Princesses in games used to be decoration — someone to rescue, someone to save. Not anymore. Modern games let you play as a princess who fights, leads, schemes, and saves herself. I grew up playing as the knight who rescued the princess, and now I get to be the princess who rescues everyone else. Here are the best games where you play as a princess, from someone who’s played every single one.
Updated April 2026.
Final Fantasy XV — Lunafreya
Okay, Luna isn’t playable in the main game (which I’m still annoyed about), but she’s the Oracle — a princess with the power to commune with the gods and heal the world. She drives the entire plot while Noctis and his bros road-trip across Equis. Episode Ardyn gives more Luna screen time, and the Dawn of the Future novel rewrites her story properly. I wanted to play as Luna so badly that I read the novel just to see her get the ending she deserved.
Dragon Age: Inquisition
You can play as a human noble — effectively a princess — who leads the Inquisition. You make political decisions, judge prisoners, and determine the fate of nations. My human noble Inquisitor was a diplomat who talked her way out of every conflict. My second playthrough, she was a tyrant who executed everyone who disagreed. Both felt like a princess making hard choices. The political intrigue is the best part of Dragon Age.
Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Edelgard is an imperial princess who starts a revolution. You can side with her or against her. I chose her route first and I don’t regret it — her story is the most compelling in the game. She’s not a typical princess. She’s a revolutionary who burns down the corrupt system, even if it means war. Playing as her army and understanding her motivations changed how I saw the entire game. Three Houses has four routes and each one reframes the story.
Princess Maker 2
This is a classic. You raise a princess from age 10 to 18, making decisions about her education, work, and adventures. She can become a warrior, a scholar, a dark queen, or marry a prince. I’ve played Princess Maker 2 dozens of times and gotten maybe 15 of the 50+ endings. It’s surprisingly deep — your choices genuinely shape who she becomes. The 2023 remaster made it accessible again. If you want a game about raising a princess, this is the one.
Child of Light
You play as Aurora, a princess from 1895 Austria who wakes up in the magical kingdom of Lemuria. She must restore the sun, moon, and stars to defeat the Dark Queen. It’s a turn-based RPG with beautiful watercolor art and poetry-style dialogue. I played it in one sitting — it’s about 10 hours — and the ending made me cry. Aurora is brave, vulnerable, and genuinely heroic. She’s one of the best princess protagonists in gaming.
My Final Thoughts
Princesses in games have evolved from damsels to leaders, fighters, and revolutionaries. Fire Emblem: Three Houses gives you a princess who starts a war. Dragon Age: Inquisition lets you play a noble who changes the world. Child of Light is a beautiful fairy tale. I love that I can finally play as the princess instead of rescuing her. The crown isn’t a burden anymore — it’s a weapon.
Continue reading:
