Inclusive Gaming Score Card

   The game I chose to score is Stardew Valley. For my score card, I wanted to look at a game made by a single individual rather than a large and established game developing company. However, I also wanted to evaluate a game that was fairly popular and sold well across several platforms. Because the game is very character-driven, I decided to score the game based on its representation of age, race, gender, ability, and sexual orientation and the way in which it is done. For the purposes of the score card, I'll give each section a score out 5, but I will also go into depth further on each one.

Score Card

Does the game represent characters of different ages?  4

While the character you create is always a young adult, the other characters in the game range from small children to the elderly. That being said, the portrayal of the older characters sometimes fall into stereotypes of grumpy old men or overly-nurturing grandmothers.

Does the game include characters of different races and skin tones?  3

When creating your own character, the game allows you to choose between 24 different skin tones that cover an inclusive range of colors. The game also portrays an interracial couple and one multiracial character. However, of the cast of roughly 40 characters, only two are POC.  

Does the game portray relationships other than heterosexual or hetero-normative ones?  5

Relationships are an important aspect of this game, as you can choose to romance and marry one of several bachelors or bachelorettes. Regardless of the gender of your created character, you can choose to romance and marry any of the possible characters in the game. 

Does the game have meaningful representations of different genders?  5

The game has a nice blend of male and female characters, neither of which follow any overt stereotypes or roles. The game lets you choose between creating a male or female character for yourself, but characters also never use any gendered pronouns to refer to you. Regardless of the gender you choose, you can also dress in any clothes you like. 

Does the game include characters of varying ability?  2

In an otherwise fairly diverse cast, the game's only portrayal of a character with a disability is limited to a grumpy old man in a wheelchair. If we are to include depression and suicidal ideation in the category of neurodiversity, there is one character who you can interact with that shows these tendencies.