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We need a thread about gaming with your kids. The video game landscape today is more accessible and diverse than when you wore out your NES paddle playing the one game your parents bought you (probably Super Mario Bros 3). Video games aren't just a babysitter anymore. Most modern parents want to be more involved with their kids playing games but don't always know how to start or what to play. Video games are no longer the scary, murderer-makers of the early 90s, but instead are a way to engage and bond with your children. Let's chat about gaming with our kids! Do you want to talk about parenting in general? Go check out the Parenting Thread! Do you want to talk about a specific video game in-depth? There may be an existing thread or make your own! Resources on video games for kids
* As I was writing this OP, I discovered that Common Sense Media introduced a subscription model. They paywall you after looking at 3 reviews. If anyone has another similar resource, I'm all ears, but I'll keep using CSM for now. Game recommendations There are more video games than stars in the sky (citation needed), but here are some that have been recommended by the thread to play with your kids. I have loosely organized them by thread-suggested age ranges. However, children, as you may know, span a wide range of skills and emotional maturity levels. A game that works for one 5yo may not be appropriate for a different 8yo. Some games work great for a younger crowd with co-op / supervision but aren't great as solo ventures until much later. And eventually, a kid gets to a level where the recommendation is "any game that they're into." I've linked to the game's review in Common Sense Media (if it exists), so you can read about it yourself and make your own decision. Ages 2+
Ages 4+
Ages 6+
Ages 8+
Ages 10+
Games to avoid There are too many games out there designed to cause addiction and provide little value to anyone. These games should be avoided at all costs (or at the very least, researched heavily before introducing your kid to it).
Gaming without kids As a parent (especially as a new parent), you may suddenly find that you don't have freedom to play video games all day on a Saturday while chugging Mtn Dew Game Fuel and gorging on Cool Ranch Doritos. This is a list of games that are easy to pick up and put down between diaper changes or during late-night feeds.
Good-Natured Filth fucked around with this message at 16:41 on May 14, 2024 |
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May 9, 2023 03:22
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I'm trying to get my 7yo daughter to play platformers because they're my favorite type of game, but she gets frustrated quickly. Even with something as beginner friendly as Kirby. I'm not sure if there are other games to potentially try ("baby's first platformer" type) or just be resigned to the fact that I won't be able to introduce her to the Celeste C-sides in the future. She loves life sims (Animal Crossing, etc.), so she probably just likes to play games to relax and not to have throw-controller-at-the-wall rage at a precision platformer like me. Edit: Skeezy posted:Kicked my kids rear end in Mario Kart today (he’s 6 months) Pro move. Assert your dominance early. Never let your kid win.
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May 9, 2023 03:30
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notwithoutmyanus posted:Just wanted to say switch list is perfect for young kids, but would add untitled goose back in and maybe katamari depending on the kid, and the switch sports game (if they wear the wrist strap). Absolutely wii fit for kids, so they can run around/hop and stuff too. Untitled Goose Game is in the multi platform list, since it's released to more than just the Switch now. I'll add the others, though. Good recs. My initial list is younger kid focused because that's what I have currently.  Though, as kids get older, the recommendation list will just become "any game", so I don't know how to determine a cutoff.External Organs posted:Awesome thread! I'm gonna repost a question I put in the recs thread a few months ago: I loved Kid Pix when I was younger. Used to mess around with that during computer class. I'm not sure of a modern equivalent, though.
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May 9, 2023 15:11
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External Organs posted:Right?? It seems like something in that vein would be a total slam dunk, especially with some share to social media buttons / make an easy gif. Dammit. It needs to exist! It looks like it still might? 90's rear end website, but you can buy it still.  https://www.mackiev.com/kidpix/
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May 9, 2023 15:42
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I updated the OP to be more age-range focused. If anyone wants to discuss where I placed games, let's do it. I have a sample size of 2 kids in my life that I really know what they'd be able to play and when, and as my OP says, kids are very different. I also (per suggestion from Anias) added a "Games to avoid" section if anyone wants to add any there. I was thinking to list games that are predatory and targeted towards kids, not games that are Rated M and aren't meant for children. It's pretty obvious that your 4 year old shouldn't play Outlast, but it's not so obvious that Roblox is built in an addictive and exploitative way to make your kid want to strip your wallet of money. Good-Natured Filth fucked around with this message at 03:39 on May 16, 2023 |
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May 16, 2023 03:37
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Anias posted:Sago mini forest flyer was a huge hit when kiddo was doing doctor visits around 2-4. Haven’t looked at it recently, but cannot recommend it enough if you want the option to let the toddler drool on your device. It’s honestly cute enough that adult goons wouldn’t be remiss looking at it the same way the beads on rails toys draw the eye of parents. Heck yeah. My kids loved the various Sago Mini apps as toddlers.
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May 17, 2023 15:12
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Hippie Hedgehog posted:We talked a bit more and then she asked me if there were any games "where nothing moves except the one you're playing as". I guess let's look into even more laid-back games? We have a Steam Link for playing on the TV but could try PC gaming with a mouse as well. She does OK at the "coloring with the bucket in MS Paint" game. Maybe we'll try Townscaper? My daughter didn't really come into her own with gaming until 6 or so. Even now, she's more interested in laid-back games where you build / collect stuff (Animal Crossing and Garden Paws) or open world games where enemies aren't challenging (Lego games). I've introduced her to a lot of different games, but nothing else has piqued her interest quite as much. My son is 5 and will only play games with his older sister; or Townscaper, he loves that "game" (watch a video first, it's hardly a game). There's a ton of games out there, maybe something will click for your kid. And if it does, report back so I can update the OP!
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May 31, 2023 02:28
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I figured out my new go-to for the kids playing games together.
They use Lego games as a virtual dollhouse. Running around, exploring, and making up stories with the dozens of characters they have access to (plus character customization in the newer ones). They aren't gated by any story progression that they don't care about going through. It's pretty great seeing them play together in that virtual sandbox.
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Jul 21, 2023 15:55
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notwithoutmyanus posted:Sago mini style games (my city and all the other kindle fire stuff). The "My Town" games' intro with the man's deep bass saying "This is my town" always made me question whether I should be concerned, but they're ultimately virtual dollhouses which is fine. I generally don't like the Kindle Fire stuff, and we're prematurely canceling the free Amazon Kids+ subscription when school starts back up. I'm going to curate the hell out of what apps they are able to access on it moving forward. ~Coxy posted:One will sometimes play New Super Mario Bros Wii, but only with a cheat that makes you invulnerable to enemies (you still die from falling though.) I'm not actually sure whether this is good since it leads to not ever wanting to play with the cheat off. I've had the same thought. Playing as Nabbit in NSMBU Deluxe is easy mode, but it allows them to focus on the controls of platforming. Once they have that down, they can practice avoiding enemies as well. It's sure as hell a gentler ease into video gaming than when my parents bought me a Nintendo with SMB3 for Christmas and said "This is the only game you get this year. Have fun." as they walked out of the room. I do think I'll have to come to terms with the fact that my kids likely won't be into pixel-perfect platformers like me. Much like I'm not into twitchy shooters like my brother. Everyone has their own preferences and grew up with different games of the moment. As much as I'd love to play through the Super Mario World special levels with my kids, I also don't want to force them to try to enjoy something they don't.
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Jul 28, 2023 03:00
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External Organs posted:Fun coincidence: I'm solo with my 3 year old all weekend and had already decided I was finally gonna buy Untitled Goose Game so we could mess around with it -- and then it goes on sale on the eShop yesterday!! You're gonna have a blast! My kids love the hell out of that game. Just be ready for an annoying amount of honking, but that's kinda the point.
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Jul 28, 2023 12:36
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It's not really a "game", but Khan Academy Kids is a solid, free learning app. Duolingo ABC is pretty good, too, in that regard. I long for reboots of games I played in computer class at school: Super Solvers and Odell Down Under come to mind.
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Jul 28, 2023 18:34
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Lead out in cuffs posted:Just noticed this section, and wanted to add that handheld retro gaming consoles work very well for this too. They're pretty cheap, can emulate anything up to a PS1, and allow you to save state at any time so they're easy to put down. I played through a large chunk of Earthbound and FFVI with a sleeping baby strapped to my chest. Good call. I'll add it to the list. I've been eyeing a retro handheld for no reason. I already have a steam deck with emudeck setup. I don't need a separate handheld, but I sure do want one.
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Jul 29, 2023 21:29
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notwithoutmyanus posted:have I got bad news for you! Kindle functions on a perpetual whitelist approach. and it's a really messed up one because it's backwards but not quite a blacklist. You can only put what you want onto the blacklist, but when new games come out there's no way to have a filter for that to block them. so when people release seven new versions of sago mini or some other incredibly crappy designed game, All of those will be available until you add them on the black list. so every new predatory kid game will show up by definition. Yeah. Their automatic whitelisting practice was the bane of my existence. Since school started, I've turned off and cancelled the Amazon Kids+ subscription entirely which inherently blacklists everything since they no longer have access to it. I've added a few apps from the Amazon app store to my content list and shared them with the kids, so now they only have access to a very limited number of items that I've shared with them.
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Aug 29, 2023 22:16
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There was a recent conversation in the "Before I Play" thread about Roblox that I felt was relevant to our little thread here, so I'll cross-post. The discussion starts here and lasts about a page. Also, I introduced my 7yo daughter to Stardew Valley a couple weeks ago, and she is smitten. I love that it's pretty open to how you play, and there are no hard deadlines (like in the original Harvest Moon games). You can take it at your own pace and do as much or as little as you want. Good-Natured Filth fucked around with this message at 14:06 on Oct 14, 2023 |
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Oct 14, 2023 14:03
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a podcast for cats posted:I haven't seen Alba mentioned in this thread and it's absolutely worth checking out. I got Alba in a bundle recently. Looks chill as hell. I'm going to install it and introduce my 5yo to it. Thanks for the reco! (Also, added it to the OP. Wasn't sure if 4 or 6 was better. My system is pretty arbitrary as it is.)
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Oct 16, 2023 03:48
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fez_machine posted:I'm surprised A Short Hike isn't on the list. Great suggestion! Added. Edit: Same down below. Good-Natured Filth fucked around with this message at 02:14 on Oct 17, 2023 |
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Oct 16, 2023 16:05
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I played Super Mario Wonder and WarioWare: Move It! with the kids (8 & 5) this weekend. Both are very fun games to play with kids. Super Mario Wonder has some niceties that make playing with younger kids easier. Nabbit + Yoshis cannot get hurt by enemies (but also can't gain powerups, which is maddening). There are badges that make things like high-jumps easier, especially for kids that can't get the coordination down to hold run + jump at the same time. When you die, you have 5 seconds to be revived by a teammate before you lose a life from your shared pool - this is usually nice, but there are levels where it's pretty much impossible to save someone who has died. There's also a difficulty rating on each level, and you don't have to play every level to progress. WarioWare: Move It! is a blast once the kids got the hang of each microgame. They are all quirky and in normal play, they come at you fast. My kids were getting frustrated until I reassured them that we could play them many more times to get the hang of them. It also helped that I was losing as well because some of the microgames are not obvious. It adds a "second chance" that allows you to continue from where you left off if you run out of attempts during the story mode, instead of having to restart the chapter from the beginning, which makes progression and unlocking more microgames easier. The kids liked WarioWare more than SMW, and I attribute that largely to Mario's need for greater coordination with a controller to succeed. Good-Natured Filth fucked around with this message at 15:56 on Nov 7, 2023 |
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Nov 7, 2023 15:54
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Portal might be good for your older kid if they like Fortnite & puzzle games. My 6yo (at the time) really liked A Short Hike. It's a casual 3D exploration game. Alba: A Wildlife Adventure and Toem are also chill 3D exploration games with a focus on taking pictures. Fez might be complicated. I haven't played it in years, but I remember having to take lots of notes for the puzzles.
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Nov 23, 2023 20:51
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Almost every Lego game is solid for co-op with kids (the older ones show their flaws though). The most recent Marvel or DC Supervillains is probably the best in my opinion. The Skywalker Saga game added too much junk and the menus got confusing.
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Dec 27, 2023 01:20
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Lead out in cuffs posted:Region restricted to the US, sadly. It likely has something to do with media licensing and how complicated that can get across regions. I'd bet it's much easier (legally speaking) for PBS to only distribute to the US than deal with whatever hurdles they'd have to go through to distribute their media in other regions.
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Jan 8, 2024 14:36
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QuarkJets posted:gently caress, I was playing og Doom when I was 7. Should I show Doom to my 7 year old? There weren't as many options available to us at the time comparatively, so we took what we could get. Obviously, kids vary and your kid might be totally ready. I'm trying to think of any kid-friendly boomer shooters around, and none come to mind (admittedly, it's not my favorite genre). Something like Slime Rancher could scratch that FPS itch. Or try to scrounge up a copy of Chex Quest.
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Jan 18, 2024 02:46
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My 5yo son's current MO when he gets screen time is to pick up either Untitled Goose Game or Donut County, erase his save file, and play from start to finish. He's beaten those games a dozen times each. He's well on his way to speed running them.
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Jan 28, 2024 19:20
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Renegret posted:Anyone try buying a cheap 3rd party switch controller? I don't want to drop $70 on another pro controller when the only goal is to keep my kid's grimey greasy hands off my pro. Earlier on this page there was some discussion about 8bitdo controllers. I think those work with Switch as well and are generally good.
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Feb 25, 2024 01:54
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Taeke posted:So I'm basically looking for other coop games I can play with the younger teens, preferably on a single PS5 with two controllers but crossplay between the PS5 and my laptop is also an option. Lego games for sure. Rayman Legends was released on PS4, so that'd be backwards compatible on your PS5. I don't know if they ever re-released Portal 2 after the PS3, but that's a good one. I know you mentioned PS5, but a Switch is a relatively inexpensive console with a lot of great co-op / multiplayer games (Mario games, Smash bros, Mario Kart, Luigi's Mansion, Kirby Forgotten Lands, Warioware, Mario Party, etc.) that might be worth a purchase consideration. I know Nintendo games are often looked at as geared towards younger games, but they often have a solid challenge behind the cutesy veneer.
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Mar 8, 2024 02:37
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wizzardstaff posted:I just downloaded scribblenauts to check it out. I added a cat to the scene because I know that's what my kid would like to do. I clicked on the cat and selected "pet" and the character walked over and pet the cat. Very cute and serene. A lot of interactions in Scribblenauts end up with things attacking you or each other to the death. It's one of the few downsides of an otherwise very imaginative game.
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Mar 10, 2024 00:54
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Humble Bundle is selling a collection of Humongous Entertainment games. The games are "simple" point-and-click adventure games, but they always have very goofy backgrounds in every scene that you can interact with. They have kept my kids entertained in the past. https://www.humblebundle.com/games/spring-into-learning-complete-humongous-collection
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Mar 15, 2024 20:31
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Xand_Man posted:No Backyard sports I don't think Humongous owns the rights to Backyard Sports anymore. But I would love to see Backyard Baseball come back.
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Mar 16, 2024 01:10
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Unsurprising, but Princess Peach: Showtime! is a good game for kids. My 8yo daughter is enjoying the hell out of it. You can turn on a heart medal which gives you extra health, and if you lose a certain number of times on a level, you can skip it. I have yet to play it myself and only watched her play for a bit, but she can't stop talking about all the different costumes Peach puts on.
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Mar 30, 2024 13:03
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Code.org has a lot of resources as well which you can filter by different criteria.
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Apr 19, 2024 18:26
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Course 1 in Code.org is basically that. You use the drag-and-drop interface to align blocks to do different things. The first 3 lessons are intro to the course and UI, but lesson 4 is where the "program your character to get through the maze" starts. It's all in-browser, so it's pretty accessible to anyone without needing to have a specific game console.
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Apr 19, 2024 20:57
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Re: Grounded. Are any of the insect battles ever scary or intense? I'm thinking my daughter might like co-op crafting / base building, but would probably nope out at the first spider.
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Apr 20, 2024 13:33
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My daughter picked up Mail Time recently. I think I got it from a bundle at some point. It's a cute, low stakes, 3D platformer about delivering mail to forest creatures. Edit: Also, Bluey: The Videogame is on Game Pass. Very short, but great if your kids like Bluey. I would not recommend paying money for it because of how shallow the game is. Good-Natured Filth fucked around with this message at 16:45 on May 14, 2024 |
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May 14, 2024 16:38
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