Being a non-binary particular person and looking for illustration of your gender in videogames is a wierd expertise. It’s particularly troublesome given the depth and breadth of non-binary gender experiences that exist on the planet, which means it’s not likely potential to symbolize all non-binary individuals with a couple of token characters. The very nature of being non-binary is to be outdoors of female and male, so the probabilities are close to countless.
There’s additionally this idea of gender euphoria that isn’t actually talked about a lot outdoors of trans and non-binary circles. You could be accustomed to gender dysphoria, the sensation of discomfort that comes along with your gender and your assigned intercourse not matching up. Gender euphoria is a means of experiencing gender with extra pleasure. It’s sporting the right outfit or coiffure that makes you’re feeling right.
Trans individuals have used videogames to discover their gender for years and these days as video games introduce extra sturdy character creation choices, non-binary pronoun choices, and non-gendered character fashions, I’m discovering it simpler than ever to expertise pleasure in my very own gender by means of the video games I play.
So, with out additional ado, right here’s an inventory of Nintendo Swap and cell video games that give me gender euphoria as a non-binary particular person.
Splatoon 3
I vividly bear in mind watching the Nintendo Direct the place Nintendo first introduced Splatoon and turning into obsessive about the androgynous, colourful squid individuals earlier than me. Though Splatoon’s unique incarnation did technically gender the Inklings, the variations between the 2 base character fashions have been negligible and their distinctive model made me really feel extraordinarily cool. The franchise has continued to construct on its character customization choices with every entry and I look ahead to dressing my Inkling within the freshest fashions each time I log again on.
Harvestella
Harvestella’s non-binary choice precipitated a stir on-line, however the inclusion of they/them pronouns in Sq. Enix’s JRPG meant loads to me as somebody seeking to discover the style. Character creation is one factor, however in dialog-heavy video games, being consistently misgendered could be tiring. Selecting they/them pronouns for my character in Harvestella immersed me within the story greater than I assumed it will and confirmed that non-binary of us like me could be bad-ass sword-wielding warriors too.
Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp
I’ve been taking part in Animal Crossing since Wild World for the DS and I’ve at all times beloved the character customization choices. Like Splatoon, these choices have improved with each entry into the sequence, letting you put on no matter objects of clothes you need no matter which gender or ‘model’ in later video games you select. I’ve picked Pocket Camp specifically as a result of it has among the most beautiful cosmetics in the whole franchise and I want it obtained extra love!
I Was a Teenage Exocolonist
Puberty could be actually distressing for trans and non-binary individuals, so having choices to customise your character’s expertise of puberty can go an extended technique to alleviate this. In I Was a Teenage Exocolonist, not solely are you able to select from a spread of pronouns to your character and alter them at any time to ‘attempt on’ new ones or match your real-life fluctuating preferences, however because the story follows your character by means of puberty, you get to decide on what precisely ‘puberty’ means.
In addition to deciding if you find yourself with a masculine, female, or androgynous grownup physique, you can too change settings associated to genitalia, menstruation, and different bodily capabilities associated to puberty. It might appear oddly particular, however it could actually make this form of narrative recreation much more snug for trans individuals and has the potential to assist youthful trans of us envision their desired future.
These are a handful of video games on Nintendo Swap and cell that give me gender euphoria. Should you’re involved in studying extra concerning the non-binary gaming expertise, try our checklist of non-binary characters in Nintendo video games.
