June is Pride month - the month where the 1969 Stonewall riots are commemorated with parades, protests, and parties. In light of this, talking about some of the most romantic LGBTQA+ scenes in video games is a great Pride activity. Video games, particularly RPGs, are a medium that allows players to make a lot of choices. Among these choices are sometimes romances, and some video games have made great strides in LGBTQA+ representation and the romances available to the player, or just with regards to diversity in characters.
LGBTQA+ characters in video games are often discussed, but not the scenes themselves that make them so memorable. Here are the most romantic LGBTQA+ scenes from video games.
Updated on July 29, 2022, by Ritwik Mitra: Diversity is something that is always appreciated, especially when it comes to the realm of video games. Titles that are all about player choice and urgency let them choose their sexualities also, providing a wealth of unique and interesting partners who identify with various genders and end up offering memorable romance angles of their own. Keeping this in mind, here are some of the best LGBTQA+ romances that players can engage with in video games.
15 Dragon Age Inquisition: Romancing Sera
The smart-mouthed Sera might seem rather annoying at first glance, but there's a depth to her charm that many people don't really recognize early on. It's only after Sera decides to become serious with the protagonist that another side to her character is revealed.
Sera is easily one of the most fun characters in Dragon Age: Inquisition and female players will love getting involved with her. Her scenes are engaging and it's clear that a lot of work was put into her romance.
14 Hades: Being With The God Of Death
Hades is one of the best roguelike titles ever made. Players were amazed at the sheer depth of the game's mechanics and a unique story that urged players to repeat the same treks through the underworld over and over again in a bid to escape and meet Persephone, Zagreus' real mother.
Hades also lets players engage in a romance with three characters, including the God of Death himself. Thanatos is a mysterious being, and watching him shed his tough exterior and expose his vulnerabilities to Zagreus in a truly emotional scene makes for a great time indeed.
13 Cyberpunk 2077: Wooing Judy
Cyberpunk 2077gives players a bunch of romance options. However, the two best characters that players love to be involved with are Judy and Panam.
The former will only accept the love of a female, with Judy revealing a more sensitive side if players choose to romance her. She's a great character as is, and the romance makes her even more memorable.
12 The Last Of Us: Ellie And Riley's Kiss In Left Behind
The Last of Us is one of the greatest games ever made, and it was only fitting that the sole DLC released for it would knock everyone's socks off too. Left Behind took a closer look at Ellie's adventure when Joel was injured while showing what happened to her before the onset of the outbreak.
This leads to the introduction of Ellie's friend Riley, with their bond maturing into something else by the end of this tale. Riley's fate might be heartbreaking, but the moment she shared with Ellie when they shared their first and final kiss was truly magical.
11 Undertale: The Adorable Bond Between Undyne And Alphys
It's still hard to believe that a game as brilliant as Undertale was made by a solitary person. The characters in this game are all legendary in their own right, with the brash Undyne and the shy Alphys making for an unlikely yet adorable pairing.
The manner in which both characters declare their feelings for each other is just beautiful. One of the endings of the game sees Undyne kiss Alphys briefly, causing the latter to absolutely explode with the feelings that are bursting in her chest.
10 Dragon Age Inquisition: Making Dorian's Relationship Serious
Most games do not give characters homosexual identities, but rather bisexual ones so that a player can build a romance as they choose. The Dragon Age series was one of those games until Inquisition came along, in which fans got homosexual characters like Dorian and Sera.
Dorian was quite memorable, and he opens up with a male Inquisitor about his feelings. He is surprised to have their relationship become serious, as he mentions about how gay relationships are treated as just a passing fancy in Tevinter and are never taken seriously. To his relief, the Inquisitor can say they want to be serious no matter what the rest of the world thinks of them.
9 Life Is Strange: Chloe Kiss
This is a tragic scene in the game, but it is certainly the most emotional and thus the most romantic and memorable. Depending on your choices, Max can kiss Chloe at various points in the game. The kiss scene that is most remembered by fans, though, is when Max decides to allow Chloe to sacrifice herself for Arcadia Bay.
Depending on your choices, Max will share one last loving kiss with Chloe before rewinding time. Don't worry though, as Chloe can live if you choose to sacrifice Arcadia Bay instead.
8 Mass Effect 3: Starting A Relationship With Kaiden
Kaiden was not available as a romantic interest to Shepard in the first Mass Effect, but it was in the third. Due to this, a lot of fans' headcanon was that Kaiden and Shepard were involved at the beginning.
Starting a relationship with Kaiden is very subtle and sweet. Kaiden is very careful about coming out to Shepard and the two guys seem so happy to finally put their feelings out there after everything they have been through together.
7 The Outer Worlds: Parvati Talking About Junlei
Players do not really get to see Parvati and Junlei together in The Outer Worlds, but the way Parvati talks about her crush on Junlei is some of the sweetest dialogue in the game. Not only that, but Parvati comes out as asexual, and is the best representation of an asexual character, so far, in the video game world.
How romantic and loving she is towards Junlei definitely dispels common myths about asexuality. When you hear her talk about Junlei, it's hard not to get excited with her. The best part is that players can help her set up a date!
6 Dragon Age Origins: Zevran Explaining His Complex Feelings
Dragon Age did offer LGBTQA+ relationships before Dorian. In Origins, a popular romance for both male and female players was Zevran. He is a flirty and confident assassin with a lot of witty lines. However, he changes a bit if you choose to romance him.
He explains how complicated the Warden makes him feel. As an assassin, he is supposed to not feel love, and this makes him very anxious. It's one of the first times you see Zevran be vulnerable.
5 Mass Effect Andromeda: Reyes Dance Scene
Like Zevran, Reyes is an available and popular romance to both male and female characters. We won't give it away, but his character also has a very good twist.
There are a number of romantic scenes you can have with him, and a major one is him inviting to dance with Ryder.
4 Telltales Walking Dead: Watching Stars With Violet
Players of Telltale's The Walking Dead get to see Clementine grow up. By the final season, she is almost a full-fledged adult, and romance is in the air. There are not many choices (only two), but the characters are very well-written.
One character Clementine can romance is Violet. They can watch the stars and spot constellations together. Clementine then can give Violet a kiss. She is surprised but happy.
3 Assassins Creed Odyssey: Nighttime Talk With Krya
Assassins Creed Odyssey has a ton of romanceable characters. Due to their sheer volume, not all of them are written with the same deepness as the Bioware romances, but some may surprise you. One such well-done romance is with Krya.
She is one of the characters you get to spend more time with. When Kassandra and Kyra are together, they have a chemistry that does not feel rushed like some of the other romances. They can joke, talk philosophy, and connect on an intimate level.
2 Dragon Age 2: Sleeping With Fenris
Dragon Age 2 was the game where every single character was romanceable, no matter what gender you picked for your character. Fenris was one of those romanceable companions, and he was as prickly as a hedgehog.
But it was hard to blame him, as he had been a slave and abused by his former master. Of course, it would be hard to trust anyone after that. This made the romance scenes all the sweeter. In Act 2, he sleeps with the player's character after an argument. It's spicy.
1 Kingdom Hearts 2: Sora Reuniting With Riku
Sora and Riku are not actually canon in Kingdom Hearts. However, many fans headcanon that they are in love with each other. This is because of a couple of scenes, but one took the cake.
In the second game, Sora reunites with Kairi and Riku. The reaction he has when reuniting with Riku out-measures his reaction to Kairi by miles. He falls to his knees, holds Riku's hand, and cries. It was incredibly romantic, no matter what the writers will tell you to believe.