I’m trying to find good gaming experiences for wife, who has some typical non-gamer traits, but also some otherwise hardcore traits. I find it hard to make sense of it, and I’m wondering if this is the right community to get some help and suggestions.

Past gaming experience:

  • Sims 2: ~1000s hours on Sims 2. Loves the design of houses and villages, rather than the psychological experience of the inhabitants.

Which is where I thought that there has to be some experience out of the huge collection of games that can be fun. Luckily, being a fan of Harry Potter, Hogwart’s Legacy ended up being a big hit, and great introduction to 3rd person and open world mechanics.

I’ve tried suggesting games, but none really sticked. Until…

  • Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon… not, my idea. She was bored, and picked it at random from the list of installed games while I was away for some days. Doesn’t seem to mind the difficulty spikes or dying 60 times in a row because of movement mechanics. And, it’s not like I’m coaching. This is all her. I would never have thought to even suggest this game.

So, I need some help with finding suggestions, since I’m apparently a bit clueless. These are some constraints:

  • ADHD and very easily bored. RDR2 would be a great recommendation, except that the game is very tedious. It might work if one got hooked, but, I doubt it’ll happen. Hogwart’s Legacy got past it by the setting and world building. Horizon: Zero Dawn on the other hand is an absolute no-go.

  • First person mechanic might be a challenge. 3rd person works a lot better. Not entirely sure why.

  • Competitionist to a fault. Hogwart’s Legacy was 100%-ed beyond what the game was able to properly track. If a game hooks, it hooks deep.

  • Not a fan of gore, horror, and zombie themed games. Or in general enemies who look like they are having a bad time.

  • Probably not a fan of complex game systems if one is forced to understand it. (AC6 just… let’s you fly around and shoot things, even though you really should understand all of it). It’s fine to sneak in game systems after getting hooked, but not as a prerequisite. If that makes sense.

  • Strategy games and turn based games are probably not a fun time.

  • Likes pretty worlds, but not a fan of artsy 2d stuff like Gris, or the many platformers of that type. Maybe Ori might be pretty and cute enough to work. It’s a weird balance.

  • Playstation 5 is what is most readily available and perhaps more importantly, low effort. Though PC could be an option.

  • Doesn’t mind a challenge that would be frustrating to most people, as long as one can get back into the action immediately. She doesn’t have “gaming skills”, and it’s fine to be punished for it, but not with tediousness. For example Hollow Knight would be a game that is 99% getting to a boss and 1% getting killed by the boss. Not very fun. So the game design also matters. Demon Souls would have this same issue. Checkpoints in AC6 is probably a big element in why that game seems to still be fun.

Edit: some more constraints

  • English is not a first language. So it’s a somewhat higher threshold to get drawn in by text based storytelling.

Here is what I’ve thought so far might be good games:

  • Monster Hunter: Probably amazing if one gets past figuring out all the mechanics. I haven’t played this myself.

Hm… and I’m a bit out of ideas. Suggestions?

  • @voracitude
    2•11 months ago

    Valheim or Grounded, for survival games. Grounded is absolutely incredible in terms of design (all design: enemy, level, world, encounter, combat… It’s a really well made game) and pacing. Both are very good survival games without much of the horror aesthetic (though Valheim has Draugr and mud monsters, Grounded has giant spiders). I think she’d enjoy these because of the aesthetic options they give you for base building and armour, mainly, but the combat and exploration in both are very satisfying as well.

    Elden Ring. Might seem counterintuitive with the reputation for difficulty but it’s a gorgeous huge open world with a lot of drip to find for your character, and she enjoyed Armoured Core 6, so…

    Also, Divinity: Original Sin 2. Yes, the combat is turn based, but she might like the exploration and stories. It’s also not too strategic - enough that some thought around positioning at the start of a fight helps, but you can usually win fights on normal difficulty without bothering. This is the one that got my little sister into gaming.

    • @okamiueruOP
      2•11 months ago

      Grounded looked great. I completely forgot about this game, even though I’ve never played it. Valheim I’ve played a bit, and that too could work. She’s seen me play it in passing without being too enthused.

      Elden Ring she’s watched me play a ton, but is just a bit too saddened by how miserable a lot of the enemies seem, and wouldn’t want to make their day worse by poking them with sharp things. Maybe the issue is From Software’s excellent world design and art direction, than anything else.

      In any case, thanks for the suggestions!