Summary

• Female protagonists in video games are gaining recognition for their well-written and complex characters.
• Games like Spiritfarer, Hades 2, and Life Is Strange feature emotional journeys led by strong female leads.
• Titles like Returnal, Control, and A Plague Tale showcase the diversity and depth of female protagonists in gaming.

There can be no denying that, in the past, women in video games have been overlooked at best and poorly written fan service at worst. Thankfully, though, things are now changi🎉ng. Developers and publishers are realizing that women actually do play games, are worth writing about, and gam๊es with female protagonists do sell.

Female protagonists are part of a growing trend in video games as developers look to branch away from the burly macho men of yesteryear. As always, the indie scene is also doing a fantastic job of providing us with layered and flawed characters. So, with that in mind, let’s take a look at some great games with equally great female protagon🦂ists.

Updated on December 24, 2024 by Rebecca Phillips: While it's no longer uncommon for a game to have a female protagonist, there's still a lot more male protagonists than female ones. If you're looking to play a great game with a woman at the helm, we've added another title for you to try.

Spiritfarer

Stella

Spiritfarer might be a cozy management simulator, but it has a lot of emotional moments too, and this is due to the protagonist Ste🌃lla's connections with all the spirits she meets. At the beginnin🧸g of the game, Stella takes on the role of the titular Spiritfarer, responsible for ferrying spirits through the Everdoor so that they can pass on.

Before they can make the journey, Stella looks after them on her boat and listens to their stories, helping to ease꧅ their regrets. While you spend a lot of your time getting to know the spirits, you eventually uncover Stella's own backstory too, and trust us, you'll need tissues on hand by the time you reach the end of the game.

Hades 2

Melinoe

Following up the popular roguelike Hades is Hades 2. Instead of following Hades' son Zagreus like in the first game, Hades 2 stars Melinoe, Zagreus' younger sister. While Melinoe grew up livin𝓡g a peaceful life, that peace was shattered when Chronos escaped Tartarus and took over the Underworld where she lived. Melinoe was then trained by Hecate, where she honed her skills to become powerful enough to try to defeat Chronos.

Hades 2 is an excellent follow-up to the first game, with its familiar expert grip on the roguelike genre. Melinoe is also just one of the game's cast of well-realized characters, as you'll meet plenty of others in the Underworld who are just as compelling. You can even 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:romance some of them as Melinoe if you so choose.

Hades 2 is currently in Early Access.

Life Is Strange

Max Caulfield

While the Life is Strange series has now expanded far beyond the first game, Max Caulfield is still a fan-favorite protagonist. After moving back 🍸to her hometown of Arcadia Bay, Max discovers that she can rewind time and she uses this ability to help h🎶er friend Chloe Price investigate the disappearance of Rachel Amber.

In terms of personality, Max is quite different from your usual game protagonist. She's quiet and mostly interested in her photography hobby, but it works perfectly in Life is Strange, especially as she grows more confident throughout the story. You'll have to 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:make tough decisions and soon learn that you can't save everyone.

Kena: Bridge Of Spirits

Kena

Kena: Bridge of Spirits follows the titular Kena, a Spirit Guide who is aiming to find the Mountain Shrine. Along the way, she frees her spiri♔t companions, known as the Rot, who are trapped in a village, and they help her by offering powerful abilities in return.

The game has a beautiful world to explore with gorgeous graphics to match. As you explore it, you'll take down tough enemies, deliver Spirit Mail, and even find adorable hats that the Rot can wear. If you're looking for a charmin꧒g adventure with some difficult challenges, cute critters, and an enchanting world to explore, Kena: Bridges of Spirits is definitely ✨a game you should try out.

Returnal

Selene Vassos

168澳洲幸运5开奖网:When you think of really good rogueli🍌kes, your mind might drift to titles like H▨ades, Dead Cells, and Slay the Spire. PlayStation and Housemarque's Returnal, however, ad𝔍ds some excellent female representation to the genre, having you play as astronaut Selene Vassos (voiced by Hitman's Jane Perry), who must unfold dual mysteries while on a planet affected by a time loop.

Selene was following a signal known as 'The White Shadow,' which is how every loop starts. Part of that mystery is tied to an accident and a strange home popping up throughout the loops that certainly doesn't belong on the alien planet. 168澳洲幸运5开奖🌠网:Atropos is also filled with alien swarms that 💧attack Selene in bullet-hell-like fashion and has many bosses for her to fight on her quest for answers.

Control

Jesse Faden

When looking at the totality of Remedy games, the studio had a track record for creating hard-broiled male protagonists. That changed in 2019 when Control launched and delivered one of the most daring and courageous female characters ever to ascend to the Federal Bureau of Control's Director position and be equipped with some intense gravity-d🐠efying powers.

You'll have a literal blast playing as Jesse Faden, using her unique weapon and upgrades to combat the paranatural entities known as the Hiss that are on the loose at the FBC while also hoping to get some answers about her brother Dylan. The game stars Courtney Hope (also Beth Wilder in Quantum Break) and 168🎃澳洲幸运5开奖网:shares many connections with Alan Wake's universe.

A Plague Tale Series

Amicia de Rune

Amicia de Rune and Amanda Ripley can really compete for who's better at keeping their wits about them in a stealth horror gameplay environment. Amicia, however, has to deal with unbelievably large swarms of killer rats and🎶 Inquisitor s🐷oldiers, all while being a big sister and protecting her brother Hugo from harm the entire game.

Both 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:A Plague Tale: Innocence and 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:A Plague Tale: Requiem are stunning and harrowing adventures across the medieval rat-filled landscape, offering 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:some of the best graphics and set pieces for a Double-A title. The story is also one of the most emotional in gaming, rivaling that of The Last of Us, with Amicia and Hugo's performances 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:worthy of taking home Oscars.

Alan Wake 2

Saga Anderson

While it still might have 'Alan Wake'🃏 in the title, the official sequel to Remedy's 2010 horror game largely focuses on Saga Anderson's role in helping Alan escape from the Dark Place. Saga is as much the heart of the narrative as Alan and his wife Alice, a playable FBI agent investigating Bright Falls and Wake's disappearance while also piecing together her life and trying to save her daughter.

Saga and Alan's gameplay is split up into separat🐠e 'Return' and 'Initiation' c🦂hapters, following the manuscript design of the story. There are lots of interesting twists and revelations that all connect toward the end. 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Inspired by Silent Hill, Alan Wake 2's horror atmosphere is not playing aroun🀅d, so you can definitely say Saga gets more than she signed up for when she joined the agency.

Oxenfree Series

Riley And Alex

On the surface, Oxenfree might seem like a cute little game with puzzles, branching decision-based dialogue, and a unique watercolor art style, but it's such a deep game that explores many relatable issues in life with two relatable female protagonists. Teenager Alex leads the first game, while a much older and more experienced Riley is the newcomer in the sequel, 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Lost Signals.

This series is the epitome of showcasing exceptionally well-written female characters. 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Alex grieves the loss of her brother and struggles with friendships and finding meaning in her l꧋ife, whereas Riley Poverly has some years on Alex and still feels stuck in life, questioning her career choices and wrestling wi♏th her future parental struggles. Even Olivia, the antagonist in the second game, has sympathetic motives that will elicit the emotions of players.

Night In The Woods

Mae Borowski

The protagonist of Night in the Woods is Mae Borowski, a 20-something college dropout who finds herself back in her hometown of Possum Springs after struggling with her mental health. Despite the cast of cha🤡racters being anthropomorphic animals, Night in the Woods explores a variety of important themes and messages, and does so with great care.

Mae in particular has resonated with fans of the game, as her struggles are realistic and relatable. Her character drives the plot as she reconnects with the people of🔯 Possum Springs, and discovers just how much has cꦦhanged since she left home.