Now more than ever, the desire for diversity and inclusion in games has been at the forefront of people’s minds.With popular franchises likeFinal Fantasyoften falling shortin the minds of many, fans have been calling on studios and publishers to better their representation of marginalized identities. Luckily, many indie games hitting the market are more naturally diverse, including MegaWobble’s upcomingLil Gator Game.
WhileLil Gator Gamedoes not set out to solve all the industry’s problems with representation, it will show characters who are non-binary and differently abled in a realistic light. Game Rant spoke with artist and director Connor Patrick Quinn about what to expect in terms of diversity and inclusion from the December 14 release.
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Lil Gator Game Lets Characters Explore Their Identities
The team behindLil Gator Gamehave been very involved in sharing glimpses of the game with fans in anticipation of its December 2022 release, from streaming on Steam to releasing screenshots, trailers, and a demo. MegaWobble has also been involved in events likeJirard Khalil’s IndieLand charity livestream. One screenshot of Lil Gator’s in-game bio details that the character’s pronouns are “They/Them.”
“Yes, Lil Gator is non-binary. Their story is all about experimenting with their identity, so it seemed obvious.”
In addition to Lil Gator, Quinn said other characters would be non-binary, andLil Gator Gamewould include characters with disabilities as well.MegaWobble’s stance on diversity and inclusionis clear, and the team wanted to make sure players saw that reflected in-game.
Exploration is a core theme inLil Gator Game, and that refers to much more than traversing its environment. Quinn saidthe game has a character customization featurethat will allow Lil Gator to explore who they are in a variety of ways. Players will collect papers and use them to craft cosmetic items like hats and shirts, as well as more active items such as shields and swords to be equipped throughout their journey.
Some of these items tie exploration of the environment and exploration of identity together. The shield can be used not only as a cosmetic item to express who Lil Gator wants to be, but it can also be used as a sled for getting down the slopes of the island.
MegaWobble Feels Diversity and Inclusion is Not Always About Impact
Despite the team’s deliberate choice to include non-binary and differently abled characters, Quinn said this wasn’t necessarily meant to make a big statement or change peoples' minds.
“Not everything exists to make an impact. Some things are just true.”
With exploration being a core theme ofLil Gator Game,MegaWobble showshow exploring simple, real representationcan be done. Sometimes the best way to include under-represented people in a narrative is to simply portray them how they really are - a wholistic union of dynamic selves, rather than set pieces created solely for impact.
Often, media’s greatest misstep in including marginalized characters is the over-accentuating of a single identity. This often leads to one-dimensional characters, or makes fans feel like they’re being pandered to.Lil Gator Gameunderstands this notion, and by allowing its characters toexist in a world not driven by a single aspect of their identities, they don’t purely tout diversity. Rather, they exist simply to exist; they are dynamic characters with every aspect of their self as “true” as the rest.
Lil Gator Gamereleases December 14 on PC and Switch.
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