June 2, 2023
Queer Games Bundle 2023 - Our Top 5 Games
Pride Month 2023 has just started and so has the third edition of the Queer Games Bundle on itch.io. It features 460+ items from 293 creators exploring queer topics. This bundle supports queer creators and celebrates the diversity of their games. We took a closer look at the bundle and chose our top 5 games, which we would love to play.
With more than 300 games of vastly different styles and genres, all made by LGBTQ+ developers, we are facing one big question: Where should we start with this selection? We dove into the bundle and made a little list of what we're going to check out first. But of course, we didn't want to keep it all to ourselves and give you some ideas about which games to check out if you decide to get the bundle, so here are the top 5 games which caught our eyes:
Small Town Emo
Small Town Emo by Fnife Games from New Zealand combines nostalgia at its best with a Game Boy-inspired look, a 2007 emo character and a massive high school crush at the centre of its story. In this walking-simulator, you play as Ken, a seventeen-year-old boy who is in love with his best friend Fergus. Explore the small town and try to come up with the courage to confess your feelings in the lead-up to a Halloween costume party.
Cannelé & Nomnom - Defective Agency
In Cannelé & Nomnom - Defective Agency by Yazaleea and Younés Rabii we try to uncover our memories with the help of the only two detectives who were willing to take on the case. The only problem: they are terrible at their jobs. Nonetheless, we set out with the chaotic duo to uncover mysteries, maybe wield a bit of magic and have fun in this text adventure.
Oscar Wilde Card
Do you enjoy hosting dinner parties, but the act is just not competitive enough for you? Then Oscar Wilde Card by Up Multimedia is the perfect game for you. In this fast-paced card battler, you're trying to start a new life in the world's most exclusive apartment building, but one man is standing in your way: the witty and cruel socialite Oscar Wilde. The guests to your dinner parties are the cards, as everyone has their conversational strengths and weaknesses, plus there are Wildecarrds that can turn the game upside down. We're looking forward to becoming the social darlings of this building with our delightful dinner parties.
Hoping This Find You Well
Hoping this finds you well by Alexis Royce is a visual novel capturing the queer romanticism of Victorian and Edwardian literature in an experiment of letter writing. The story follows two professors corresponding in the lead-up to a major decision. We love the art style and idea of sliding letters back and forth between the two characters.
Stillwater
Stillwater by Studio Clump is a short but very atmospheric visual novel mystery. Private investigator Hugo Laurent gets roped into a mysterious case in a quaint town when a young woman hires him to look into ominous threats regarding her grandfather. This game is only an hour long, but the beautiful art style and strong atmosphere will pull you right in.
How to get the bundle:
We hope this quick overview made you curious enough to go and check out the bundle for yourself! You have time until July 6, 2023, to get the entire bundle, but the games are of course also available individually. The bundle is available for $60 as well as in a pay-what-you-can edition, with all proceeds being split evenly between the contributing game makers.