Gaming with Queer Design Principles

Abstract

This research analyzes queer characters in the narrative games The Last of Us Part I, The Last of Us Part II, and Tell Me Why, aiming to identify how these titles represent these characters and how the multimodal elements present in them contribute to more authentic queer representations. This study draws on multimodal semiotic analysis, multimodal discourse analysis, close playing, and qualitative methods, to analyzes the three games and their queer characters across four main dimensions, story/narrative, dialogue, visuals, and game design, and, from these, develop design principles that promote authentic queer representation in games. The results indicate that queer authenticity in games depends not only on the inclusion of characters, but also on the integration of identity into the narrative and who is behind or participating in the production. This study also proposes a set of flexible design guidelines to support game developers in creating inclusive and authentic queer characters. These recommendations aim to unite academia with gaming industry and contributing to the fields of queer game studies.