2019 was a strong year for video games with female protagonists. Some of the biggest games of the year starred women, such as BioWare’s sci-fi RPG Anthem, third-person shooter Gears 5, and Remedy Entertainment’s action adventure game Control. There was also a strong list of indie hits, from crowdfunded story Knights and Bikes to The Stillness of the Wind, a rare game with an elderly female protagonist.



2020 also looks to be very exciting for gamers looking for games with playable female characters. This year’s list may look a little shorter than the lists we created in 2019 and 2018, but the release of the PS5 and Xbox Series X will probably bring us more female protagonists to play as.

Journey to the Savage Planet (January 28, PC, PS4, Xbox One)

First-person adventure Journey to the Savage Planet may be a silly game about going to an alien planet to see if humans can live there, but developer Typhoon Studios is serious about player choice. The game lets players choose from 10 characters, including male and female protagonists and a dog. The only thing that changes between them is the voice.



Zombie Army 4: Dead War (February 4, PC, PS4, Xbox One)

There’s not much to misunderstand about Zombie Army 4: Dead War. It’s set in the 1940s and you’ll be smashing your way through hordes of Nazi zombies, setting them on fire, shooting them with guns that have lightning bolts, and a pistol with a bayonet. You can take down all of these enemies as a female character if you want and Jun and Shola are two female protagonists (and women of color).



Nioh 2 (March 13, PS4)

Action RPG Nioh 2 will have you hacking, slashing, and bashing your way across feudal Japan, defending it from merciless demons. The combat system and the character’s powers will let you do it in style. You’ll be able to choose a male or female protagonist to play as.



Animal Crossing: New Horizons (March 20, Nintendo Switch)

Animal Crossing: New Horizons will give players the option to play as a male, female, or non-binary protagonist as part of its new, much larger character customization gameplay. You’ll also be able to choose your skin tone, which is the first time this has been available in a main Animal Crossing game. It’s great to know that you’ll be able to pick flowers, shake trees, and run away from bees as someone who looks like you.



Half-Life: Alyx (March, PC)

It’s not Half-Life 3, but Half-Life: Alyx has fans of the Valve series feeling excited. In the new game, you’ll play as female protagonist Alyx as she and her father, Eli, fight aliens. It’s a VR game, so you won’t get to see much of Alyx, but it’s fun to know that you’ll be taking down enemies as a woman.



Predator: Hunting Grounds (April 24, PC, PS4)

Most of the games on this list let you play as a female hero, but in shooter Predator: Hunting Grounds, you’ll get to play as a female enemy. The asymmetrical multiplayer game lets a group of soldiers fight against a male or female predator, and all of these characters are controlled by players. The female predator has weapons such as the Yautja Bow, wrist blades, and a plasma caster.



Minecraft Dungeons (April, PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch)

In this Minecraft dungeon crawler, you’ll be able to play as male Minecraft protagonist Steve or female protagonist Alex. You’ll adventure through all kinds of Minecraft areas such as mines and swamps, taking on mobs with weapons and special attacks. Fans of Minecraft will probably enjoy it and it looks like it could offer some more structured gameplay to those who don’t know where to start in the normal version of the game.



Wasteland 3 (May 19, PC, PS4, Xbox One)

Take to the wasteland again in Wasteland 3 which will see you and your party trying to survive in a frozen Colorado. There are some new gameplay features in this one, such as a new action system and player vehicles. However, something that will stay the same is its character creation, as you can choose to play as a male or female protagonist.



The Last of Us Part 2 (May 29, PS4)

PS4 exclusive The Last of Us Part 2 is one of few games with a lesbian protagonist, but that’s not the only reason to be excited about it. The Naughty Dog action adventure game follows Ellie five years after the events of the first game. Little is known about its story but a trailer confirms that Ellie will find love again with her friend Dina, which is one beautiful moment in what will probably be a dark tale.



New World (May, PC)

Amazon is getting into the game development business with New World, its MMORPG. Set in the 17th century, you’ll be fighting enemies called The Corrupted and will be trying to get your hands on precious resources. Not much has been seen of the game, but playable female characters have been confirmed.



Marvel’s Avengers (September 4, PC, PS4, Xbox One)

Be a superhero in Marvel’s Avengers, the action game developed by Tomb Raider developer Crystal Dynamics. Only two playable female protagonists have been confirmed for the game, and they are Ms Marvel and Black Widow. There will be more characters added post launch though meaning that more female heroes could become available.



Cyberpunk 2077 (September 17, PC, PS4, Xbox One)

CD Projekt RED’s Cyberpunk 2077 may have Keanu Reeves, but there are more reasons to be excited about it. The game will allow you to create a male, female, or non-binary protagonist and same-sex romances have been confirmed. The combat gameplay and dialogue features also look very good.



Boyfriend Dungeon (TBA, PC, Nintendo Switch)

Boyfriend Dungeon is a game about the ridiculous (but brilliant) idea of dating your weapons. You spend so much time fighting with these things on adventures so why not go on dates with them? Same-sex romances have been confirmed and you will be able to play as a male, female, or non-binary protagonist.



Empire of Sin (TBA, PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch)

The 1920s wasn’t known for being a great time for women, but in Empire of Sin, no one is playing by the rules. In this game, you play as a mob boss trying to own the city through your illicit dealings, such as illegal alcohol production and also murder. There will be female mob bosses to choose from, though not all names have been confirmed.



Godfall (Holiday 2020, PC, PS5)

Fantasy action game Godfall is the first confirmed PS5 game and it’s also the first PS5 game (we know of) that will have a playable female character. Very little is known about the game or the characters but known that when the PS5 launches in holiday 2020, you’ll be able to play as a woman.



Outriders (TBA, PC, PS4, Xbox One)

Outriders is another game that we know very little about, but it has been confirmed that you’ll be able to play as a male or female protagonist. The game is a dark and modern shooter and you’ll be fighting some kind of creature. The trailer also showed a female character tracking a signal, but it hasn’t been revealed what that’s all about.



Shantae and the Seven Sirens (TBA, PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch)

The long-running Shantae series gets a new game this year as Shante and the Seven Sirens will be released at an unannounced date. The platformer will again star Shantae as she fights bosses, goes through dungeons, and turns into other creatures. If you’ve played a Shantae game, you’ll probably enjoy this.



Spiritfarer (TBA, PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch)

Indie developer Thunder Lotus Games is back again this year with Spiritfarer, another game with a female protagonist. Spiritfarer is a typical Thunder Lotus game in that it looks wonderful and has a woman at the helm, just like Jotun and Sundered did. In Spiritfarer you’ll play as a female ferrymaster who ferries the dead, which sounds morbid but Thunder Lotus says that it will be “cozy.”



Tell Me Why (Mid 2020, PC, Xbox One)

Tell Me Why is one of few major game releases to have a transgender protagonist. However, transman Tyler isn’t the only playable character in this episodic story game from Life is Strange developer Dontnod Entertainment. Tyler’s sister Alyson will also be playable.



Vampire: The Masquerade: Bloodlines 2 (Q1 2020, PC, PS4, Xbox One)

Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 will let you be a male or female vampire as you make deals, go on the hunt, and drink an incredible amount of blood on the streets of Seattle. There will also be some smooching (same-sex romances have been confirmed) and combat as you use your vampire powers to turn enemies into dust.



Watch Dogs Legion (TBA, PC, PS4, Xbox One)

Watch Dogs Legion is a game in which you can play as any NPC. You can play as a male or female protagonist and switch between them as you want. You can go around London as a hacker granny if you like, the game will give you that choice.



Roki (TBA, PC, Nintendo Switch)

A game with a beautiful art style and a lovely story, Roki is an adventure by indie developer Polygon Treehouse. Young female protagonist Tove will be trying to find out who she really is. This is the first game from the studio but it wants to make games with an “emotional punch” which should give you an idea of how likely Roki is to make you cry.



The Riftbreaker (TBA, PC, PS4, Xbox One)



The Riftbreaker is a survival action RPG where you play as female protagonist Captain Ashley S. Nowak. Nowak is a scientist and an engineer and she really knows how to stomp around in a powerful mech suit, which sounds and looks like a huge amount of fun.



Eastward (TBA, PC)

In adventure game Eastward, you play as a male and female protagonist as there is a digger who meets a young girl. Together, the two of them will meet weird NPCs, strange creatures, and visit abandoned locations. The game’s art style may make you smile, but the story will be an emotional one.



Saturnalia (TBA)



In horror game Saturnalia, your protagonists will change each time you fail however male and female protagonists can be seen in the trailer. In this one, you’ll be traveling through the winding paths of an isolated village which sounds as creepy as it looks. Developer Santa Ragione hasn’t confirmed when it will be available.

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