Want to ride with a space cowboy? Ranking the queer-inclusive romance options in RPG ‘Starfield’

The newest RPG (role-playing game) from Bethesda and Xbox Game Studios, Starfield, is taking the universe by storm.

An immersive adventure in which you play as a lowly space miner who stumbles upon a strange artifact and slowly becomes a remarkable intergalactic hero, Starfield allows you to be a space pirate, space cop, space rebel… you name it!

And with the vast expanse of the final frontier at your fingertips, you can also meet some hotties along the way and maybe even find love.

Starfield has four romance-able characters, all of whom can be pursued despite your character’s gender—which has caused some more small-minded folks to whine that certain characters, like good-hearted space cowboy Sam Coe, are presented as straight and shouldn’t be available for male players.

Well, we’ve tried dating all four companions, and here’s our takeaways…

First, a quick primer on how to romance a companion in Starfield…

Play through the story to unlock the ability to travel with each character. BEHAVE! Typically, your companions will not like it if you steal, kill innocents, or act without a moral compass.

You’ll get a small notification when you do something your companion likes, and you’ll also have opportunities to engage in optional conversations with them. Always “flirt” when given the chance, and eventually a mission will become available that will lead to romance and even marriage! Unfortunately, there’s no sex scenes like in Baldur’s Gate 3, but that’s what fanfic is for…

Read on for our Starfield romance rankings.

4. Sarah Morgan

Voiced by Emily O’Brien.

Sarah is the head of Constellation, the last known group of space explorers. She’s pretty self-serious, and loves to talk about her past in the military with the United Colonies. Sarah is great if you want a nice, traditional romance with a straightforward and level-headed gal. But honestly? Her story is dull compared to the others. Sarah is recommended if you want a simple, vanilla life.

3. Barrett

Voiced by Barry Wiggins.

Oh, Barrett. We really wanted to like you more. Barrett is a Constellation engineer with a penchant for running afoul of space pirates and finding himself in the wrong place at the wrong time. He’s also nursing a broken heart, as you’ll learn over the course of the adventure that Barrett was married to a man that died. If you decide to romance Barrett, you’ll learn more about that doomed relationship, which is very compelling for a video game. Our issue with Barrett is his obnoxious sense of humor, which loses its charm if you keep him as a traveling companion.

2. Andreja

Voiced by Cissy Jones.

Unlike the other companions, Andreja is more okay with you committing some less-than-savory acts. She’s pretty hot, too, with her one-sleeve ensemble. You first meet Andreja in a cave fighting off some space criminals, and will slowly learn that she used to be affiliated with a cult-like religion that worships a giant serpent. Andreja’s story is darker and more complex than some of the other Starfield story arcs, making her a unique candidate for your hand.

1. Sam Coe

Voiced by Elias Toufexis.

A space cowboy with a heart of gold and hot beard, Sam is our top romantic choice in Starfield. Sam is estranged from his wealthy space pioneer family, and also a single dad to young genius Cora. He’s also great in battle, and his “wild west in space” outfit hits the spot. Sam was also the subject of controversy when conservative gamers (yawn) claimed he shouldn’t be romantically involved with men since he… has a kid? Toufexis set the record, er, straight by clarifying he played Sam as bisexual. You dropped your cowboy crown, king!

Starfield is available on PC and Xbox.

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