Fanny Moreaux's Favourite Free Itch.io Games To Support The Queer Community (And What’s Left Of Our Money) | Winter Spectacular 2024
Without needing to dive too deep to find examples, this year has been another tough one if you care about the LGBTQIA+ community. Everyone seems pretty tired of it all as December is coming to an end, understandably so.
While trying to write this article I found a quote without a precise author that said, “In a divided world, joy is an act of rebellion”, and as cliché as it is, it resonated with me at that moment. So, while expressing our sadness is a healthy way of dealing with all this, I decided that I wanted to dedicate my Winter Spectacular to capital “Q” Queer Games that made me happy and gave me some sunshine, made me laugh, or gave me some interesting things to think about.
All the games mentioned in this article are free on Itch, but you can decide to give some money and support their creators (only if you can afford to)!
But First.. Why Itch.io?
This distribution platform created in 2013 by Leaf Corcoran is now one of the main places for indie creators looking for somewhere to share their work, with a pay-what-you-want model for both customers and developers.
It has not only video games, but also TTRPGs, Comics, Music and Zines that I find are more creative than a lot of things marketed on ‘more professional distribution platforms’. I love that pretty much everything on here works on the Zine principle, with projects made by niche fans for other niche fans, to represent audiences and stories that lack representation, or small projects only made for discovery and testing.
Aside from smaller projects a lot of games very much acclaimed by the gaming community get published there too, such as the delightful A Short Hike by Adam Gryu, the mighty Tunic by Andrew Shouldice/Isometricorp and many more.
Itch.io obviously has very VERY products of dubious quality too, being the main hub for independent work! But with the number of questionable sex games published on Steam each year, I think it’s safe to say every publishing platform has its ups and downs.
Fair spoiler: All of these games are visual novels; which doesn’t really come as a surprise with this genre being the most accessible to make (And I also really like that genre to begin with) but it surely doesn’t take away from their awesomeness.
Still Water - Visual Novel, Thriller, Investigation
Made by Studio Clump - Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android
https://studioclump.itch.io/stillwater
“Private Investigator Hugo Laurent gets reeled into a murky mystery entangled in lies, secrets, and a family curse.”
Originally made for a Spooktober GameJam, Still Water is the perfect title if you’re a scaredy cat like me but you still like the odd spooky story or two from time to time. Also, while this is not a romance, if you like the Grumpy/Sunshine trope, then welcome aboard, and take a seat!
You can develop an attachment to characters super easily and even if it is rather short (the game will take a bit over an hour to complete) the plot is pretty interesting. I’m not sure I need to mention it but I’ll still do it: the artstyle is extremely pretty and I love what it gives to the game’s mood.
Warnings: shaking screen, abrupt sounds, minor jump scares, mentions of suicide
Lookouts - Visual Novel, Western Cowboys Shenanigans
Made by Marble Claws - Windows or on your browser directly.
https://paranoidhawk.itch.io/lookouts
Languages: English
“Lookouts is a romance visual novel about two gay trans masc outlaws in the old west, finding refuge in each other, and a little hope for a better life.”
With a prototype originally made for the Gay Western Jam, Lookouts is the game to go to when you need to see people fighting for hope. The art style is more sketch-like, having a rough finish that goes well with how the story can be a little rocky for our main characters.
It will ask for a bit more of your time (five hours-ish if you’re a quick reader) but the story will never lose your attention for a minute of it.
Warnings: alcohol, smoking, gun violence (incl. sound effects), gun death, blood, injury, mild transphobia, discussions of racism and settler violence.
Cryptid Crush - Visual Novel, Monsters, Dating, Fighting
Made by Drowsy Dake Studios - Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android
https://drowsy-drake-studios.itch.io/cryptid-crush
Languages: English
“As a newcomer to the seaside town of Longhope, you find yourself surrounded by monsters of urban myth. Haunted by the cat specter Taro, your journey begins alongside the wingless Jersey Devil Jamie and the pint-sized Mothman Atlas.”
If you know me, you know I had to put something with Mothman/Cryptids, as Cryptozoology happens to be something that makes me laugh a lot. I find the way humans can create legends and cryptids from scratch and therefore create their own fears fascinating, even if I’m very much not a big horror person.
If you love the writing and style of the Monster Prom series but would love to have a battle side to it - this is your chance! The humour is on point and the characters are pretty lovable even when like me you’re not really a monster lover. They are mostly lovable idiots you have a cool adventure with, which I really need sometimes.
The artstyle is not something I’m usually into but I really appreciate the way colours are used. This one will also require a fair bit of your time, more than five hours if I remember correctly. The team behind it is adding content pretty much once a year since it launched though, so be ready to see more of it eventually!
Warnings: Horny monsters
These Did Not Make It Into My Top 3, But They Deserve A Special Mention:
Phantom Of The Black Rose Revue - Visual Novel, Drama
Made by Yamino/ Leaf Let /Mizerable/Ash /Feniks - Windows, macOS, and Linux
https://yamino.itch.io/black-rose-revue
Languages: English, Japanese
“Will you sculpt a destiny steeped in unparalleled fame? Embark on a romance that will be sung through the ages? Or unearth secrets draped in shadows, whispering of forbidden truths? The threads of fate are in your hands, waiting to be woven into the tapestry of the unknown…”
This one goes to my chronically online girl lovers.
Phantom of the Black Rose Revue is a lesbian retelling of The Phantom of the Opera, with a bit of Takarazuka Revue, illustrated with a very dramatic art style inspired by Rose of Versailles..
If you know the original PofO story you pretty much already know where this is going, but it is a delightful take on it. It’s in special mention because only Act 1 is out and I want to see more before putting it higher, but it is unmissable if you like any of the works I mentioned earlier. And the music is everything.
Butterfly Soup - Visual Novel, Coming Of Age, Fall in Love With Cute Girls
Made by Brianna Lei - Windows, macOS, and Linux
https://brianna-lei.itch.io/butterfly-soup
Languages: English, 日本語, 中文, 한국어, Português, Česky, bahasa Indonesia, Polski, فارسی, French and Spanish.
“A visual novel about gay Asian girls playing baseball and falling in love. “
A friend told me about this one and it has inspired Ace Attorney poses and sounds so I had to play it. It’s not exactly a favourite but it's a really cute four-hour-ish game, despite an art style that is a bit too simple for my taste, with every single character being incredibly chaotic and lovable in their own way.
Hopefully, you will find some new favs in this list, or at least a bit of joy!
Thanks
