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24 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
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