Ten video games have been nominated for the 36th Annual GLAAD Media Awards. The program celebrates media works that “fairly, accurately, and inclusively represent the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) community and the issues that affect their lives.” In addition to video games, there are candidates in television, film, music, theater, journalism, comics, and more.
One of the great video game contenders for 2024 is the re-release of Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door for Nintendo Switch. The original Japanese version of the GameCube title included a minor character named Vivian, who is transgender. The game included dialogue about her challenges with being misgendered and her journey to understanding her own identity. However, international translations of the game, including the English version released in the United States in 2002, removed references to Vivian’s gender and pronouns, erasing that aspect of the character. Last year’s Switch re-release restored the characters’ original dialogue and story arcs for English-speaking players to finally experience.
Video game suggestions also include Dragon Age: The Veilguard. BioWare has a long history of depicting queer characters and romance options in their games, and it’s great to see them continue that practice in their latest title. Fear the Spotlight, a fascinating indie project that marks horror film company Blumhouse’s first foray into gaming, was also well-received. Here is the complete list of candidates for the game:
Caravan Sandwich (Studio Plain Toast / Dear Villagers)
Dragon Age: The Veilguard (BioWare / Electronic Arts)
Dread Delusion (Lovely Hell Place / DreadXP)
Dustborn (Red Thread Games / Spotlight by Quantic Dream)
Fear the Spotlight (Cozy Game Pals / Blumhouse Games)
Life is Strange: Double Exposure (Deck Nine / Square Enix)
Minds Beneath Us (BearBone Studio)
Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door (Intelligent Systems/Nintendo)
Sorry, we are closed (A La Mode Game / Akupara Game)
Until then (Polychroma Games / Maximum Entertainment)
