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23 votes
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Looking for adventure(-ish) games to play alongside my 8 years old
I'm looking for games that I can play and enjoy with my 8 years old son. It doesn't need to be a 2-players game, or even a game that he can play (though if he can take the controller and get...
I'm looking for games that I can play and enjoy with my 8 years old son. It doesn't need to be a 2-players game, or even a game that he can play (though if he can take the controller and get actively involved, that's better), but just something that he can enjoy as a "backseat player". We have a Switch, a PC, and a PS4.
tl;dr: "backseatable" adventure-ish games with exploration and a clear direction (different sights to see, and a sense of progression), puzzles (so he feels involved when exchanging ideas), ok with light horror. Low stakes, low stress.
Here are some games that we played together and both liked:
- Outer Wilds: loved it so much we did 2 playthroughs in 2 years. He liked the sights, the exploration/treasure hunt aspect, the puzzles, and he asked me questions about our universe and solar system. He was mostly passive as a player both times we played, but we were sharing ideas and he was making suggestions on what to do/where to go next.
- Link's Awakening remake: we played this one when he was 6 years old, with me taking the lead for the bosses or more complicated puzzles. We finished it together.
- Stanley Parable: I intended to play it alone, but unexpectedly he really liked watching me play.
- Strange Horticulture, Grim Fandango, Day of the Tentacle: he liked solving the puzzles with me, and me explaining/narrating what was happening and why.
- Portal 1 & 2: he was able to play on his own with some help, and the coop levels in Portal 2 were great.
- Deep Rock Galactic: he's making his own story and narrating along while I (and sometimes random players) play normally.
- Human Fall Flat: he loves the slapstick humor and finds better (and more creative) solutions than I do
- Mario Odyssey: probably his GOAT game, the accessibility features helped him a lot to play and enjoy it alone.
He's also taking an interest in light horror (specifically mascot horror) games:
- Garten of Banban series: objectively bad games but he really enjoyed the progression, light puzzles, and the liminal level design.
- Indigo Park: much better production value, mostly a walking sim, but very short.
- The Complex: a free "Backrooms" game. He didn't play it since he wasn't yet comfortable with mouse and keyboard controls, but liked watching me explore around
- Crow Country (demo): he backseated and enjoyed it. There's an "exploration mode" that removes enemies. Will probably buy the full game later.
And some "failed" tentatives:
- Tunic: since he liked Link's Awakening, I thought he might like Tunic, but no. Probably because of a lack of NPCs or clear indications, and the game is too difficult for him. Not fun to backseat.
- Zelda BOTW: he tried to play it when he was a bit too young, and had a hard time with it. I'll probably try again soon.
- Minecraft Dungeons: we played 2-3 games but he got bored of it very quickly.
- Diablo 3: he saw me playing and wanted to try it. He liked it much more than Minecraft Dungeons but hated seeing villagers getting turned into zombies, so we stopped here.
- Sandboxes: not his thing (Minecraft, Terraria, No Man's Sky, Animal Crossing)
So in summary, I highlighted the best experiences we had (with Outer Wilds being the best), and I'm looking for something equivalent.
EDIT - I'll try to keep this post up-to-date with the suggestions we liked:
- Superliminal: Excellent, I wasn't expecting such a good game. He's managing most of it alone, and there's even a (harmless) "scary" section
- Untitled Goose Game: Great suggestion. We actually already played it (not to completion), and he loves honking and absolutely not helping me complete the objectives 😅
- Layton series: I think he tried the first one on my DS for an hour or two. I'll suggest it again and be the backseat player myself.
- Luigi's Mansion 3: GOTY
- Poppy Playtime: mascot horror games, but actually good. Each game is longer and (as of the 3rd one) better than the previous one. The 3rd game is a legit horror game, with a clear inspiration from Silent Hill PT (and others like Bioshock).
- Kirby Forgotten Land: did not enjoy by himself, kinda liked it in coop. I think the cute pink ball is no longer aligned with his current tastes.
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Visual novels and adventure games with choices that matter?
So I've been wanting to host some gameplay sessions on Discord for a while now, and I figured the best option would be visual novels or adventure games and similar types of games that are more...
So I've been wanting to host some gameplay sessions on Discord for a while now, and I figured the best option would be visual novels or adventure games and similar types of games that are more story-driven. You don't have to worry about the video lagging as much, and you can pretty easily pause playing to talk to people without worrying about getting distracted.
What I particularly want are games that have choices that matter so people can give input. Someone once mentioned playing "Your Turn To Die" with friends where they could vote on the choices, and it's been stuck in my head ever since. If you haven't played that game, there are multiple points where you have to choose between two characters dying, which definitely shapes later chapters. Obviously I know what goes on in that game though, and I'd prefer to be just as blind as everyone else.
So please give me suggestions! Funny games, mystery games, horror games, psychological thrillers, I'm open to anything! (Except most dating sims. Those can be long and tedious if they don't have some twist to them.)
Minor edit: It doesn't have to be just visual novels or adventure games. I'm open to basically any game that doesn't depend on real-time reaction speeds (e.g. most platformers), so that we don't have to worry about getting killed while talking, or the video lagging and/or quality dropping for some people. (That's the main reason I've eliminated movies as an option, video lag and connection quality issues can really hamper the experience.)
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