Queer Games Bundle packs together 200 games for $60

A group of independent video game developers have come together to create the Queer Games Bundle on indie platform itch.io. The fundraising effort packages together more than 200 games created by LGBTQ+ developers, with all proceeds split among the 195 participating developers.

The goal is lofty: to raise $5 million — “1/3rd of the budget of an AAA game” — to pay each developer a living wage, and to provide a “massive funding boost” to teams.

“Imagine what the developers and artists in this bundle could create a year from now if they weren’t worried about starving or how to pay their rent this month,” reads the official description of the bundle. While plenty of video game companies are raising money and selling merchandise to support queer communities during Pride Month, the indie developers who created the Queer Games Bundle said that support for the bundle is “a direct action” that will “support queer people in a life-changing way.” Plus, supporters will get a massive collection of indie games, like Call Me Cera, a video game about running a food court during Ramadan, and violeta, a game where you’re a cat supporting his human friends.

A “pay-what-you-can” version of the Queer Games Bundle is also available for supporters who cannot afford the original $60 version.

The achievements of queer video game developers have been integral to the video game industry, and these developers have created unique experiences that showcase some of the best things about games. As always, it’s the indie game developers telling their own stories who have been leading the way, and this bundle honors and celebrates that.