Queer Gender Identities and Videogames: A Literature Review

Mark Maletska's narrative literature review (Eludamos, 2024) examines queer gender identities in videogames, arguing that queer game studies has moved from analyzing identity representation toward recognizing queerness as an inherent property of game design, while research on gender in games still largely centers binary genders and frequently overlooks transgender and nonbinary people. The review draws on searches of Google Scholar, Web of Science, and Scopus conducted in 2023, screening 293 unique sources and narrowing them to 126 peer-reviewed articles for coding.

The reviewed literature is organized into three principal themes: representation, player-avatar relationships, and queer gender identities within gaming spaces. Representation is the most heavily studied area, with findings consistently showing that trans and nonbinary characters tend to be rendered narrowly, in cis-heteronormative frameworks, or through stereotyped portrayals. Research on player-avatar relationships, much of it qualitative, suggests that avatar creation can function as a gender-affirming experience and that games may offer a comparatively safe space for exploring gender identity and easing gender dysphoria. Studies of community spaces, including Second Life and live streaming platforms, examine how queer players construct identity within gaming communities.

The review's scope spans roughly 2005 to 2023, with most relevant publications appearing after 2016, and draws across psychology, medical, game studies, and communication research. Frequently analyzed titles include World of Warcraft, Dragon Age: Inquisition, and Gone Home. The author concludes that the field has paid insufficient attention to the inherent queerness of game mechanics and to lived player experience, and calls for player-focused studies to close that gap.