If you know nothing about gaming, but youâre curious, what should you play first? If youâve played hours of Candy Crush and youâre looking for something better, whatâs the next step? Here are some suggestions for the best âgateway gamesâ.
This is just a list of examples based on some games that my own non-gamer friends have enjoyed. Many games that made our âbest games to play with a friendâ list would also fit nicely here, but let us know what games youâve found to be good for introducing people to video games!
https://lastchance.cc/the-best-games-to-play-with-a-friend-1531789713%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
Portal 2
Portal 2 is probably one of the funniest games Iâve ever played, but it isnât just a great example for this list because itâs entertaining to listen to GLaDOS for a few hours. Despite using first-person controls, which can be intimidating to people who didnât grow up playing games, the puzzles in portal are just that: puzzles. For the most part, they donât require careful, twitchy execution. Once youâve figured out what to do, itâs just a matter of pointing your portal gun in the right direction. Every solved puzzle gives the player a great feeling of accomplishment as they figure out how to do something that moments ago seemed impossible.
The Walking Dead
The Walking Dead TV show is already so popular, if youâre trying to convince someone to try out a video game, they probably already know the show. From there itâs an easy pitch to point out that the game is basically an interactive version of the show. I love this game because it takes whatâs great about a show like TWD but adds so much weight to every twist, since youâve been influencing the story all along. Like Portal 2, the game is mostly about decision making, not execution (except for when you execute people, so maybe not a great starting point for the squeamish).
Katamari Damacy
If you didnât grow up playing games, controlling a character in 3D space can be very frustrating. You end up constantly bumping into things. Luckily, the goal in Katamari Damacy is to bump into things, so itâs a great way to get used to controlling a character without giving up and throwing the controller through the TV. Also, itâs a strange and adorable game thatâs just a lot of fun to look at.
Journey
If youâre interested in videogames but youâre really opposed to all the violence and competitiveness that many of them revolve around, then Journey is a great bet. The same goes for if you canât see yourself spending 10 hours playing Portal 2. Instead of flipping through Netflix and watching a two hour movie, spend those two hours surfing through the desert and exploring the ruins of this beautiful world. Journey is great for non-gamers, but most people wonât know about it unless theyâve got a gamer friend to show it to them.
Castle Crashers
You might know about it already, but in case you donât, Castle Crashers is a silly, fun arcade style beat-em-up for up to four players. While it isnât exactly a âparty gameâ, Iâve often ended up in a group having a great time playing this game with people who I didnât even know could operate an Xbox.
Robot Unicorn Attack
Sure, the gameplay isnât really anything special, but it also isnât difficult to understand or play. And thereâs just something special about the absurdly cheery song combined with the fact that your robot unicornâs decapitated head lands on the screen when you crash. Even if youâve played it before, go take a trip down memory lane, itâs free!
Tetris
What? Itâs Tetris. Even if you havenât played it, you know that everyone loves Tetris.
I know there are many more games that could be on this list, so leave your suggestions in the comments, using the following format:
Game Title
[Image, ideally 640Ă360]
Why is it good for non-gamers? Specifically, would this be good for someone who has played no games at all, or has a little bit of experience? Is it good because it has a good story, or simple mechanics, or something else?
