Hey Blerdy Tribe, it’s Monday and that means it’s Melanin Monday here on Blerdy Otome! Instead of bringing you another Melanin Friendly Game, I wanted to shake things up a bit this week by spotlighting some of the game developers I love who always bring us amazing diverse titles! Each of these devs have consistently brought us games chock full of great representation, telling stories that feature characters a wide range of backgrounds, identities, orientations.

Jellyfish Parade

Jellyfish Parade is one of my absolute fave indie devs, hands down and I will sing their praises until there is no breath left in my body! If you have not played any of the Jellyfish Parade games, bookmark this post and go download one right now! All of their games feature BIPOC heavy cast and as a Black gamer, I always appreciate games that focus on characters that look like me. But, what really puts Jellyfish Parade over the top for me is that the team consistently puts out romance visual novels lead by strong, funny, and dynamic Black and brown leading ladies! And there is a nuance to the characters that makes them all so relatable and fun!

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Jaime Scribbles

Jaime Scribbles Games is the total package–deep immersive stories, diverse casts of characters, witty humor–what more can a gal ask for? Also, horror and romance in one game?! Yes please! But, what I love about Jaime is that she consults with other people to ensure that her characters are positive reflections of the cultures and people they are meant to represent. Which makes for more well rounded characters and stories!

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Lunaris Games

I love, love, LOVE Lunaris Games! I am a sucker for supernatural/fantasy games and the world building in every Lunaris Games title is top notch! Immerse yourself in rich fantasy worlds and stories that will keep you invested through all their many twists and turns. The lore alone is enough to get you in the door, but the Lunaris Games team takes it a step further with their fantastic representation! All of their games feature great LGBTQ+ and BIPOC rep baked into every game! Lunaris Games is a diverse team and they strive to make stories and develop characters that are representative of the larger gaming community.

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Nix Hydra

Nix Hydra came onto the scene with The Arcana and took the fandom by storm with their inventive fantasy adventure and gorgeous characters… and even now the fandom is still thriving! The team has since branched out to create the story app FictIf where you can play a wide range of stories each with their own unique vibe and diverse casts of characters. Their FictIf titles have a similar vibe to Voltage’s Lovestruck app, so if you’re looking for unique stories from a wide range of genres and diverse casts of characters, definitely give Nix Hydra a looksee!

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GB Patch Games

GB Patch is a game dev that isn’t afraid to switch things up with their titles–from the horror thriller, Lake of Voices to rom-coms like XOXO Droplets to arguably their most popular title to date, Our Life: Beginnings and Always. Each story they craft is a one of a kind experience full with unique memorable characters and stories that stay with you long after you’ve finished them. GB Patch creates strong, smartly written character driven stories and the added representation only enhances their narratives!

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