Queering Character Creation: Player Perspectives on Choosing Characters' Gender and Sexual Orientation in Role-Playing Games

Role-playing games allow players to explore a digital world through a character's eyes. For minority groups, such as queer players, representation is not a given when playing popular role-playing games. We surveyed a diverse sample of 464 queer and non-queer players and followed up with 31 in-depth interviews. We asked players about their perspectives on their characters' gender and sexual orientation. The quantitative results showed that cisgender men were the least likely group to find gender representation important and heterosexual players were least likely to consider the representation of sexual orientation as important. However, following up with a thematic analysis, we note many nuances and within-group differences. We identify four themes of how players of all identities view character creation - the character as a shield, a guide, a portrayal, and a creation - and discuss how digital games can improve character design and character creation options.