Gaming

It Takes Two has a great protagonist

I recommend CrossCode. It's a puzzle-heavy top-down action-RPG. Think 2D Zelda games, but faster paced and sci-fi themed. You play as Lea, an amnesiac who's trying to recover her memories by playing a fictional MMO called CrossWorlds. I love basically everything about it: the art, the music, the characters, the story, the puzzles, the level design; it's just great.

Returnal is a great game if you like roguelite mechanics. Great gameplay, art design, and sound. The haptics on the PS5 are excellent too.

Shadow of the Tomb Raider. Lara Croft is still a thing...

Stardew valley is fun

There's this weird game from a while back that didn't get much hype.

You'll find it either as "The Experiment" or "Experience112". Got some interesting mechanics, which later influenced another niche game I just realized has a female protagonist: Republique.

Technically, you don't play as a female protagonist. But you're essentially not the main character and you have no discernible physical features anyway, so you could just apply whatever gender you want to whoever you think "your character" is.

It's kind of like... "Female protagonist by proxy". I feel like that's a decent description. The point is that the main character is a (generally) well-written lady protag.

There's Alien: Isolation if you're looking for a horror game. Every so often I'll go and give it another playthrough. That game was phenomenal, especially if you're a fan of the Alien movies

I really liked the Edna & Harvey games

Final Fantasy X-2 comes to mind. I didn't finish it, but it's well-reviewed so...

"good" is subjective, but I can recommend the Tomb Raider reboots.

Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem. You play as many characters, but the primary main character is Alexis Roivas.

It's older, but The Longest Journey is good. Unfortunately, the final game in the series kinda sucks.

While it's an ensemble, most people would agree that the main character of Final Fantasy VI is a woman—they just might disagree about which woman is the lead.

I also liked the first Xenosaga game, but again, it's a series that goes pretty badly downhill.

The Mass Effect series is still my favorite, you can choose your protagonist to be female and the game will adapt accordingly. Or Dragon Age if you are more into fantasy.

Castlevania: order of ecclesia

Cross code

Oceans heart

Alice games

Stardew valley

Dreamfall: The Longest Journey. After playing it for a while I couldn't stop until I reached the end. It looks aged now but controls are generally nice and the story is amazing.

Kena: Bridge of Spirits is good. I still gotta finish it, but I've enjoyed it so far.

How about Final Fantasy XIII? The first game has a full sized party, but Lightning is clearly the main character and the focus. Second game costars Lightning's younger sister and a new male character. Third game is just Lighting.

Some not yet mentioned.

• Heaven's Vault
• Mirror's Edge
• Portal 1 and 2 (technically, though she's mute and it's first person so not that it matters much)
• Slime Rancher
• Spiritfarer

Alien: Isolation!

A lot of good suggestions here. Remember Me and Mirror's Edge are also good, perhaps not as great some of the truly outstanding ones already posted though. But if you're looking for something with a cyberpunk edge, both will fit the bill nicely.

Any of the Atelier games

This is a very obscure one, but there is a mod for Freespace 2 called Blue Planet: War in Heaven which has an amazingly well written story and female lead.

Here's one a ton of people slept on, Disciples Liberation. The protagonist is a chick, you can be pious, kind, hateful, evil and/or fuck your way through the entire world if you want. You can be bi, straight, not get involved in romance at all, doesn't matter. But no matter how you play, you are an absolute badass that can barely beat two soldiers at the start and can nuke literal gods by the end.

Chorus is a space dogfighting game that's quite fun. Has good storytelling. Doesn't pad time with repetitive/recycled quests so progression always feels unique. Some people find the inner monologue of the protagonist annoying but it's fine imo

Great lists already. I'll add What Remains of Edith Finch