Xbox is going all-in during Pride Month this year with a number of deals and partnerships . This includes making Tell Me Why, the decision-making narrative game about twins dealing with their childhood trauma, free for June.
Starting today, you can get Tell Me Why for free on Xbox consoles, and on Windows PC through Xbox or Steam. The game is also available to play with an Xbox Game Pass subscription.
The game, developed by Don’t Nod Entertainment and published by Xbox Game Studios, follows twins Tyler and Alyson, who return to their Alaska hometown to decipher their childhood memories and more accurately remember what caused their mother’s death. In traditional Don’t Nod fashion, it features a supernatural twist, with the twins having a psychic bond and being able to view memories by interacting with objects.
Tell Me Why received a lot of attention upon its release in 2020 for its depiction of LGBTQ+ themes. For instance, Tyler is a transgender man and a lot of the flashbacks and revelations deal with his family’s response and intentions. Despite there being a lot of trauma in his backstory, the game handles it sensitively, rarely resorting to transphobia as a plot device. The developers also consulted with transgender people, including Tyler’s voice actor, August Black, to craft the character.
Outside the game itself, Don’t Nod and Xbox Game Studios published an FAQ that delves into questions potential players might have about the LGBTQ+ elements in the story, along with details on how it portrays indigenous people.
It’s great to try this month if you don’t typically play video games. It’s relatively short — only around 10 hours — and its gameplay is easy to navigate. You play as both twins, and mostly walk around, talk with other people, and make decisions through dialogue. There are multiple endings, so it can be replayed. It’s just one of the many excellent games you can play for Pride Month.
Xbox has a lot of other things planned this month. The company also announced that it partnered its safety teams with the Trevor Project, a well-known nonprofit that provides resources for LGBTQ+ young adults and teens. It’ll also have collections in the store featuring curated games with LGBTQ+ representation, like Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical, and The Quarry. Xbox games like Forza Horizon 5 and Overwatch 2 will also have some in-game cosmetics and a limited-time map, respectively.
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