes from a planet where everyone telepathically shares their thoughts and feelings with one another. A couple chapters into the story, the player is asked about their character's gender. They can choose from six options: a cisgender woman, transgender woman, cis man, trans man, [[intersex]], or "I don't subscribe to any gender categories". Choosing the last option sets Thomil's stats to say "Gender: Not Applicable," and brings up these remarks in the narrative: "You are both genders, but you are also neither gender. You believe gender defies categorization, operating on a kind of sliding scale-- one that can change every day. You've come across [foreign planets'] texts about other cultures where such thinking is considered taboo or even sacrilegious, but in a society where everyone can quite literally share their thoughts and experiences, it's fairly impossible not to accept others once you understand who they truly are. Besides, even the most staunchly 'male' or 'female' cisgenders admit that sometimes they feel more 'masculine' or 'feminine' at different times. You just take that kind of thinking to a whole new level." The narration in ''VERSUS'' makes clear that this is not an undisclosed gender or a fantasy sex, but a nonbinary gender identity. Though Thomil comes from a sci-fi setting where where this and other transgender identities are accepted, this is a realistic depiction of a nonbinary person.
    [[File:Fallen Hero Rebirth.png|thumb|Gender choice near the beginning of the interactive novel ''Fallen Hero: Rebirth''.]]
    [[File:Fallen Hero Rebirth.png|thumb|Gender choice near the beginning of the interactive novel ''Fallen Hero: Rebirth''.]]
    * ''Choice of the Dragon'', by Choice of Games LLC, is an interactive fiction story in which the player's character is a dragon. When creating this character, the player has more than two options for its gender/sex.
    * ''Choice of the Dragon'', by Choice of Games LLC, is an interactive fiction story in which the player's character is a dragon. When creating this character, the player has more than two options for its gender/sex.
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    *''Genderwrecked'' is a post-apocalyptic horror/gore visual novel about trying to find the meaning of gender. The player can select their pronouns from she/her, they/them, he/him, xe/xir, ze/zir, it/it, or custom pronouns.<ref name="genderwrecked">{{Cite web |title=GENDERWRECKED |author=ryan rose aceae |work=itch.io |date= |access-date=28 October 2020 |url= https://gendervamp.itch.io/genderwrecked}}</ref>
    *''Genderwrecked'' is a post-apocalyptic horror/gore visual novel about trying to find the meaning of gender. The player can select their pronouns from she/her, they/them, he/him, xe/xir, ze/zir, it/it, or custom pronouns.<ref name="genderwrecked">{{Cite web |title=GENDERWRECKED |author=ryan rose aceae |work=itch.io |date= |access-date=28 October 2020 |url= https://gendervamp.itch.io/genderwrecked}}</ref>
    *In the dating sim ''Repurpose'', the player can choose their pronoun set as "he", "she", or "they".<ref name="Repurpose">{{Cite web |title=Repurpose (Demo) by Eros |author= |work=itch.io |date=11 June 2020 |access-date=28 October 2020 |url= https://residentrabbit.itch.io/repurpose-demo}}</ref><ref name="kick_Repu">{{Cite web |title=Repurpose |author=Resident Rabbit |work=Kickstarter |date= |access-date=28 October 2020 |url= https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/residentrabbit/repurpose/description}}</ref>
    *In the dating sim ''Repurpose'', the player can choose their pronoun set as "he", "she", or "they".<ref name="Repurpose">{{Cite web |title=Repurpose (Demo) by Eros |author= |work=itch.io |date=11 June 2020 |access-date=28 October 2020 |url= https://residentrabbit.itch.io/repurpose-demo}}</ref><ref name="kick_Repu">{{Cite web |title=Repurpose |author=Resident Rabbit |work=Kickstarter |date= |access-date=28 October 2020 |url= https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/residentrabbit/repurpose/description}}</ref>
    *In ''Red Embrace: Hollywood'', the player chooses their pronoun from "he", "she", or "they".<ref name="arge_Your">{{Cite web |title=Your Customized MC - Red Embrace: Hollywood |author=Argent Games |work=itch.io |date=10 September 2018 |access-date=28 October 2020 |url= https://argent-games.itch.io/red-embrace-hollywood/devlog/48055/your-customized-mc}}</ref>
    *In the simulation game ''BitLife'', since the June 2020 Pride Update, the player can select whether their character is [[cisgender]], genderqueer, nonbinary, transgender female, and transgender male (after the character reaches age 5). Being non-cis may cause the character to experience [[gender dysphoria]] in-game, lowering their Happiness level.<ref name="leve_BitL">{{Cite web |title=BitLife Pride Update Guide: Everything You Need to Know About BitLife Version 1.38, aka the Pride Update |author=Tim |work=Level Winner |date=3 July 2020 |access-date=4 October 2020 |url= https://www.levelwinner.com/bitlife-pride-update-guide-everything-you-need-to-know-about-bitlife-version-1-38-aka-the-pride-update/}}</ref>
    *In the simulation game ''BitLife'', since the June 2020 Pride Update, the player can select whether their character is [[cisgender]], genderqueer, nonbinary, transgender female, and transgender male (after the character reaches age 5). Being non-cis may cause the character to experience [[gender dysphoria]] in-game, lowering their Happiness level.<ref name="leve_BitL">{{Cite web |title=BitLife Pride Update Guide: Everything You Need to Know About BitLife Version 1.38, aka the Pride Update |author=Tim |work=Level Winner |date=3 July 2020 |access-date=4 October 2020 |url= https://www.levelwinner.com/bitlife-pride-update-guide-everything-you-need-to-know-about-bitlife-version-1-38-aka-the-pride-update/}}</ref>
    * In the visual novel ''//TODO: today'', the protagonist can be [[male]], [[female]], or [[nonbinary]], depending on player's choices.<ref>[https://vndb.org/v21649/chars#chars VNDB {{!}} //TODO: today characters]</ref>
    * In the mobile game ''Pokémon Go'', players select their avatar from one of two "styles" instead of being asked "Are you a boy or a girl?" as was the case in many other Pokémon games.<ref name="Tan-Pokego">{{Cite web |title=Pokémon Go praised by fans for non-binary, gender fluid avatars |last=Tan |first=Nigel |work=Gay Star News |date=14 July 2016 |access-date=9 July 2021 |url= https://www.gaystarnews.com/article/pokemon-go-non-binary-gender-fluid-avatars/}}</ref>
    * In the mobile game ''Pokémon Go'', players select their avatar from one of two "styles" instead of being asked "Are you a boy or a girl?" as was the case in many other Pokémon games.<ref name="Tan-Pokego">{{Cite web |title=Pokémon Go praised by fans for non-binary, gender fluid avatars |last=Tan |first=Nigel |work=Gay Star News |date=14 July 2016 |access-date=9 July 2021 |url= https://www.gaystarnews.com/article/pokemon-go-non-binary-gender-fluid-avatars/}}</ref>
    ===2015===
    *''VERSUS: The Lost Ones'' by Zachary Sergi (published in 2015 by Choice of Games LLC) is a sci-fi interactive novel where it's possible to play a nonbinary character. The player's character, Thomil, comes from a planet where everyone telepathically shares their thoughts and feelings with one another. A couple chapters into the story, the player is asked about their character's gender. They can choose from six options: a cisgender woman, transgender woman, cis man, trans man, [[intersex]], or "I don't subscribe to any gender categories". Choosing the last option sets Thomil's stats to say "Gender: Not Applicable," and brings up these remarks in the narrative: "You are both genders, but you are also neither gender. You believe gender defies categorization, operating on a kind of sliding scale-- one that can change every day. You've come across [foreign planets'] texts about other cultures where such thinking is considered taboo or even sacrilegious, but in a society where everyone can quite literally share their thoughts and experiences, it's fairly impossible not to accept others once you understand who they truly are. Besides, even the most staunchly 'male' or 'female' cisgenders admit that sometimes they feel more 'masculine' or 'feminine' at different times. You just take that kind of thinking to a whole new level." The narration in ''VERSUS'' makes clear that this is not an undisclosed gender or a fantasy sex, but a nonbinary gender identity. Though Thomil comes from a sci-fi setting where where this and other transgender identities are accepted, this is a realistic depiction of a nonbinary person.


    ===2016===
    ===2016===
    * In the dating sim ''Hustle Cat'', the protagonist can be either male, female, or nonbinary with "they" pronouns, and the characters in-game will refer to them with the chosen pronouns.
    * In the dating sim ''Hustle Cat'', the protagonist can be either male, female, or nonbinary with "they" pronouns, and the characters in-game will refer to them with the chosen pronouns.
    *In the RPG visual novel ''Queen at Arms'', the protagonist is AFAB and for much of the game is [[crossdressing]] as male to hide their identity. However, halfway through the story, the player chooses the protagonist's [[gender identity]], and the options are male, female, or genderqueer.ref>https://store.steampowered.com/app/362020/Queen_At_Arms/?curator_clanid=39486419</ref>
    *In the RPG visual novel ''Queen at Arms'', the protagonist is AFAB and for much of the game is [[crossdressing]] as male to hide their identity. However, halfway through the story, the player chooses the protagonist's [[gender identity]], and the options are male, female, or genderqueer.<ref>https://store.steampowered.com/app/362020/Queen_At_Arms/?curator_clanid=39486419</ref>
    *In the science-fiction adventure game ''Event[0]'', players choose their pronouns as he/him, she/her, or they/them.<ref>https://store.steampowered.com/app/470260/Event0/?curator_clanid=39486419</ref>
    *In the science-fiction adventure game ''Event[0]'', players choose their pronouns as he/him, she/her, or they/them.<ref>https://store.steampowered.com/app/470260/Event0/?curator_clanid=39486419</ref>


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    ===2018===
    ===2018===
    * In the adventure/visual novel game ''Headliner: NoviNews'', players choose their pronouns as he/him, she/her, or they/them.<ref name="HeadlinerNN">{{Cite web |title=Headliner: NoviNews Gets Negative Reviews for Non-Binary Pronouns |last=Henry |first=Jasmine |work=J Station X |date=4 April 2019 |access-date=11 July 2021 |url= https://jstationx.com/2019/04/04/headliner-novinews-non-binary-pronouns-negative-reviews/ |quote=At the beginning of the game, players can choose to go by he/him, she/her, or they/them pronouns. In an email, Unbound Creations founder Jakub Kasztalski explains that the game doesn’t address LGBTQ issues beyond this }}</ref>
    * In the adventure/visual novel game ''Headliner: NoviNews'', players choose their pronouns as he/him, she/her, or they/them.<ref name="HeadlinerNN">{{Cite web |title=Headliner: NoviNews Gets Negative Reviews for Non-Binary Pronouns |last=Henry |first=Jasmine |work=J Station X |date=4 April 2019 |access-date=11 July 2021 |url= https://jstationx.com/2019/04/04/headliner-novinews-non-binary-pronouns-negative-reviews/ |quote=At the beginning of the game, players can choose to go by he/him, she/her, or they/them pronouns. In an email, Unbound Creations founder Jakub Kasztalski explains that the game doesn’t address LGBTQ issues beyond this }}</ref>
    *In ''Red Embrace: Hollywood'', the player chooses their pronoun from "he", "she", or "they".<ref name="arge_Your">{{Cite web |title=Your Customized MC - Red Embrace: Hollywood |author=Argent Games |work=itch.io |date=10 September 2018 |access-date=28 October 2020 |url= https://argent-games.itch.io/red-embrace-hollywood/devlog/48055/your-customized-mc}}</ref>
    * In the visual novel ''//TODO: today'', the protagonist can be [[male]], [[female]], or [[nonbinary]], depending on player's choices.<ref>[https://vndb.org/v21649/chars#chars VNDB {{!}} //TODO: today characters]</ref>


    ===2019===
    ===2019===

    Revision as of 15:03, 11 July 2021

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    In most video games, the player's character either has a preselected binary gender, or can be set as only male or female. This page will list games that either

    • allow the player to create their character as specifically nonbinary (often by selecting an option for singular they pronouns) or
    • have a player character creation process with no reference to gender at all.

    For non-player characters that canonly have a gender outside the male-or-female binary, see Nonbinary gender in fiction#Video games.

    Gender choice near the beginning of the interactive novel Fallen Hero: Rebirth.
    • Choice of the Dragon, by Choice of Games LLC, is an interactive fiction story in which the player's character is a dragon. When creating this character, the player has more than two options for its gender/sex.
    Gender selection screen in Choice of the Dragon.
    • In addition to VERSUS: The Lost Ones and Choice of the Dragon, many other interactive novels from Choice of Games allow the player to be be male, female, or nonbinary (as well as often choosing their own pronouns and orientation). Some of these titles include Tally Ho, Empyrean, Kidnapped! A Royal Birthday, Drag Star!, Choice of the Pirate, The Superlatives: Aetherfall, Silverworld, The Hero Project: Redemption Season, Fallen Hero: Rebirth, and Tower Behind the Moon.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10]
    • In Long Story Game the character you play use whichever pronouns from 'she/her', 'he/him' and 'them/they', the physical depiction of the character can also be changed to suit the gender of choice.
    • In the farming RPG Pumpkin Days, previously known as Pumpkin Online, the player character creator has no gender selection nor any gender-locked clothes. The official website says that "specifying a gender does not play a role in Pumpkin Days. Simply use our body sliders in character customization to add feminine and/or as masculine features as you want. Any clothes you buy will fit the body you choose."[11]
    • Genderwrecked is a post-apocalyptic horror/gore visual novel about trying to find the meaning of gender. The player can select their pronouns from she/her, they/them, he/him, xe/xir, ze/zir, it/it, or custom pronouns.[12]
    • In the dating sim Repurpose, the player can choose their pronoun set as "he", "she", or "they".[13][14]
    • In the simulation game BitLife, since the June 2020 Pride Update, the player can select whether their character is cisgender, genderqueer, nonbinary, transgender female, and transgender male (after the character reaches age 5). Being non-cis may cause the character to experience gender dysphoria in-game, lowering their Happiness level.[15]
    • In the mobile game Pokémon Go, players select their avatar from one of two "styles" instead of being asked "Are you a boy or a girl?" as was the case in many other Pokémon games.[16]

    2015

    • VERSUS: The Lost Ones by Zachary Sergi (published in 2015 by Choice of Games LLC) is a sci-fi interactive novel where it's possible to play a nonbinary character. The player's character, Thomil, comes from a planet where everyone telepathically shares their thoughts and feelings with one another. A couple chapters into the story, the player is asked about their character's gender. They can choose from six options: a cisgender woman, transgender woman, cis man, trans man, intersex, or "I don't subscribe to any gender categories". Choosing the last option sets Thomil's stats to say "Gender: Not Applicable," and brings up these remarks in the narrative: "You are both genders, but you are also neither gender. You believe gender defies categorization, operating on a kind of sliding scale-- one that can change every day. You've come across [foreign planets'] texts about other cultures where such thinking is considered taboo or even sacrilegious, but in a society where everyone can quite literally share their thoughts and experiences, it's fairly impossible not to accept others once you understand who they truly are. Besides, even the most staunchly 'male' or 'female' cisgenders admit that sometimes they feel more 'masculine' or 'feminine' at different times. You just take that kind of thinking to a whole new level." The narration in VERSUS makes clear that this is not an undisclosed gender or a fantasy sex, but a nonbinary gender identity. Though Thomil comes from a sci-fi setting where where this and other transgender identities are accepted, this is a realistic depiction of a nonbinary person.

    2016

    • In the dating sim Hustle Cat, the protagonist can be either male, female, or nonbinary with "they" pronouns, and the characters in-game will refer to them with the chosen pronouns.
    • In the RPG visual novel Queen at Arms, the protagonist is AFAB and for much of the game is crossdressing as male to hide their identity. However, halfway through the story, the player chooses the protagonist's gender identity, and the options are male, female, or genderqueer.[17]
    • In the science-fiction adventure game Event[0], players choose their pronouns as he/him, she/her, or they/them.[18]

    2017

    • The action RPG Pyre allows players to select their pronouns from she/her, he/him, or they/them.[19] The pronouns can be changed at any time through the settings menu.[20]

    2018

    • In the adventure/visual novel game Headliner: NoviNews, players choose their pronouns as he/him, she/her, or they/them.[21]
    • In Red Embrace: Hollywood, the player chooses their pronoun from "he", "she", or "they".[22]
    • In the visual novel //TODO: today, the protagonist can be male, female, or nonbinary, depending on player's choices.[23]

    2019

    • In the simulation game Signed and Sealed With a Kiss, "you choose your pronouns (he/she/they) and presentation (masculine/feminine/androgynous)."[24]

    2020

    A screenshot of the character creation process in Later Daters.
    • In the visual novel/dating sim Later Daters, the player can choose their honorific as Mx, Ms, or Mr.[25]
    • In the simulation game Calico, the character creation process is non-gendered.[26]

    Further resources

    References

    1. ↑ https://store.steampowered.com/app/763930/Tally_Ho/
    2. ↑ https://store.steampowered.com/app/1016630/Drag_Star/
    3. ↑ https://store.steampowered.com/app/557700/Empyrean/
    4. ↑ https://store.steampowered.com/app/1356440/Kidnapped_A_Royal_Birthday/
    5. ↑ https://store.steampowered.com/app/476490/Choice_of_the_Pirate/
    6. ↑ https://store.steampowered.com/app/726230/The_Superlatives_Aetherfall/
    7. ↑ https://store.steampowered.com/app/839940/Silverworld/
    8. ↑ https://store.steampowered.com/app/459310/The_Hero_Project_Redemption_Season/
    9. ↑ https://store.steampowered.com/app/800620/Fallen_Hero_Rebirth/
    10. ↑ https://store.steampowered.com/app/1001490/Tower_Behind_the_Moon/
    11. ↑ "Pumpkin Days Unique Features". Retrieved 29 June 2021.
    12. ↑ ryan rose aceae. "GENDERWRECKED". itch.io. Retrieved 28 October 2020.
    13. ↑ "Repurpose (Demo) by Eros". itch.io. 11 June 2020. Retrieved 28 October 2020.
    14. ↑ Resident Rabbit. "Repurpose". Kickstarter. Retrieved 28 October 2020.
    15. ↑ Tim (3 July 2020). "BitLife Pride Update Guide: Everything You Need to Know About BitLife Version 1.38, aka the Pride Update". Level Winner. Retrieved 4 October 2020.
    16. ↑ Tan, Nigel (14 July 2016). "Pokémon Go praised by fans for non-binary, gender fluid avatars". Gay Star News. Retrieved 9 July 2021.
    17. ↑ https://store.steampowered.com/app/362020/Queen_At_Arms/?curator_clanid=39486419
    18. ↑ https://store.steampowered.com/app/470260/Event0/?curator_clanid=39486419
    19. ↑ Powell, Dougie K (19 June 2018). "Player Genderfluidity in Gaming". Hey Poor Player. Retrieved 9 July 2021.
    20. ↑ https://store.steampowered.com/app/462770/Pyre/?curator_clanid=39486419
    21. ↑ Henry, Jasmine (4 April 2019). "Headliner: NoviNews Gets Negative Reviews for Non-Binary Pronouns". J Station X. Retrieved 11 July 2021. At the beginning of the game, players can choose to go by he/him, she/her, or they/them pronouns. In an email, Unbound Creations founder Jakub Kasztalski explains that the game doesn’t address LGBTQ issues beyond this
    22. ↑ Argent Games (10 September 2018). "Your Customized MC - Red Embrace: Hollywood". itch.io. Retrieved 28 October 2020.
    23. ↑ VNDB | //TODO: today characters
    24. ↑ https://store.steampowered.com/app/933230/Signed_and_Sealed_With_a_Kiss/?curator_clanid=26898915
    25. ↑ Ford, Suzie (5 March 2021). "Later Daters PC Review". GameSpace.com. Retrieved 9 July 2021.
    26. ↑ https://store.steampowered.com/app/1112890/Calico/?curator_clanid=39486419
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