Can you be gay in Inescapable: No Rules, No Rescue?
Inescapable: No Rules, No Rescue is a visual novel released in late 2023 that follows a group of Europeans who have been kidnapped to a tropical island to film a reality show against their will. We play as Harrison, an unremarkable white guy from London who seems to have some big regrets and insecurities in his past.
He’s not the only one, as each of the eleven cast members/hostages have dirt and rumors hidden in their closets. Stuck together on a tropical paradise for six months, their personalities meet and clash. There’s lots of drama to be had, but more importantly, can you be gay?
Can you be gay in Inescapable: No Rules, No Rescue?
No, Harrison is very, very straight, despite not having much in the way of sex appeal or game. That said, there are queer characters in this game, though their portrayal is maybe questionable.
The most obvious is Sasha, the game’s canonically nonbinary character who uses they/them pronouns. Harrison refers to Sasha as a “token character,” but it’s hard to tell if that’s just how he feels about them, or if it’s a larger commentary. This is an ongoing theme in Inescapable when it comes to Sasha. They often use very stereotypical queer language (repeatedly calling Harrison a twink, for example), reference drag queens, and make sexual jokes. But it’s hard to tell if they are speaking this way genuinely, or ironically. Sasha is depicted as very sarcastic and often antagonistic, so it’s unclear how much of what they put out is their authentic self and how much is just to fuck with their fellow contestants.
Another character who’s less concrete, but seems to be queer is Eva. She’s an Estonian aspiring social media star, and she often makes sexual comments about the other members of the cast, regardless of gender. In fact, she’s usually a bit more vocal about the women. Eva’s sexuality/gender identity aren’t as explicitly discussed as Sasha’s, but she does seem to be part of the rainbow family in some way, for better or worse.
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