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:
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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.
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First person mechanic might be a challenge. 3rd person works a lot better. Not entirely sure why.
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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.
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Not a fan of gore, horror, and zombie themed games. Or in general enemies who look like they are having a bad time.
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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.
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Strategy games and turn based games are probably not a fun time.
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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.
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Playstation 5 is what is most readily available and perhaps more importantly, low effort. Though PC could be an option.
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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?
Games that I’ve enjoyed that might work: Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, Deep Rock Galactic, Diablo 2 & 3, Hi Fi Rush, Lego Star Wars or Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings, Hades, Minecraft Dungeons, Ravenlok, Vampire Survivors, Fable 1 & 2, Disney Dreamlight Valley, Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, Ni No Kuni 1 & 2, Spiritfarer, Nier: Automata, Portal 1 & 2. That’s all I can think of from games that I’ve played. Hope it’s helpful.
So many great suggestions. I’ve only played some of them, but those were also among my all time favourites. Special place in my heart for Ni No Kuni (haven’t played the second), Nier: Automata and Diablo 2.
The Lego games, I’ve always wondered about. The Harry Potter ones was in some monthly game on PSN, so that is pretty easy to try out. Same with Minecraft Dungeons.
Spirirfarer had that the “looks like artsy 2D game” that I don’t know why is a problem. Such a nice game. I think not having English as a first language makes text based storytelling a bit of a drag. Might be it.
Asassins Creed was fun. Only played the first two. Odyssey is still the one to go with? I’ll take a look at rest too. Thanks!
I’m glad some of those are helpful. The gameplay of Ni No Kuni 2 is a lot different than the first one. You don’t collect monsters like pokemon, which I think is an improvement. The Lego games were a lot of fun to play co-op and scratch that completionist itch as well. Assassin’s Creed has come a long way since the first two. I suggested Odyssey because I enjoyed it the most due to it’s beautiful Greek landscapes and historical/mythological references.
My mom has similar tastes and really likes the assassins creed games. As in she has played all but the first couple, and was waiting for them to get updates to the graphics.
Thanks! Which one of the Asassins Creed games would you suggest to go for? I’ve only played the first two, but those were a bit different, and maybe also a bit dated.
Hmm i am not sure, there was the one in Greece i think. She liked the voice acting of the females protagonist. But she is really liking the Norse one right now. Oh! Also red dead redemption 2! She did not like the Witcher 3.
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.
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!
Oh hey. I’m a woman with ADHD who gets bored easily and 100%s things and also can’t predict what I’ll like.
Animal Crossing. Someone said Assassin’s Creed (try Black Flag). See if she would like Wylde Flowers (farming sim but exceptionally well written, might not be good enough fast enough).
Thanks for the suggestions! I’ve thought about Animal Crossing before, but we don’t have a Switch. I pushed her to try Stardew Valley without any success. Too slow paced. Might have also been the visuals that didn’t engage. I think she was hooked on Farmville for a while before we met. So, definitely same as you describe, that it’s hard to predict what works and doesn’t. I’ll take a look at Wylde Flowes too.
I suspect the trick is some kind of “draw” that holds the attention enough to actually experience the game loop, and if that too is fun, then it’s all in for days. So the initial impression and first 5 minutes needs to resonate in some way.
Edit: Love the premise of Wylde flowers. Might have to get a Switch at some point.
I’ve had a similar experience with my wife on Dark Souls. I tried making her play multiple games that are considered as accessible and beginner friendly, she didn’t really enjoy them. Then I suggested she tries Dark Souls to get some laughs… surprisingly she got hooked.
Seconding the Diablo series. I’ve had a lot of luck playing this with SO.
Another option is BG3. You can play together couch coop.
You should try Moonglow Bay.
It’s so peaceful, but fun at the same time
I would recommend trying to target genres instead of games. It sounds like design elements and replayability are high on the list.
- roguelikes: high replayability. Rogues legacy for platformer
- Bullet hells: Try brotato on your phone, it should have a free on iOS and Android. Just walk and position. Archero on mobile is also free. It is a twist but a decent introduction to the concept.
- casual crafters: design and depth. Stardew valley is a great example
- Turned based (J)RPG: pokemon games, final fantasy. Own pace
- Action RPG: diablo or monster hunter. Fast paced, play loops are designed for replayability. Be careful with difficulties. Avoid elder ring to start
- Lego games: will give you an opportunity to play together in a low pressure game and you can get the Harry Potter games.
