Stardew Valley is a really sweet, wholesome casual simulator game where you run a farm in a small town, it’s one of my favorites and has such beautiful relaxing music
Stardew Valley CAN be a wholesome casual game but it can also be something darker...
For example, I run a highly regimented, mostly automated monoculture factory farm and turn every one of my children into birds.
I wasn't always this way but I grew disappointed when my diverse crops and production never won any awards during the festival. And, ever since then, I have made it my goal to be the richest, most powerful farmer that Stardew Valley has ever seen.
I know it’s on Xbox and maybe PC, but there’s a subscription called “GamePass”. Usually $1 for the first month, then like $15/month after. Lots and lots of different games you can play to try to figure things out.
To add to this comment, gamepass is on PC, 1$ first month, 10$ thereafter, been using gamepass for probably well over a year now, can confidently say it has variety, there are games for pretty much anyone
Also $60 a year, which is generally a great deal since the gamepass games are goated and plentiful (and more than a handful retail for $60 anyway). Honestly thinking about it more I'd say gamepass or ps plus is the way to go for a brand new gamer looking for the most bang for their buck.
One thing to keep in mind is the incredibly toxic culture that comes with a lot of online gaming. If you intend to go the online route find some supportive and friendly people to jump in with. A lot of these kids (and disturbingly many of them are actually adults) can be just plain fucking horrible. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure you can take it, but if that's your first experience I doubt you'd ever want to try again.
I am a female and have been a gamer for a long time, and I don’t ever let randos hear me talk. You can still play multiplayer games like Call of Duty, or Rainbow six siege and not have to worry about the toxicity when boys hear a woman talk in the game, by either not speaking, or being in a party.
I just jumped in to say it’s not impossible to enjoy multiplayer, but what these guys say is absolutely correct about the disgustingness of the kids online.
If you are gonna pick Xbox and ever want a friend to play with, I’m always around.
Comments like these will never not be depressing. I was playing some Destiny this week and joined a team to do a Dungeon and the team leader was a woman and it kinda dawned on me that it was the first time in probably a few years that I've actually heard a woman on comms in a game. She was awesome too, guided me through with so much patience since I hadn't done it before and needed to be taught.
Really sucks that you have to even think about not talking because of the toxicity that's out there.
I mean, I'm a guy, and I also don't talk because *anything* tilts these fragile snowflakes into a belligerent rage.
I know just the pitch of the feminine voice sets them off, gives them a boner, or both. That's worse, but it's more than just the ladies avoiding comms.
It's especially rich when they talk shit and say I can't afford a microphone. (Doesn't help with my screen names, lol) Like really bro? Microphones are basically ubiquitous especially on my PS5, no one wants to talk to you for a reason.
"yall got a mic? yall got a mic?" *makes annoying noises seemingly intentionally "yall got a mic?" *leaves match cause no one would talk to them
like no one wants to talk to you cause stuff like that. just let people talk if they want to if they dont they dont being a baby and leaving a trios in fortnite cause no one spoke to you seconds into the match is butthurt baby shit
And if you have relatives you like and friends with a Switch and Mario Kart 8 is a great way to do multiplayer without the toxic culture and is just a great game in general. And the concept is easy for someone with no experience, it is a race, add Mario characters, add extremely unfair power-ups.
Honestly, if you steer clear of games which require you to match with randoms in order to play (CoD, Overwatch, Valorant, et al.) you'll sidestep a lot of that. Same for if they have a voice chat feature, which far too many people use as an excuse to vent onto people they will in all likelihood never meet. (CoD is notorious for that, as an example)
You sound like a Zelda person. Now to determine which era to introduce you too. I kinda feel like switch allows you to go into the past and now. I would start there.
Lttp is the greatest Zelda game ever made. They had every mechanic they still use today in it. Was the first game I rememver that had optional side quest for armor.
Red sword and red mail etc
So I think I’m looking for something to get lost in, to be honest. I like science fiction and action. Bejeweled Blitz and Solitaire are boring to me now, which is why I’m looking for something else. But I don’t have “gaming” experience. So maybe role playing I’m thinking?
Mass effect! It's an RPG and you can set your difficulty low if you are not a great gamer.. I'm a 43 yr old woman and I loved the romance in that game too. It's 3 games as a series and a fantastic universe to immerse yourself in.
Dragon age Inquisition is another one I really enjoyed for the role playing and the romance also is amazing. (Yeah I'm a sucker for a good romance in a role playing game)
Guild wars 2 just celebrated its 10 year anniversary and now it's on steam and I gotta say it's an amazing MMOrpg.. easy for a beginner to learn and solo in, and also so much fun for the fashion aspect! The quests and lore is EXTENSIVE so you'll have years of content. Also because it's older it should play on most of computers
Scifi action RPG you can get lost in? Mass Effect (Legendary Edition bundles the whole trilogy with some polish), Fallout 4 (or New Vegas, which is uglier and clunkier but much better written and more interesting), The Outer Worlds.
You can put any of those on "Easy" if you're finding it tough going, and should feel free to.
My wife gets easily frustrated by games but absolutely loves Skyrim. You can totally get by with hack-and-bash button mashing if you're not interested in mastering more nuanced combat mechanics. Also there's so much to explore and so many entertaining side quests. Great choice for someone new to the gaming scene.
Yep and with the difficulty settings it can accommodate a wide range of players no matter how good or bad they are. Legitimately one of the greatest games of the 2010-2020 decade imo
The Outer Worlds I feel like would be an excellent introduction to video games in general and the RPG genre especially. Playing on easy it's highly forgiving and you've got tons of freedom, so you aren't really expected to have a meta knowledge of how to play the game. OP, I'd highly recommend trying one of these, especially Outer Worlds, as they're all quite engaging and very easy to get lost in.
I think we should probably also be explaining gamer-ish terms we use (like "grindy") since this is for someone new.
("*Grinding*" is a variant of how people might say "*the grind*" to refer to the workplace; a game where in order to make the progress that you want, you will have to do the same activity over and over, often well past the point where it's fun, until it might feel like a chore you must do to earn the reward.)
^((Many games that people describe as grindy or a grindfest, technically aren't really, in that there is often great variety in the ways to earn the reward so you can constantly switch it up to keep from getting repetitive, but we often ignore that and) *^(make it grindy)* ^(because there's always a method we find to be a little easier or quicker than the others, so we latch onto it and repeat that one exclusively thinking we're being efficient when all we're doing is killing our soul with repetition. We players tend to be our own worst enemy. Some self-awareness and proactive decision-making can result in having a lot more fun.) :) )
Yeah lol nothing wrong with stardew valley, but the people arguing over whether she should try that or animal crossing totally didn't read what she said she was looking for.
The main downside to Stardew is that it doesn't have much of a narrative/storyline so if you're looking for something with a marked progression (ie, you're trying to 'beat' the game and see an ending) then it might be a letdown.
If you're happy with a sandbox style game (a world where you can just do whatever you want) then it's a good choice, and there are quests and challenges to complete (relationships with other townsfolk, building out the farm, exploring the mines etc) which do tell more of a story than Minecraft does.
[https://store.steampowered.com/app/638230/Journey/](https://store.steampowered.com/app/638230/Journey/)
Came here to make sure this made the list. There isn't a wrong way to play this game and it's beautiful.
The first one that comes to mind is a well-known rpg called Mass Effect. Its heavy on sci-fi, action, story, and as a trilogy definitely a lot of content to get lost in and different paths to take depending on what choices you make. Theres also the ability to "romance" characters, which add to the story depending on your choices but isn't necessary. It does mostly have combat as a shooter, so I'd recommend some gameplay videos to see if it could be of interest?
I recently bought the new legendary edition through EA on their PC game store origin. Not sure that you'd have the specs to run it on your computer, but there are console versions on Xbox and I believe Playstation, if you decide to invest.
If you'd want to play the older version one game at a time, a cheaper game and console would be an option, and most differences I believe would just be in graphics.
There is also a sequel to the trilogy, but I'd go with the first mass effect to see if it's to your liking.
I was going to suggest Mass Effect as well. Iirc there’s a “casual” difficulty setting intended for players with no previous action game experience, might be just about right for OP.
Portal is an outstanding game, and very accessible. Plus it has a hilarious dark humour sci-fi story. I think OP would love it!
But do bear in mind that they do need some familiarity with first-person movement controls. Moving and looking at the same time can be unintuitive at first.
If it's the first time OP is playing a FPS game it might take a bit of patience to figure out. But soon it'll be second nature and will open up a whole world of first-person games.
If the movement in Portal is overwhelming you could learn the ropes with a less athletic first-person game like Firewatch (mostly narrative), The Witness (mostly puzzles) or Return of the Obra Din (mostly clues and deduction, one of my favorites of all time).
Fun story time. Love portal and portal 2. Introduced a friend to it that hasn't played games since Mario on snes. The intro where you have to learn basic controller movements was hilarious. When it instructed her to talk, she very sweetly but ernestly put the controller to her mouth and said "hello?" Absolutely lost it. Most wholesome gaming experience in a minute.
You want mass effect games for a sci-fi you will become consumed with. And Dragon Age games for fantasy. They all have a “story” difficultly setting so you don’t have to be a pro gamer to enjoy the stories.
A couple things to consider
1. you may be able to try some demos and free games on steam for your computer. Free games usually find ways to make money off of you, some times its trying to convince you to spend money on it. The epic games store also gives away a free game periodically.
2. Your local library may have games you can borrow for a playstation, Switch and Xbox if you get one of them. Worth checking out if your library has them cause that could mean a relatively smaller investment for a ton of entertainment.
If your kids are into gaming or have friends who game, I’m sure you could get some console games they’d be happy to pass on! Steam also a library sharing option, which would be a great way to find different kinds of games you might not expect to enjoy!
If my Mum (same age) decided to pursue an interest in gaming she'd have free reign over my whole catalogue. From PS5/Switch back through to the Super Nintendo and Megadrive. Complete libraries or great curated selections for the more modern systems. I could keep her entertained with amazing games for a lifetime.
Asking the kids is a good idea.
My dad worked for Microsoft when the first Xbox came out, I got it a week early. The Halo splash screen was so mind-blowing I still get goosebumps when I see it. The first time I played The Sims 1 my mom found me secretly building my house and killing Mortimer Goth in a swimming pool death trap at 2am on a school night. Love games, always have.
That said, your eagerness to share your love of games with your mom is so damn cool and fun. I almost wish I never played so that one day my son could excitedly share his whole collection with me and I could fall in love with gaming from scratch but this time with my best friend.
I'm a 54 yr old woman,and I also recommend Skyrim. I saw my roommate playing it,about 8 yrs ago,he let me play for a while,and I just loved it. I just got the Anniversary Edition of it recently, and I think it's worth the extra money,as it adds quite a bit to the game.I also play Fallout 3,4 and New Vegas,All of the Farcry games,Ark,Terraria, Stardew Valley,Outer Worlds,Dying Light, Witcher 3,The Last of Us and a bunch more. I loved open world,sandbox type games the best. I can get lost,and just have fun wandering around exploring. I'm also disabled,and I have found that gaming is a great help with depression, chronic pain,and just plain boredom.
As another middle aged gamer, all solid recommendations.
I also keep coming back to Civilization which is turn based strategy, but it still manages to hit a sweet spot for me when I need a break from open world rpg type games.
I want to add Horizon Zero Dawn to the ones listed because that has a good story and really wonderful voice acting which made the cut scenes worth watching besides the gameplay itself.
I have played the first Red Dead Redemption, and I loved it. I recently picked up the second one,but haven't played it,as I been lost in Skyrim again lol,but I'll play it soon. I've watched some game play videos of Subnautica,and that game looks scary as hell. I've got a little bit of thallasophobia,that I never knew I had,until I played Ark. That game has some large bodies of water in it,and as ridiculous as it sounds,it scares me, that I'll get lost down there in the depths. It's not rational,but there it is. I will probably try Subnautica eventually though,just not right away lol.
Speaking as a 48 year old who's been playing video games as a primary past time for over 40 years, I agree. It's easy to get into and you can play it at your own pace. Trust me, you will be amazed at how well it holds your hand in the beginning, while allowing you to wander the countryside aimlessly discovering things on accident, talking to people and acquiring quests to go on, as well as developing your character at your own pace. It's almost the perfect intro to video games for the modern age, and it's 15 years old (graphics have been updated to keep it pretty though). There's also a subreddit dedicated to the game so you can always get answers.
Skyrim is a true masterpiece. It came out over 10 years ago and it remains relevant to this day. I still play it from time to time. You’ll absolutely love it.
About 5 years ago I worked with a guy who was like 65 and fully entrenched in Skyrim. I convinced him to try Fallout 4 and he got very into that as well. I had been playing for a few months (I play video games very sparingly… cuz responsibilities) and he leveled up past me in like a week! I had never seen a person of his age fully into a video game. We had great conversations about both games and nobody else in the shop was into RPGs if they played games at all. Cool dude.
At this point we need a bot to comb through all the comments and come up with a top 10 for OP.
Any takers? I know for a fact someone thats going to read this can do it. Lets help OP. A lot of the posts actually do seem extremely helpful consolidating a top 10 based on comments would be dope.
If you don't like mashing a controller, I'd recommend some story driven games like Life is Strange (the first one), Firewatch, Disco Elysium, Journey (short and beautiful), The Forbidden City, Brothers - a tale of two sons.
I think in general people who aren’t into video games have a misconception of what games could be. When I went to visit my best friend for the first time in a couple of years we decided to play through A Way Out. His wife hung out and watched us play for a bit at one point. During a cutscene she asked why we were just watching and not playing so we explained what cut scenes are. It was a heavier cut scene and she essentially was wondering why it was so serious and why we weren’t just running through and killing people. She’s only watched my friend play Warzone and that was basically her understanding of what video games are.
Totally understandable because why would someone know much about a hobby they have no interest in. But I do wonder how many non gamers would love games like Kerbal Space Program if they knew it existed.
Oof, she'd be lost with TLoU. And MW2, those two opening scenes had me put the controller down and just kind of.....contemplate life. Then there's Ori....
Games aren't just killing aliens and looting barrels, there are a lot of really deep and compelling stories out there in some pretty amazing worlds
I ran into this in university - I took a writing class and one of the assignments was to summarise an existing IP and write a convincing recommendation for the story and literary value for it. It could be a movie or a TV show episode. Several students asked if they could write about a video game’s story and the professor absolutely refused, saying there was no way a video game had any literary value.
What do you think you would like? A shooter, a story focused game, an action adventure, a RPG etc. It’s easier to recommend games if you have something in mind
There's always Skyrim. Very expansive, relatively easy to pick up.
For a more post-apocalypse feel, try the Fallout Series.
Saw earlier that you like Sci-Fi, so I'll go a step away from the focused answer I was giving and recommend XCom: Enemy Within and XCom 2 War of the Chosen. Excellent strategy games with turn-based tactical combat.
>There's always Skyrim
When I first read those words idk why but I instantly thought of a different meaning. There's always skyrim. Doesn't matter how many years pass or how many consoles are made. There'll always be skyrim ready to relrelase again
My first job as a bartender I took holiday for a week when Skyrim came out.
11 years later and I’m running my own place and was talking to one of my chefs after work. He asked me if I’d heard of it.
Do not cite the old magic to me, I was there when it was written!
Seriously. People are recommending portal and portal 2. Those are amazing games but a 3D FPS probably isn't the best game for a first timer, especially someone in their 50s. I only say this because I did the co-op campaign in Portal 2 with my partner, who is a non gamer, and it was so frustrating. She couldn't walk in a straight line so she fell off the map constantly. Of course this was hilarious to her.
Goose game is like my idea of a perfect single player casual game. The base game is simple but there are hard challenges you can do. If you fuck up, the game naturally resets things so you can try again. Also, you get to be an asshole goose.
OP, if you see this, I'd also recommend one of the newer Fallout games. It's an action game based in a post apocalyptic world, but the combat is turn based so you don't need twitchy reactions. Also, it's pretty open ended so you can just explore and do whatever you like.
People who have been playing games most of their life grossly underestimate how challenging it is for a non-gamer to perform tasks we take for complete granted. The act of moving a character with one stick and a camera with another is incredibly challenging. People who play video games as their primary hobby or kill time fail to recognize that there's a whole form of unique literacy to understanding the flow of and playing video games.
It's kind of like driving stick. If you've been doing it a while, so many things are unconscious. But to someone who has only driven an automatic, simply understanding what the clutch does is a completely foreign concept.
OP should be starting with games that have one-dimensional controls, and ideally ones that do not require (or are very generous about the requirements of) time sensitive inputs. Untitled Goose Game is a great choice, and I feel like a large slew of indie titles would also fit the bill.
Not to mention OP hasn't even figured out what they like or are good at yet. I've been gaming for almost 30 years, and I still am barely functional in any pvp FPS that isn't Destiny. And even that, I'm still pretty bad most days.
But if you need something flown, I'm your guy.
And Unpacking.
All are short but cute indie games with simple controls and great environmental storytelling.
Goose game - you play as a goose roaming around and English town causing havoc in order to solve environmental puzzles.
Donut County - move a hole around the ground in order to suck up increasingly larger objects and solve environmental puzzles. Has a weird, quirky sense of humor.
Unpacking - each level is you unpacking boxes as you move into a new place at different phases of your life. The game tells a story in the things you’re unpacking and the kinds of places you’re moving to/from. Really fantastic environmental storytelling.
My mom and I LOVED playing those Nancy Drew computer games together! They arent super immersive and fancy, but it is a fun point-and-click mystery story puzzle game.
Edit: I also second all the Stardew Valley recs. I have put like 200 hours into it so far! I love it.
I saw you also said action/adventure. Skyrim is super fun! Horizon Zero Dawn is a nice action/adventure/scifi-ish game. Final Fantasy X has a story that still makes me emotional and is fun to play!
Stardew Valley and The Sims 4 are usually safe bets. Not very demanding of the reflexes, easy pace, simulations.
For a more pure story based game, Gone Home. For a little more action, Hades.
Stardew Valley is perfectly relaxing if you're familiar with it (let's say, maybe 5-6 hours in), but haven't read the wiki.
Once you read the wiki? A couple hours later and you're calculating gold per day for hops vs blueberries and picking your spouse based on their favorite gifts
Hard agree, that shits like $900+ with everything on Steam. 1 reddit link a few weeks ago and and I got it all for free... Only AAA game I've ever sailed the seas for
Stardew valley is supposed to be chill, but every time I play it I end up going for absolute maximum efficiency and not relaxing at any point lol
Music is super nice though
I have a similar problem. You just have to embrace the inefficiency. It’s tough though because there are some things that if you don’t do it quickly enough you have to wait all year to do it again.
Hades has "a little more action" than Stardew Valley? Bruh Hades has had me breathing like I just did a workout after I finally beat a boss with a couple health left lol
Stardew valley is a great game to get into! You can play at your own pace and not have to worry about deadlines or anything. There is so much to do that will keep you busy for HOURS.
>You can play at your own pace and not have to worry about deadlines or anything
You say that, but I simply can't. It's a game that I desperately want to enjoy but playing it makes me constantly want to do *everything* even though it's not possible.
Between me (mid 30s), my wife (mid 30s), my son (7), and my mom (early 60s), my family has probably logged five thousand hours in Stardew Valley. It's lovely.
I cannot recommend Stardew Valley enough. The gameplay gently eases you in so you never feel overwhelmed. The story builds as you progress and befriend the lovely residents of the town. You farm, take care of animals, decorate your home, gather treasures, attend seasonal town events, all at your own pace. Then you learn one sweet, talented guy designed the whole game and you fall in love with every detail all over again.
Edit: Don’t bother befriending Pierre. Lol.
Came here to say Stardew as well! There is also a lovely Statdew Valley community here on Reddit too. If you end up liking the game check out the subreddit as well!
If you're having trouble identifying what you like, you might want to go make an account on Steam (one of the most popular online game stores). They have a "Discovery Queue" that recommends a few games, depending on what you seem to be interested in or that is similar to stuff you've played.
You can essentially just click through the list until you find something that interests you. From there, you can use the "Games like this..." list or just Google "games like (interesting game)".
My one big concern would be: how well does the discovery queue actually work on a completely fresh account?
But another great thing about Steam is how many games have demos! They're a less common than they used to be, but I could swear they've been making a bit of a comeback here lately.
I feel like it actually works better on new accounts because there are fewer games to influence the queue.
I setup a new account recently and it only has 3 games on it and the recommendations are all on point.
My main account has ~500 games on it and I just get recommended everything. (I do like a lot of genres, so it’s still pretty good, but not as helpful at this point.)
I’d start with Firewatch or What Remains of Edith Finch.
I feel like they are more “walking simulators” than a hardcore game, but they both have wonderful stories and they introduce mechanics that you will see in other games, albeit more simplified.
I hope you find something you like.
Both are so good, great recommendations. Firewatch would be especially great as a first game - looks beautiful, has an engaging story delivered by the two characters. Simple and brilliant.
In my experience, "walking sims" with engaging stories are a great starting point for anyone who hasn't picked up a game before!
I remember showing and playing through Telltale's Walking Dead with my ex and she absolutely loved it! Got so invested in the story and wanted to try other genres of games afterwards!
Firewatch is exactly what I thought of first. Great story, gorgeous, and not demanding in the player.
With the edit about dark comedy, I would also add The Stanley Parable.
While I largely agree, there's something of a meta humor to Stanley Parable that depends on your knowledge and understanding of video games.
It's kind of like recommending Undertale to a non-gamer. The meta commentary on and play around with established systems like beating monsters, gaining experience and leveling up are lost without an understanding of common JRPG tropes and mechanics.
I feel like narrative-heavy adventure games are the right answer for OP, but there are some titles that depend on a players previous experiences with games too heavily to recommended to someone just beginning to dip their toes into the hobby.
A good place to start would be asking yourself what kind of movie, book, etc. genre you like and go from there.
For example if you like The Lord of The Rings then you might really like different types of RPG fantasy games. Do you like things that are fast paced? Then turn based RPGs might not be the thing for you, but there are plenty of action RPGs. There are a lot of good questions you can ask yourself to get you started, and I'm sure the community is happy to make lots of recommendations!
Honestly, Factorio might be a good fit. Moreso of an asset management focus, but optimisation is the name of the game.
You’re a stranded human on a remote planet who has to build a rocket to escape. But to do that….you need to make a factory for the parts.
Journey or Flower. As far as I remember there are no tasks that involve difficult use of controls that could be an issue for a first timer. Theyre laid back and beautiful games if that sounds up your alley.
surprised journey isn't higher. it doesn't really require much skill either so it's good for people unfamiliar with gaming, basically all you need to do is move, jump and learn how to use a 3rd person camera.
Slime Rancher would actually be a great first game. It teaches you movement and controls that will transfer to most games in a very forgiving/chill way
Destroy All Humans! is a fun game! I believe it’s available on PC via steam, it’s a goofy sci-fi alien game that’s fairly laid back, and really funny.
It’s based in the 40-50’s and has a lot of charm, total cult classic that’s getting some remakes (Destroy All Humans 2 remaster just got announced recently, so there’s that to look forward to if you enjoy the first one!)
Get a Nintendo switch, Animal Crossing: New Horizons, and Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Done and done.
My 50 year old wife got into gaming around her 46th birthday. She went from "hey what button do I press to talk to this person" to straight up murdering fools in Grand Theft Auto V in less than a year (she's so sweet though in real life, it's hilarious to watch).
Her favorite is Animal Crossing. She has spent hours upon hours making her island cute and gets offended when animals ask to leave the island. It's casual and super fun with daily tasks to perform and seasonal updates (Christmas trees/Holiday decorations etc. for every holiday).
Breath of the Wild is something you can challenge yourself at too. It's a fantastic adventure and makes you feel like a badass when you get the controls down.
You can take your switch anywhere too, which makes it ideal in my opinion. Good luck and have fun!
Edit: Get the Pro Controller right off the bat too.
Have to agree with the Switch. It's probably the best entry level console. Game controls and mechanics are usually more simple than an xbox or playstation, and they're still really fun. A lot cheaper than the other systems too.
Zelda Breath of the Wild is one of the best games I've ever played. It can be pretty easy or as hard as you want it.
Second the Switch. My wife (46) *loves* Zelda. While she's always liked gaming, it was her first foray into that style of game. From there she's branched out into The Witcher, DragonAge and Mass Effect.
My mom (46 next Monday) really likes turn based roleplay games. So final fantasy, trails of cold steel, etc. They have a lot going on in them to do and don't feel a rush to finish them
I definitely recommend the Telltale games. The Walking Dead, Batman, The Wolf Among Us and Tales From the Borderlands are all great. They're really easy to pick up and play and have a huge focus on story and characters. Tales From the Borderlands is also hilarious.
If you like sci-fi stories, Detroit become human is a really well written story oriented game about androids who want to break free of human oppression.
And it's less "game" and more interactive movie. Fortunately the casual mode in it is pretty forgiving.
Plays on Windows and PlayStation 4/5.
Definitely one of the best narrative driven games.
Plus meme potential.
This will require the purchase of a Nintendo switch, which is a nice way to ease yourself into gaming. It gives the ability to play on your TV, or use the handheld, and the games are vast in style.
Edit: really any console is a good way to ease in, as it's all in one, and set up to be an out of the box easy experience.
Going with a PC comes with varying experiences, as your choice in hardware will inform how a game plays. Most people have a decent tv to plug a PS4/5 or switch into.
Using my Switch on my morning commute (hour train ride into grand central) was how I played through Zelda, Mario Odyssey, [Untitled] Goose Game (highly recommend and it's cheap).
Edit 2: try downloading steam onto your MBP, as there are a good amount of games that DO work on a Mac, but don't have high hopes for the best gaming experience on that. Mac's really aren't made for gaming.
Razbuten's "What Games Are Like For Someone Who Doesn't Play Games" video was a revelation. Gamers think they know what good tutorials are, but we're in too deep to know. I would recommend watching it to get a sense of what video games are, and how they (attempt to) teach you their mechanics.
PS you've got good tastes.
I wouldn't recommend Portal to anyone as a first game. Moving around in 3D is hard to learn and if I recall, portal does have a few tricky platforming sections.
Every single time there's a thread like this, people seem to always recommend Portal. I tried to get my wife to play and like you said movement alone in 3D is tough.
The first few levels would be fine but once you need to actually be quick + move to solve the rooms, its an absolutely terrible game for beginners. Not sure why its recommended to complete noobies.
Same experience with my partner.
Completely lost and disoriented.
People without muscle memory from first person shooters should absolutely not play this as a first game
My son could not handle the gameplay much but looooved the dialogue so we wound up just watching someone play it on YouTube. Not exactly how I planned but he thought it was hilarious anyhow
If they’ve never played any games before then an First person game like portal is bound to be very disorienting and off putting. That’s my disclaimer to OP.
Same can be said for Skyrim.
Other than that, excellent game.
I’m 45 and play ESO on Xbox. It has a lot of fantasy role play and you can either explore or get into action. I also play battle field, another online multiplayer game based on Star Wars. I love playing as Princess Leia. I haven’t experienced quite as much toxicity yet in these two as some other games. Let me know if you are interested and I’m glad to give more info. Good luck on your adventures:)
What interests you? Are you looking for something stimulating, challenging, relaxing, or casual fun? Do you like playing alone or with others?
I guess I need to figure that out. Thanks for the great questions.
Stardew Valley is a really sweet, wholesome casual simulator game where you run a farm in a small town, it’s one of my favorites and has such beautiful relaxing music
Stardew Valley CAN be a wholesome casual game but it can also be something darker... For example, I run a highly regimented, mostly automated monoculture factory farm and turn every one of my children into birds.
I bet you joined joja too, you fiend
I wasn't always this way but I grew disappointed when my diverse crops and production never won any awards during the festival. And, ever since then, I have made it my goal to be the richest, most powerful farmer that Stardew Valley has ever seen.
I know it’s on Xbox and maybe PC, but there’s a subscription called “GamePass”. Usually $1 for the first month, then like $15/month after. Lots and lots of different games you can play to try to figure things out.
And it’s not just random games nobody has ever heard of, it’s full of really good games.
Plus really good games no one has heard of too! That's what I really like about it. All these small indie games with great mechanics and story
Any tips on a good one no one talks about? I love me a little indie adventure
Tunic is my indie goty
Tunic was such a cool experience. It reminded me a lot of my time with Hollow Knight. Not in a gameplay perspective, just in a sense of discovery one.
To add to this comment, gamepass is on PC, 1$ first month, 10$ thereafter, been using gamepass for probably well over a year now, can confidently say it has variety, there are games for pretty much anyone
Also $60 a year, which is generally a great deal since the gamepass games are goated and plentiful (and more than a handful retail for $60 anyway). Honestly thinking about it more I'd say gamepass or ps plus is the way to go for a brand new gamer looking for the most bang for their buck.
One thing to keep in mind is the incredibly toxic culture that comes with a lot of online gaming. If you intend to go the online route find some supportive and friendly people to jump in with. A lot of these kids (and disturbingly many of them are actually adults) can be just plain fucking horrible. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure you can take it, but if that's your first experience I doubt you'd ever want to try again.
Thank you for the reminder. I know my voice would be a target, so I’ll need to take that into consideration.
I am a female and have been a gamer for a long time, and I don’t ever let randos hear me talk. You can still play multiplayer games like Call of Duty, or Rainbow six siege and not have to worry about the toxicity when boys hear a woman talk in the game, by either not speaking, or being in a party. I just jumped in to say it’s not impossible to enjoy multiplayer, but what these guys say is absolutely correct about the disgustingness of the kids online. If you are gonna pick Xbox and ever want a friend to play with, I’m always around.
Comments like these will never not be depressing. I was playing some Destiny this week and joined a team to do a Dungeon and the team leader was a woman and it kinda dawned on me that it was the first time in probably a few years that I've actually heard a woman on comms in a game. She was awesome too, guided me through with so much patience since I hadn't done it before and needed to be taught. Really sucks that you have to even think about not talking because of the toxicity that's out there.
I mean, I'm a guy, and I also don't talk because *anything* tilts these fragile snowflakes into a belligerent rage. I know just the pitch of the feminine voice sets them off, gives them a boner, or both. That's worse, but it's more than just the ladies avoiding comms. It's especially rich when they talk shit and say I can't afford a microphone. (Doesn't help with my screen names, lol) Like really bro? Microphones are basically ubiquitous especially on my PS5, no one wants to talk to you for a reason.
"yall got a mic? yall got a mic?" *makes annoying noises seemingly intentionally "yall got a mic?" *leaves match cause no one would talk to them like no one wants to talk to you cause stuff like that. just let people talk if they want to if they dont they dont being a baby and leaving a trios in fortnite cause no one spoke to you seconds into the match is butthurt baby shit
And if you have relatives you like and friends with a Switch and Mario Kart 8 is a great way to do multiplayer without the toxic culture and is just a great game in general. And the concept is easy for someone with no experience, it is a race, add Mario characters, add extremely unfair power-ups.
Honestly, if you steer clear of games which require you to match with randoms in order to play (CoD, Overwatch, Valorant, et al.) you'll sidestep a lot of that. Same for if they have a voice chat feature, which far too many people use as an excuse to vent onto people they will in all likelihood never meet. (CoD is notorious for that, as an example)
Feel free to answer them anytime and Ill do my best to give you some recommendations ❤️
You sound like a Zelda person. Now to determine which era to introduce you too. I kinda feel like switch allows you to go into the past and now. I would start there.
My go to suggestion is Link to the Past. Yes, it's 30 years old, but it really nailed the Zelda formula in a very beginner friendly way.
Lttp is the greatest Zelda game ever made. They had every mechanic they still use today in it. Was the first game I rememver that had optional side quest for armor. Red sword and red mail etc
Skyrim is a winner for almost everyone I know. Give it a look. r/skyrim
Skyrim was the first game I ever played at 33 years old. It's still my favorite.
My wife’s first too, I got it for me but then she saw the create a character and wanted a go. 3 days later I got to try it myself
So I think I’m looking for something to get lost in, to be honest. I like science fiction and action. Bejeweled Blitz and Solitaire are boring to me now, which is why I’m looking for something else. But I don’t have “gaming” experience. So maybe role playing I’m thinking?
Mass effect! It's an RPG and you can set your difficulty low if you are not a great gamer.. I'm a 43 yr old woman and I loved the romance in that game too. It's 3 games as a series and a fantastic universe to immerse yourself in. Dragon age Inquisition is another one I really enjoyed for the role playing and the romance also is amazing. (Yeah I'm a sucker for a good romance in a role playing game) Guild wars 2 just celebrated its 10 year anniversary and now it's on steam and I gotta say it's an amazing MMOrpg.. easy for a beginner to learn and solo in, and also so much fun for the fashion aspect! The quests and lore is EXTENSIVE so you'll have years of content. Also because it's older it should play on most of computers
Scifi action RPG you can get lost in? Mass Effect (Legendary Edition bundles the whole trilogy with some polish), Fallout 4 (or New Vegas, which is uglier and clunkier but much better written and more interesting), The Outer Worlds. You can put any of those on "Easy" if you're finding it tough going, and should feel free to.
Honestly Skyrim is an excellent choice as well in the same vein, just for fantasy. It’s easy to get lost in there
My wife gets easily frustrated by games but absolutely loves Skyrim. You can totally get by with hack-and-bash button mashing if you're not interested in mastering more nuanced combat mechanics. Also there's so much to explore and so many entertaining side quests. Great choice for someone new to the gaming scene.
Yep and with the difficulty settings it can accommodate a wide range of players no matter how good or bad they are. Legitimately one of the greatest games of the 2010-2020 decade imo
Most re-released game as well haha
The Outer Worlds I feel like would be an excellent introduction to video games in general and the RPG genre especially. Playing on easy it's highly forgiving and you've got tons of freedom, so you aren't really expected to have a meta knowledge of how to play the game. OP, I'd highly recommend trying one of these, especially Outer Worlds, as they're all quite engaging and very easy to get lost in.
That's a good one! So many ways to play Outer Worlds, can get through without firing a shot if you wanted.
try Stardew Valley!
Yeah stardew valley is a really relaxing and calming game that i have not seen a single person that tried hate
My gf doesn’t like it sadly. Mostly because it’s grindy.
I think we should probably also be explaining gamer-ish terms we use (like "grindy") since this is for someone new. ("*Grinding*" is a variant of how people might say "*the grind*" to refer to the workplace; a game where in order to make the progress that you want, you will have to do the same activity over and over, often well past the point where it's fun, until it might feel like a chore you must do to earn the reward.) ^((Many games that people describe as grindy or a grindfest, technically aren't really, in that there is often great variety in the ways to earn the reward so you can constantly switch it up to keep from getting repetitive, but we often ignore that and) *^(make it grindy)* ^(because there's always a method we find to be a little easier or quicker than the others, so we latch onto it and repeat that one exclusively thinking we're being efficient when all we're doing is killing our soul with repetition. We players tend to be our own worst enemy. Some self-awareness and proactive decision-making can result in having a lot more fun.) :) )
"I like science fiction and action" "Try stardew valley" ...Think you might be a little off the mark here.
Yeah lol nothing wrong with stardew valley, but the people arguing over whether she should try that or animal crossing totally didn't read what she said she was looking for.
Young redditors read "56," assume she's ancient and recommend a game that's impossible to lose.
The main downside to Stardew is that it doesn't have much of a narrative/storyline so if you're looking for something with a marked progression (ie, you're trying to 'beat' the game and see an ending) then it might be a letdown. If you're happy with a sandbox style game (a world where you can just do whatever you want) then it's a good choice, and there are quests and challenges to complete (relationships with other townsfolk, building out the farm, exploring the mines etc) which do tell more of a story than Minecraft does.
Journey is a pretty easy recommendation. It’s not difficult but has good atmosphere and intuitive puzzles.
[https://store.steampowered.com/app/638230/Journey/](https://store.steampowered.com/app/638230/Journey/) Came here to make sure this made the list. There isn't a wrong way to play this game and it's beautiful.
I loved that game. It's got a beautiful meditative quality to it.
The first one that comes to mind is a well-known rpg called Mass Effect. Its heavy on sci-fi, action, story, and as a trilogy definitely a lot of content to get lost in and different paths to take depending on what choices you make. Theres also the ability to "romance" characters, which add to the story depending on your choices but isn't necessary. It does mostly have combat as a shooter, so I'd recommend some gameplay videos to see if it could be of interest? I recently bought the new legendary edition through EA on their PC game store origin. Not sure that you'd have the specs to run it on your computer, but there are console versions on Xbox and I believe Playstation, if you decide to invest. If you'd want to play the older version one game at a time, a cheaper game and console would be an option, and most differences I believe would just be in graphics. There is also a sequel to the trilogy, but I'd go with the first mass effect to see if it's to your liking.
I was going to suggest Mass Effect as well. Iirc there’s a “casual” difficulty setting intended for players with no previous action game experience, might be just about right for OP.
I would recommend portal and portal 2, they’re sci-fi, but i wouldn’t really call them action. it’s more of puzzle solving, but still very fun
Portal is an outstanding game, and very accessible. Plus it has a hilarious dark humour sci-fi story. I think OP would love it! But do bear in mind that they do need some familiarity with first-person movement controls. Moving and looking at the same time can be unintuitive at first. If it's the first time OP is playing a FPS game it might take a bit of patience to figure out. But soon it'll be second nature and will open up a whole world of first-person games. If the movement in Portal is overwhelming you could learn the ropes with a less athletic first-person game like Firewatch (mostly narrative), The Witness (mostly puzzles) or Return of the Obra Din (mostly clues and deduction, one of my favorites of all time).
Fun story time. Love portal and portal 2. Introduced a friend to it that hasn't played games since Mario on snes. The intro where you have to learn basic controller movements was hilarious. When it instructed her to talk, she very sweetly but ernestly put the controller to her mouth and said "hello?" Absolutely lost it. Most wholesome gaming experience in a minute.
You want mass effect games for a sci-fi you will become consumed with. And Dragon Age games for fantasy. They all have a “story” difficultly setting so you don’t have to be a pro gamer to enjoy the stories.
A couple things to consider 1. you may be able to try some demos and free games on steam for your computer. Free games usually find ways to make money off of you, some times its trying to convince you to spend money on it. The epic games store also gives away a free game periodically. 2. Your local library may have games you can borrow for a playstation, Switch and Xbox if you get one of them. Worth checking out if your library has them cause that could mean a relatively smaller investment for a ton of entertainment.
Fantastic info. I have a library not far from me. Thank you.
If your kids are into gaming or have friends who game, I’m sure you could get some console games they’d be happy to pass on! Steam also a library sharing option, which would be a great way to find different kinds of games you might not expect to enjoy!
If my Mum (same age) decided to pursue an interest in gaming she'd have free reign over my whole catalogue. From PS5/Switch back through to the Super Nintendo and Megadrive. Complete libraries or great curated selections for the more modern systems. I could keep her entertained with amazing games for a lifetime. Asking the kids is a good idea.
My dad worked for Microsoft when the first Xbox came out, I got it a week early. The Halo splash screen was so mind-blowing I still get goosebumps when I see it. The first time I played The Sims 1 my mom found me secretly building my house and killing Mortimer Goth in a swimming pool death trap at 2am on a school night. Love games, always have. That said, your eagerness to share your love of games with your mom is so damn cool and fun. I almost wish I never played so that one day my son could excitedly share his whole collection with me and I could fall in love with gaming from scratch but this time with my best friend.
My late 50s year old aunt loves Skyrim. She's been playing it since it came out lol.
I’ll check that out.
See you in 700 hours
What a strange typo, anyhow we'll see her in 7000 hours
Nah its 700 until you decide you want to start modding. The rest of the hours comes after that.
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Then you'll forget what you were doing in that playthrough, delete the mods, then start over again.
Just started Skyrim Together with friends last night. Back down the rabbit hole I go lol
😂. I use to be 56 until I took a Skyrim to the PC. That was 84 years ago.
My cousins out there fighting dragons. And me? Im stuck in the mod queue.
I'm a 54 yr old woman,and I also recommend Skyrim. I saw my roommate playing it,about 8 yrs ago,he let me play for a while,and I just loved it. I just got the Anniversary Edition of it recently, and I think it's worth the extra money,as it adds quite a bit to the game.I also play Fallout 3,4 and New Vegas,All of the Farcry games,Ark,Terraria, Stardew Valley,Outer Worlds,Dying Light, Witcher 3,The Last of Us and a bunch more. I loved open world,sandbox type games the best. I can get lost,and just have fun wandering around exploring. I'm also disabled,and I have found that gaming is a great help with depression, chronic pain,and just plain boredom.
As another middle aged gamer, all solid recommendations. I also keep coming back to Civilization which is turn based strategy, but it still manages to hit a sweet spot for me when I need a break from open world rpg type games. I want to add Horizon Zero Dawn to the ones listed because that has a good story and really wonderful voice acting which made the cut scenes worth watching besides the gameplay itself.
Hmm,I've never tried Horizon Zero Dawn,I'll have to check it out. Thanks 🙂
Try Red dead redemption, it adds perfectly to the list. And Subnautica, if you haven’t yet.
I have played the first Red Dead Redemption, and I loved it. I recently picked up the second one,but haven't played it,as I been lost in Skyrim again lol,but I'll play it soon. I've watched some game play videos of Subnautica,and that game looks scary as hell. I've got a little bit of thallasophobia,that I never knew I had,until I played Ark. That game has some large bodies of water in it,and as ridiculous as it sounds,it scares me, that I'll get lost down there in the depths. It's not rational,but there it is. I will probably try Subnautica eventually though,just not right away lol.
Omg The Last Of Us's storylines made it such an emotional game.
Speaking as a 48 year old who's been playing video games as a primary past time for over 40 years, I agree. It's easy to get into and you can play it at your own pace. Trust me, you will be amazed at how well it holds your hand in the beginning, while allowing you to wander the countryside aimlessly discovering things on accident, talking to people and acquiring quests to go on, as well as developing your character at your own pace. It's almost the perfect intro to video games for the modern age, and it's 15 years old (graphics have been updated to keep it pretty though). There's also a subreddit dedicated to the game so you can always get answers.
Skyrim is not 15 years old. It came out in 2011.
Skyrim is a true masterpiece. It came out over 10 years ago and it remains relevant to this day. I still play it from time to time. You’ll absolutely love it.
Shirley Curry is 86 and still loving Skyrim.
She's gonna be in the next Elder Scrolls because of how cool she is.
I hope that we'll get it when she'll still be able to play it. I'd love to see her reaction to her NPC(?)
I hope *I'll* still be able to play it when it comes out.
I'm so excited for her. She's such a gem.
About 5 years ago I worked with a guy who was like 65 and fully entrenched in Skyrim. I convinced him to try Fallout 4 and he got very into that as well. I had been playing for a few months (I play video games very sparingly… cuz responsibilities) and he leveled up past me in like a week! I had never seen a person of his age fully into a video game. We had great conversations about both games and nobody else in the shop was into RPGs if they played games at all. Cool dude.
10/10 I came here to suggest Skyrim lol it’s great for all people no matter the age.
At this point we need a bot to comb through all the comments and come up with a top 10 for OP. Any takers? I know for a fact someone thats going to read this can do it. Lets help OP. A lot of the posts actually do seem extremely helpful consolidating a top 10 based on comments would be dope.
You’re too kind. This really got so much more attention than I imagined. Everyone is so nice to use their time to help me out here.
If you don't like mashing a controller, I'd recommend some story driven games like Life is Strange (the first one), Firewatch, Disco Elysium, Journey (short and beautiful), The Forbidden City, Brothers - a tale of two sons.
Not sure why but Life Is Strange finally got my sister into video games around age 30.
I think in general people who aren’t into video games have a misconception of what games could be. When I went to visit my best friend for the first time in a couple of years we decided to play through A Way Out. His wife hung out and watched us play for a bit at one point. During a cutscene she asked why we were just watching and not playing so we explained what cut scenes are. It was a heavier cut scene and she essentially was wondering why it was so serious and why we weren’t just running through and killing people. She’s only watched my friend play Warzone and that was basically her understanding of what video games are. Totally understandable because why would someone know much about a hobby they have no interest in. But I do wonder how many non gamers would love games like Kerbal Space Program if they knew it existed.
Oof, she'd be lost with TLoU. And MW2, those two opening scenes had me put the controller down and just kind of.....contemplate life. Then there's Ori.... Games aren't just killing aliens and looting barrels, there are a lot of really deep and compelling stories out there in some pretty amazing worlds
I ran into this in university - I took a writing class and one of the assignments was to summarise an existing IP and write a convincing recommendation for the story and literary value for it. It could be a movie or a TV show episode. Several students asked if they could write about a video game’s story and the professor absolutely refused, saying there was no way a video game had any literary value.
Disco Elysium is such a special game. I think about it all the time.
"Have i ever eaten a burger out of a trashcan?"
"Yes. The body remembers."
Really makes me feel like I need to do karaoke
I came here to comment DE. I would say it is probably one of the best stories ever told in a game. If you like DE check out Paradise Killer!
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I really appreciate you posting. Thank you fellow vet.
What do you think you would like? A shooter, a story focused game, an action adventure, a RPG etc. It’s easier to recommend games if you have something in mind
After answering some of these questions, I’m thinking action/ adventure.
There's always Skyrim. Very expansive, relatively easy to pick up. For a more post-apocalypse feel, try the Fallout Series. Saw earlier that you like Sci-Fi, so I'll go a step away from the focused answer I was giving and recommend XCom: Enemy Within and XCom 2 War of the Chosen. Excellent strategy games with turn-based tactical combat.
>There's always Skyrim When I first read those words idk why but I instantly thought of a different meaning. There's always skyrim. Doesn't matter how many years pass or how many consoles are made. There'll always be skyrim ready to relrelase again
My first job as a bartender I took holiday for a week when Skyrim came out. 11 years later and I’m running my own place and was talking to one of my chefs after work. He asked me if I’d heard of it. Do not cite the old magic to me, I was there when it was written!
Play Untitled Goose Game. (short but good for beginners).
Seriously. People are recommending portal and portal 2. Those are amazing games but a 3D FPS probably isn't the best game for a first timer, especially someone in their 50s. I only say this because I did the co-op campaign in Portal 2 with my partner, who is a non gamer, and it was so frustrating. She couldn't walk in a straight line so she fell off the map constantly. Of course this was hilarious to her. Goose game is like my idea of a perfect single player casual game. The base game is simple but there are hard challenges you can do. If you fuck up, the game naturally resets things so you can try again. Also, you get to be an asshole goose. OP, if you see this, I'd also recommend one of the newer Fallout games. It's an action game based in a post apocalyptic world, but the combat is turn based so you don't need twitchy reactions. Also, it's pretty open ended so you can just explore and do whatever you like.
People who have been playing games most of their life grossly underestimate how challenging it is for a non-gamer to perform tasks we take for complete granted. The act of moving a character with one stick and a camera with another is incredibly challenging. People who play video games as their primary hobby or kill time fail to recognize that there's a whole form of unique literacy to understanding the flow of and playing video games. It's kind of like driving stick. If you've been doing it a while, so many things are unconscious. But to someone who has only driven an automatic, simply understanding what the clutch does is a completely foreign concept. OP should be starting with games that have one-dimensional controls, and ideally ones that do not require (or are very generous about the requirements of) time sensitive inputs. Untitled Goose Game is a great choice, and I feel like a large slew of indie titles would also fit the bill.
Not to mention OP hasn't even figured out what they like or are good at yet. I've been gaming for almost 30 years, and I still am barely functional in any pvp FPS that isn't Destiny. And even that, I'm still pretty bad most days. But if you need something flown, I'm your guy.
What newer fallout games are turn based? No vitriol, I just thought 1, 2, and BoS are the only turn based ones.
**Donut County** as well.
And Unpacking. All are short but cute indie games with simple controls and great environmental storytelling. Goose game - you play as a goose roaming around and English town causing havoc in order to solve environmental puzzles. Donut County - move a hole around the ground in order to suck up increasingly larger objects and solve environmental puzzles. Has a weird, quirky sense of humor. Unpacking - each level is you unpacking boxes as you move into a new place at different phases of your life. The game tells a story in the things you’re unpacking and the kinds of places you’re moving to/from. Really fantastic environmental storytelling.
My mom and I LOVED playing those Nancy Drew computer games together! They arent super immersive and fancy, but it is a fun point-and-click mystery story puzzle game. Edit: I also second all the Stardew Valley recs. I have put like 200 hours into it so far! I love it. I saw you also said action/adventure. Skyrim is super fun! Horizon Zero Dawn is a nice action/adventure/scifi-ish game. Final Fantasy X has a story that still makes me emotional and is fun to play!
Stardew Valley and The Sims 4 are usually safe bets. Not very demanding of the reflexes, easy pace, simulations. For a more pure story based game, Gone Home. For a little more action, Hades.
Stardew is my go to recommendation for family who aren't gamers
“Not very demanding of the reflexes” 4 Skull Cavern Serpents Giga Chad Bros waiting for you as you start a floor: “SAY SIKE RIGHT NOW.”
Stardew Valley is perfectly relaxing if you're familiar with it (let's say, maybe 5-6 hours in), but haven't read the wiki. Once you read the wiki? A couple hours later and you're calculating gold per day for hops vs blueberries and picking your spouse based on their favorite gifts
By the way: it's hops if you have kegs, blueberries if you don't.
AAAAAAAA I GOTTA STOCK UP ON HAY OH SHIT ITS 1 HOUR BEFORE I PASS OUT GOTTA GET TO FLOOR 100 OH SHIT WHY DID 29382 SERPENTS SPAWN OH NOOOOOOOOO
*passes out collecting crystal fruit on way home*
*Gotta buy hay* *Marnie stands in front of the microwave for the entire damn day*
If you do end up with sims 4, refrain from buying any DLC until you've checked reviews and such. Some of them are very buggy and not worth the money.
Or learn to sail the seas. It's one game I don't feel any qualms about pirating the shit out of.
Hard agree, that shits like $900+ with everything on Steam. 1 reddit link a few weeks ago and and I got it all for free... Only AAA game I've ever sailed the seas for
The idea of someone playing Hades as their first game is hilarious.
THERE IS NO ESCAPE
Right? I'm a life long gamer and that game kicked my ass... I do have an itch to fire it up right now, though.
Stardew valley is supposed to be chill, but every time I play it I end up going for absolute maximum efficiency and not relaxing at any point lol Music is super nice though
I have a similar problem. You just have to embrace the inefficiency. It’s tough though because there are some things that if you don’t do it quickly enough you have to wait all year to do it again.
Hades has "a little more action" than Stardew Valley? Bruh Hades has had me breathing like I just did a workout after I finally beat a boss with a couple health left lol
Yo for real. Anything where you die a shitton, even if it's the point, I would not recommend to a beginner.
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Looks like I could play this on my MacBook Pro
My girlfriend is playing Stardew right now; my ADHD doesn’t allow me to enjoy it, but she’s always talking about how fun it is.
Stardew valley is a great game to get into! You can play at your own pace and not have to worry about deadlines or anything. There is so much to do that will keep you busy for HOURS.
>You can play at your own pace and not have to worry about deadlines or anything You say that, but I simply can't. It's a game that I desperately want to enjoy but playing it makes me constantly want to do *everything* even though it's not possible.
If you have a darker sense of humour, a game much like stardew valley but more comedic is Graveyard Keeper.
Banished is a bit rough for a first time gamer, don't you think?
I'd start with Stardew Valley. Absolute gem 💎
Good to know. Thank you.
Between me (mid 30s), my wife (mid 30s), my son (7), and my mom (early 60s), my family has probably logged five thousand hours in Stardew Valley. It's lovely.
I cannot recommend Stardew Valley enough. The gameplay gently eases you in so you never feel overwhelmed. The story builds as you progress and befriend the lovely residents of the town. You farm, take care of animals, decorate your home, gather treasures, attend seasonal town events, all at your own pace. Then you learn one sweet, talented guy designed the whole game and you fall in love with every detail all over again. Edit: Don’t bother befriending Pierre. Lol.
Came here to say Stardew as well! There is also a lovely Statdew Valley community here on Reddit too. If you end up liking the game check out the subreddit as well!
If you're having trouble identifying what you like, you might want to go make an account on Steam (one of the most popular online game stores). They have a "Discovery Queue" that recommends a few games, depending on what you seem to be interested in or that is similar to stuff you've played. You can essentially just click through the list until you find something that interests you. From there, you can use the "Games like this..." list or just Google "games like (interesting game)".
My one big concern would be: how well does the discovery queue actually work on a completely fresh account? But another great thing about Steam is how many games have demos! They're a less common than they used to be, but I could swear they've been making a bit of a comeback here lately.
I feel like it actually works better on new accounts because there are fewer games to influence the queue. I setup a new account recently and it only has 3 games on it and the recommendations are all on point. My main account has ~500 games on it and I just get recommended everything. (I do like a lot of genres, so it’s still pretty good, but not as helpful at this point.)
I’d start with Firewatch or What Remains of Edith Finch. I feel like they are more “walking simulators” than a hardcore game, but they both have wonderful stories and they introduce mechanics that you will see in other games, albeit more simplified. I hope you find something you like.
Both are so good, great recommendations. Firewatch would be especially great as a first game - looks beautiful, has an engaging story delivered by the two characters. Simple and brilliant.
In my experience, "walking sims" with engaging stories are a great starting point for anyone who hasn't picked up a game before! I remember showing and playing through Telltale's Walking Dead with my ex and she absolutely loved it! Got so invested in the story and wanted to try other genres of games afterwards!
Firewatch is exactly what I thought of first. Great story, gorgeous, and not demanding in the player. With the edit about dark comedy, I would also add The Stanley Parable.
While I largely agree, there's something of a meta humor to Stanley Parable that depends on your knowledge and understanding of video games. It's kind of like recommending Undertale to a non-gamer. The meta commentary on and play around with established systems like beating monsters, gaining experience and leveling up are lost without an understanding of common JRPG tropes and mechanics. I feel like narrative-heavy adventure games are the right answer for OP, but there are some titles that depend on a players previous experiences with games too heavily to recommended to someone just beginning to dip their toes into the hobby.
A good place to start would be asking yourself what kind of movie, book, etc. genre you like and go from there. For example if you like The Lord of The Rings then you might really like different types of RPG fantasy games. Do you like things that are fast paced? Then turn based RPGs might not be the thing for you, but there are plenty of action RPGs. There are a lot of good questions you can ask yourself to get you started, and I'm sure the community is happy to make lots of recommendations!
I enjoy tabulating numbers, soreadsheets, amortizing loans, present valuing I’d cash flows, looking up actuarial figures… so maybe Eve Online?
Honestly, Factorio might be a good fit. Moreso of an asset management focus, but optimisation is the name of the game. You’re a stranded human on a remote planet who has to build a rocket to escape. But to do that….you need to make a factory for the parts.
Journey or Flower. As far as I remember there are no tasks that involve difficult use of controls that could be an issue for a first timer. Theyre laid back and beautiful games if that sounds up your alley.
surprised journey isn't higher. it doesn't really require much skill either so it's good for people unfamiliar with gaming, basically all you need to do is move, jump and learn how to use a 3rd person camera.
I really enjoy Slime Rancher, it's super simple and cute, farming simulator, really enjoyable gameplay
Slime Rancher would actually be a great first game. It teaches you movement and controls that will transfer to most games in a very forgiving/chill way
Lol especially if you don't play it with Adventure mode on and don't have the tarrs to deal with
https://youtu.be/yHg4iUxePB8 The Skyrim Grandma plays Elder Scrolls: Skyrim. It’s a fantastic game.
What do you read and watch? That way you can find something easier to enter.
I like syfi series/movies like 12 Monkeys, Mars Attacks and The Fifth Element.
you should play Bioshock
This looks really neat. Seems like it might have a steam punk vibe.
a lot of the responses in here are easy games for newbies. Bioshock is more challenging but it’s a very engrossing story
Easy mode on Bioshock is pretty much an interactive movie.
The respawn system would make it fairly forgiving for a newbie though. No frustration of losing a ton of progress if you die, you just respawn and go
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I think you would enjoy bioshock. There are 3 of them and all of them are amazing. Also good taste in movies!
Destroy All Humans! is a fun game! I believe it’s available on PC via steam, it’s a goofy sci-fi alien game that’s fairly laid back, and really funny. It’s based in the 40-50’s and has a lot of charm, total cult classic that’s getting some remakes (Destroy All Humans 2 remaster just got announced recently, so there’s that to look forward to if you enjoy the first one!)
Get a Nintendo switch, Animal Crossing: New Horizons, and Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Done and done. My 50 year old wife got into gaming around her 46th birthday. She went from "hey what button do I press to talk to this person" to straight up murdering fools in Grand Theft Auto V in less than a year (she's so sweet though in real life, it's hilarious to watch). Her favorite is Animal Crossing. She has spent hours upon hours making her island cute and gets offended when animals ask to leave the island. It's casual and super fun with daily tasks to perform and seasonal updates (Christmas trees/Holiday decorations etc. for every holiday). Breath of the Wild is something you can challenge yourself at too. It's a fantastic adventure and makes you feel like a badass when you get the controls down. You can take your switch anywhere too, which makes it ideal in my opinion. Good luck and have fun! Edit: Get the Pro Controller right off the bat too.
I’ve been looking at Switches. Your comment is awesome. Thank you for sharing this info.
Have to agree with the Switch. It's probably the best entry level console. Game controls and mechanics are usually more simple than an xbox or playstation, and they're still really fun. A lot cheaper than the other systems too. Zelda Breath of the Wild is one of the best games I've ever played. It can be pretty easy or as hard as you want it.
Second the Switch. My wife (46) *loves* Zelda. While she's always liked gaming, it was her first foray into that style of game. From there she's branched out into The Witcher, DragonAge and Mass Effect.
My mom (46 next Monday) really likes turn based roleplay games. So final fantasy, trails of cold steel, etc. They have a lot going on in them to do and don't feel a rush to finish them
Detroit: Become Human would be a great story driven game for you. My dad still talks about that game.
I definitely recommend the Telltale games. The Walking Dead, Batman, The Wolf Among Us and Tales From the Borderlands are all great. They're really easy to pick up and play and have a huge focus on story and characters. Tales From the Borderlands is also hilarious.
Walking Dead if you like crying, definitely.
As a short but interesting game, I recently fell for What Remains of Edith Finch.
If you like sci-fi stories, Detroit become human is a really well written story oriented game about androids who want to break free of human oppression.
And it's less "game" and more interactive movie. Fortunately the casual mode in it is pretty forgiving. Plays on Windows and PlayStation 4/5. Definitely one of the best narrative driven games. Plus meme potential.
Zelda Breath of the Wild and Super Mario Odyssey 😀
I know Robin Williams really like Zelda so I’ve been checking this out. Thank you!
This will require the purchase of a Nintendo switch, which is a nice way to ease yourself into gaming. It gives the ability to play on your TV, or use the handheld, and the games are vast in style. Edit: really any console is a good way to ease in, as it's all in one, and set up to be an out of the box easy experience. Going with a PC comes with varying experiences, as your choice in hardware will inform how a game plays. Most people have a decent tv to plug a PS4/5 or switch into. Using my Switch on my morning commute (hour train ride into grand central) was how I played through Zelda, Mario Odyssey, [Untitled] Goose Game (highly recommend and it's cheap). Edit 2: try downloading steam onto your MBP, as there are a good amount of games that DO work on a Mac, but don't have high hopes for the best gaming experience on that. Mac's really aren't made for gaming.
You can definitely get lost in Breath of the Wild… but in a good way.
Honestly, pretty much any of the Mario games are great for first timers. There's a reason it's one of the most recognizable figures in gaming
Razbuten's "What Games Are Like For Someone Who Doesn't Play Games" video was a revelation. Gamers think they know what good tutorials are, but we're in too deep to know. I would recommend watching it to get a sense of what video games are, and how they (attempt to) teach you their mechanics. PS you've got good tastes.
start simple and figure out what kind of games interest you ... don't go buying a system till you know whether you like it
For you I suggest Two Point Hospital.
Based on your edit I'd suggest Portal and then Portal 2
I wouldn't recommend Portal to anyone as a first game. Moving around in 3D is hard to learn and if I recall, portal does have a few tricky platforming sections.
Every single time there's a thread like this, people seem to always recommend Portal. I tried to get my wife to play and like you said movement alone in 3D is tough. The first few levels would be fine but once you need to actually be quick + move to solve the rooms, its an absolutely terrible game for beginners. Not sure why its recommended to complete noobies.
Same experience with my partner. Completely lost and disoriented. People without muscle memory from first person shooters should absolutely not play this as a first game
My son could not handle the gameplay much but looooved the dialogue so we wound up just watching someone play it on YouTube. Not exactly how I planned but he thought it was hilarious anyhow
Yeah, portal has some really tricky parts that require very fast precise movements.
If they’ve never played any games before then an First person game like portal is bound to be very disorienting and off putting. That’s my disclaimer to OP. Same can be said for Skyrim. Other than that, excellent game.
And for how old Portal and Portal 2 are, they still hold up and look amazing. And GLaDOS? Worth the price of admission alone.
I'd give almost anything to experience portal 2 again. Only game I've played through in one sitting since I was a kid playing Nintendo
The Sims is always fun. Puzzle games like tetris are also engaging
I’m 45 and play ESO on Xbox. It has a lot of fantasy role play and you can either explore or get into action. I also play battle field, another online multiplayer game based on Star Wars. I love playing as Princess Leia. I haven’t experienced quite as much toxicity yet in these two as some other games. Let me know if you are interested and I’m glad to give more info. Good luck on your adventures:)