Gayming Magazine’s annual awards for celebrating queerness in videogames are back for their fourth year. The nominees have been announced and Baldur’s Gate 3 is in the lead, being up for five potential awards: Game of the Year, the Gayming Magazine Readers Award, the Authentic Representation Award, Best LGBTQ Character (two nominations, one for Dame Aylin and one for Shadowheart), and Larian is also in the running for the Industry Diversity Award.
Thirsty Suitors, which we called 2023’s second-best RPG about people who are too horny for their own good, has also done well. It’s been nominated for Game of the Year, Best LGBTQ Indie Game, the Authentic Representation Award, and Best LGBTQ Character for its protagonist, Jala. Tchia, our pick for best open world game of 2023, has another four nominations, while Final Fantasy 16 is up for three awards.
The Gayming Awards show will be held in Los Angeles this year, and will be broadcast on Gayming Magazine’s Twitch and TikTok channels at 2pm ET on April 7. “Our move to a virtual show set in LA not only ensures that the Awards can be made with higher production standards,” said Gayming Awards creator Robin Gray, “but we can also increase its accessibility and reach by broadcasting at a more globally convenient time along with offering captioned streams and our new Spanish language co-stream. These changes are hugely exciting, and I’m thrilled to be celebrating LGBTQ excellence in gaming with a bigger and more diverse audience.” The full list of nominees is below.
Game of the Year
Baldur’s Gate 3 – Larian StudiosFinal Fantasy 16 – Square EnixLegend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom – NintendoThirsty Suitors – Outerloop Games / Annapurna Interactive Spider-Man 2 – Insomniac Games / Sony Interactive Entertainment Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical – Summerfall Studios / Humble Games
Gayming Magazine Readers Award – sponsored by Devolver Digital
Baldur’s Gate 3 – Larian StudiosFinal Fantasy 16 – Square EnixGoodbye Volcano High – KO_OPLegend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom – Nintendo Tchia – Awaceb / Kepler Interactive This Bed We Made – Lowbirth Games
Best LGBTQ Indie Game – powered by TikTok
Coral Island – Stairway Games / Humble GamesIn Stars and Time – insertdisc5Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical – Summerfall Studios / Humble GamesTchia – Awaceb / Kelper InteractiveThirsty Suitors – Outerloop Games / Annapurna Interactive This Bed We Made – Lowbirth Games
LGBTQ Streamer of the Year
ApothicdecayEevohElixEspeSymoneHalfmoonjoeMysticKittennSheilurSpringSims
Authentic Representation Award
Baldur’s Gate 3 – Larian StudiosCoral Island – Stairway Games / Humble Games The Sims 4 – Maxis / EA Games The Expanse: A Telltale Series – Telltale Games / Deck NineThirsty Suitors – Outerloop Games / Annapurna Interactive This Bed We Made – Lowbirth Games
Best LGBTQ Character
Aloy – Horizon Forbidden WestDame Aylin – Baldur’s Gate 3Dion Lesage – Final Fantasy XVI Jala – Thirsty Suitors Shadowheart – Baldur’s Gate 3Tchia – Tchia
Industry Diversity Award
Humble Games Larian StudiosLatinx In GamingQweerty Gamers Roll7 Women In Games International
Best LGBTQ Contribution to Esports Award
Bailey McCannBethany “Indyburgh” Pyles Cora Kennedy Emma “Emzii” Rose Slaypex & Kylie Gabor Team Overture
LGBTQ Geek Entertainment Moment of the Year Award
Doctor Who: The Star Beast – Bad Wolf & BBC StudiosHarley Quinn – DC Studios & Warner Brothers AnimationNimona – Netflix & Annapurna PicturesScott Pilgrim Takes Off – NetflixThe Last of Us: Long, Long Time: HBOThe Legend of Vox Machina: Season 2 – Amazon Studios & Critical Role