Good Kid-Friendly Games
- Thread starter Quaidis
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the entire ratchet and clank series. the first 3 are sort of aimed at the 12-15-ish age group in terms of presentation and humor, though it is fun for all ages. the fourth one, deadlocked, is really weird. it's got sort of a running man/gladiator tone. i dunno. avoid that one fore kids. the ps3 games, though, are gold for kids. better design, built upon an already phenomenal base, and just plain fun. rated E too, but still hilarious! the psp ones are pretty good too, sort of a weaker version of the ps2 games. go get em!
Every Ratchet and Clank game. They are both kid friendly, very funny and absolute masterpieces of games!
The best are on XBLA on PSN these days. Castle Crashers, 'Splosion Man, Portal, Geometry Wars, Sonic 4, Deathspank, Braid, Trials. Can't go wrong
It should be mentioned, however, that their will always be a place for good ol' Gears of War ultaviolence and your kids wont be forever warped for experiencing it.
It should be mentioned, however, that their will always be a place for good ol' Gears of War ultaviolence and your kids wont be forever warped for experiencing it.
Not quite what I meant. For instance, take Iji. Mild cursing about twice in the game, no blood, pacifism is a very valid alternative to murdering everything. But the plot is complex, deep and more than a little sad.Quaidis said:
Basically, I wasn't asking about questionable plots as much as complex ones, or anything that might make you think. If tactical depth is an issue, well, that could be a problem too. Now...
Most strategy games? Fairly good bet. Turn-based ones tend to do even better (Heroes of Might and Magic, as well as Civ, come to mind as popular options). A handful of SNES games are rather excellent, if you can get them. PM me and I'll give you a quick list. Metroid Prime? Likewise excellent. Bullet hell games and most fighting games (such as Brawl), though the former is bad if rage-quitting/general impatience is an issue. Mechwarrior's good fun, if quite possibly too complicated. Portal, unless seeing any blood at all is too much.
If you go for indie PCRPGs, Avernum and Geneforge are excellent choices too. Particularly Avernum - I consider it the weaker one of the two for precisely the reason that kids might like it more. A great deal more in the way of hack and slash. If the kid in question isn't about to go berserk from losing, try Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup or something - roguelikes are free and good fun, though you'll want a way to improve the graphics a tad.
Speaking of indie PCRPGs, Spirit Engine 2. It's free, and it's good.
I'll stop now. Probably not the best suggestions anyway. As someone who grew up on Planescape: Torment at age 8, I may not be the best one to ask.
Edit: On the JRPG question, Final Fantasy is great (the PS1 ones and FF6, anyway), but from what little I've heard of the series, I suspect you'll want to avoid Shin Megami Tensei/Persona. Oh, and again, if you have a SNES, at least give Terranigma a try.
More edit: Plot issues for some of the above. Mostly? Lots of people die in Spirit Engine 2, gore-free as it is. Oh, and Terranigma is rather deep. FF should not be an issue plot-wise, while Geneforge challenges you a little in that you have about a billion different ideals you can side with in a somewhat bleak setting, or ignore all of the above. Also dialogue trees, like in Avernum. If you reckon that's a bit too difficult, throw it off the list.
The Original Jak and Daxter for the PS2. The sequels are a bit more mature (light swearing and such) but the first one is a great game, for all ages.
I am amazed that no one has mentioned Mario yet, any of them. I will also be amazed if you require an explanation.
(the Mario RPGs are particularly good. fun stories, great humor, easy controls, extremely forgiving combat mechanics, and so on)
Hmm...Plants Vs. Zombies, definitely.
There's always Tetris, I guess.
I heard the Tales of Monkey Island games were decent, not sure what they're about though.
(the Mario RPGs are particularly good. fun stories, great humor, easy controls, extremely forgiving combat mechanics, and so on)
Hmm...Plants Vs. Zombies, definitely.
There's always Tetris, I guess.
I heard the Tales of Monkey Island games were decent, not sure what they're about though.
This, along with Beyond Good and Evil and The Prince of Persia The Sands of Time.Pararaptor said:
If you can get your hands on them, Spyro The Dragon (original trilogy) and Crash Bandicoot (original trilogy + Crash Team Racing) are winners every single time.
Hmm, lets see. Well there's God of War, Fallout: New Vegas, Red Dead Redem....wait kid FRIENDLY. DEAR GOD MAN WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?
In all seriousness. The Pokemon games are always a good time. In my early teens I was playing the final fantasy series religiously, and I never really got anything more explicit than a "damn" (except 7 which censors out fuck a few times for humor). You can find a lot of classics from my younger years like Banjo Kazooie (one of the best platformers ever) on XBLA. If you have a PS2 I greatly recommend picking up the Jak and Daxter games (ESPECIALLY 1&2!). 1 was a pure class and story. 2 capitalized on the overwhelming success of grand theft auto and still managed to keep it pretty PG as content was concerned.
Obligatory Psychonauts recommendation.
In all seriousness. The Pokemon games are always a good time. In my early teens I was playing the final fantasy series religiously, and I never really got anything more explicit than a "damn" (except 7 which censors out fuck a few times for humor). You can find a lot of classics from my younger years like Banjo Kazooie (one of the best platformers ever) on XBLA. If you have a PS2 I greatly recommend picking up the Jak and Daxter games (ESPECIALLY 1&2!). 1 was a pure class and story. 2 capitalized on the overwhelming success of grand theft auto and still managed to keep it pretty PG as content was concerned.
Obligatory Psychonauts recommendation.
Rapelay. It's the best game ever made. Everyone should play it. Especially children. In schools.
/reference & sarcasm
OT: The Ratchet & Clank series never seems to dissapoint, and it's has a relatively universal appeal.
Pick up some of the Jak & Daxter games, too.
/reference & sarcasm
OT: The Ratchet & Clank series never seems to dissapoint, and it's has a relatively universal appeal.
Pick up some of the Jak & Daxter games, too.
Klonoa 2
Simple platformer with puzzle elements, great music to boot.
Klonoa - The GBA Games
While like the console games, these are a bit harder...actually, a LOT harder.
But as lucky would have it, the games aren't broken so much as they require players to think a little.
Klonoa Wiimake:
Simple platformer with puzzle elements, great music to boot.
Remake of the PS1 game, just don't chose the English dub...god it sucks.
Simple platformer with puzzle elements, great music to boot.
Klonoa - The GBA Games
While like the console games, these are a bit harder...actually, a LOT harder.
But as lucky would have it, the games aren't broken so much as they require players to think a little.
Klonoa Wiimake:
Simple platformer with puzzle elements, great music to boot.
Remake of the PS1 game, just don't chose the English dub...god it sucks.
I'll assume you're asking because you have children or younger siblings, so if you're just looking for games you can play that aren't violent, you can ignore some of my warnings.
Rune Factory 2 for the DS. All the fun of Harvest Moon titles, but when the farming gets boring you can go explore and fight monsters, and eventually you can force them to take care of the plants while you fight monsters, craft weapons, and enjoy a decent story.
Seconding Minecraft. Definitely Minecraft. In fact, stop reading this and go play Minecraft.
...
Why are you still reading? Minecraft is like right there.
*ahem*
But seriously, the game is pretty fun, as long as you watch a Let's Play or get acquainted with the basics in some other way, and find a list of recipes for crafting stuff.
Fable 2 for the 360 has a relatively good story, the combat system is simple, and it has a lot of replayability. However, some of the things you can do if you dip into the evil quests and decisions can be a bit much for young children, so it'd definitely be an early teen game. Basically, are you cool with your kid being able to sacrifice his wife to gain a sword that drips blood, or contract an STD from a prostitute? If so, or if you're willing to monitor his gaming to steer him away from the eviler options, then it's a good option. The humor can be a little crass as well, but that could be a pro or con depending on the person.
Trauma Center for the DS has some blood, but considering that it's a game about surgery, that should be expected. It keeps that type of thing to a minimum though, and if your kid likes biology or science, it could be a good choice. However, the game gets very tough, so a younger child might not be able to play the later surgeries, and anyone easily frustrated should stay away.
My World, My Way is a fun DS game where you play as a Princess who goes off on an adventure to prove to the young hero she has a crush on that she's worth his time. To get a feel for the game's attitude, one of the game mechanics consists of her pouting to change everything from difficulty to the world's terrain. Sounds kind of ridiculous but the game is fun, innovative, and inside the generic "defeat the big bad" plot is some great character development.
The Ace Attorney series for the DS has a fun story, and will be a hit if your kid enjoys puzzles and brainteasers. However, you will be investigating murders, so that might not fit your idea of kid-friendly. Plus some of the weird twists of logic in that game require a lot of trial and error or easy access to a strategy guide.
Scribblenauts (DS) wasn't quite what I would call a great game, but the sequel Super Scribblenauts supposedly has fixed its most glaring problems (poor controls and lackluster puzzle design) so once again, it could be a good game for the kid who enjoys puzzles.
I never played the first one, but Patapon 2 (PSP) is a fun rhythm game/RTS. If you don't find yourself bobbing your head to the beat or singing along, you might not have a soul. Just saying.
Speaking of rhythm games, Elite Beat Agents (DS) is incredibly fun and completely ridiculous. If being a trio of federal agents tasked with boosting the morale of various citizens through the power of cheerleading synchronized with some very catchy songs sounds like a fun time, this is your kind of game.
The Legend of Zelda series as a whole may have a lot of violence packed in, but it's almost completely cartoon violence, aside from a few of the more dramatic boss battles. I'd recommend one in particular, but I couldn't single out any as a game I wouldn't of wanted to play as a kid. If forced to choose, I loved the music and generally relaxed/whimsical atmosphere of Windwaker (GC), and the choice of graphics means it will always look great.
Outpost Kaloki X, available on the XBLA, is an enjoyable game of resource management, where your objective in each level is to build up a space station that meets the requirements of whichever NPC is bossing you around at the moment. The difficulty comes in balancing income, power generation, maintenance, and the desires of the customers that frequent your shops, restaurants, and parks while getting everything done within the time limit.
Ok, I'm going to stop typing now, this is long enough.
P.S. Don't inflict Pokemon on your children. You're just dooming them to a life of griping over how the story of the latest game is still exactly the same, complaining that the minor improvements to mechanics are barely enough to merit a .1 increase in version numbering on any self respecting PC game, and arguing with others online about how the 500 that were in the game when they were a kid are so much better than the 4500 they've added since. Which is wrong, as the original 151 are the only ones worth anything.
Rune Factory 2 for the DS. All the fun of Harvest Moon titles, but when the farming gets boring you can go explore and fight monsters, and eventually you can force them to take care of the plants while you fight monsters, craft weapons, and enjoy a decent story.
Seconding Minecraft. Definitely Minecraft. In fact, stop reading this and go play Minecraft.
...
Why are you still reading? Minecraft is like right there.
*ahem*
But seriously, the game is pretty fun, as long as you watch a Let's Play or get acquainted with the basics in some other way, and find a list of recipes for crafting stuff.
Fable 2 for the 360 has a relatively good story, the combat system is simple, and it has a lot of replayability. However, some of the things you can do if you dip into the evil quests and decisions can be a bit much for young children, so it'd definitely be an early teen game. Basically, are you cool with your kid being able to sacrifice his wife to gain a sword that drips blood, or contract an STD from a prostitute? If so, or if you're willing to monitor his gaming to steer him away from the eviler options, then it's a good option. The humor can be a little crass as well, but that could be a pro or con depending on the person.
Trauma Center for the DS has some blood, but considering that it's a game about surgery, that should be expected. It keeps that type of thing to a minimum though, and if your kid likes biology or science, it could be a good choice. However, the game gets very tough, so a younger child might not be able to play the later surgeries, and anyone easily frustrated should stay away.
My World, My Way is a fun DS game where you play as a Princess who goes off on an adventure to prove to the young hero she has a crush on that she's worth his time. To get a feel for the game's attitude, one of the game mechanics consists of her pouting to change everything from difficulty to the world's terrain. Sounds kind of ridiculous but the game is fun, innovative, and inside the generic "defeat the big bad" plot is some great character development.
The Ace Attorney series for the DS has a fun story, and will be a hit if your kid enjoys puzzles and brainteasers. However, you will be investigating murders, so that might not fit your idea of kid-friendly. Plus some of the weird twists of logic in that game require a lot of trial and error or easy access to a strategy guide.
Scribblenauts (DS) wasn't quite what I would call a great game, but the sequel Super Scribblenauts supposedly has fixed its most glaring problems (poor controls and lackluster puzzle design) so once again, it could be a good game for the kid who enjoys puzzles.
I never played the first one, but Patapon 2 (PSP) is a fun rhythm game/RTS. If you don't find yourself bobbing your head to the beat or singing along, you might not have a soul. Just saying.
Speaking of rhythm games, Elite Beat Agents (DS) is incredibly fun and completely ridiculous. If being a trio of federal agents tasked with boosting the morale of various citizens through the power of cheerleading synchronized with some very catchy songs sounds like a fun time, this is your kind of game.
The Legend of Zelda series as a whole may have a lot of violence packed in, but it's almost completely cartoon violence, aside from a few of the more dramatic boss battles. I'd recommend one in particular, but I couldn't single out any as a game I wouldn't of wanted to play as a kid. If forced to choose, I loved the music and generally relaxed/whimsical atmosphere of Windwaker (GC), and the choice of graphics means it will always look great.
Outpost Kaloki X, available on the XBLA, is an enjoyable game of resource management, where your objective in each level is to build up a space station that meets the requirements of whichever NPC is bossing you around at the moment. The difficulty comes in balancing income, power generation, maintenance, and the desires of the customers that frequent your shops, restaurants, and parks while getting everything done within the time limit.
Ok, I'm going to stop typing now, this is long enough.
P.S. Don't inflict Pokemon on your children. You're just dooming them to a life of griping over how the story of the latest game is still exactly the same, complaining that the minor improvements to mechanics are barely enough to merit a .1 increase in version numbering on any self respecting PC game, and arguing with others online about how the 500 that were in the game when they were a kid are so much better than the 4500 they've added since. Which is wrong, as the original 151 are the only ones worth anything.
Plants Vs Zombies.
Commander Keen. Jill of the Jungle. Hocus Pocus... oh, dear, that list of DOS games is endless! (and free).
Machinarium.
Sam and Max - the newer ones at least are very good.
Age of Empires 2. And Age of Mythology. Actually, all of them!
Croc. Spyro. Crash Bandicoot.
Spore.
I'm planning on giving my family computer games for Christmas, excluding my mother and two sisters aged 6 and 9. I'm giving my father Portal, my 22 and 18 year-old brothers Borderlands, my 16 year old sister Spore and my 13-year old sister Plant Vs Zombies. So family-friendly pc games have really been on my mind recently!
Commander Keen. Jill of the Jungle. Hocus Pocus... oh, dear, that list of DOS games is endless! (and free).
Machinarium.
Sam and Max - the newer ones at least are very good.
Age of Empires 2. And Age of Mythology. Actually, all of them!
Croc. Spyro. Crash Bandicoot.
Spore.
I'm planning on giving my family computer games for Christmas, excluding my mother and two sisters aged 6 and 9. I'm giving my father Portal, my 22 and 18 year-old brothers Borderlands, my 16 year old sister Spore and my 13-year old sister Plant Vs Zombies. So family-friendly pc games have really been on my mind recently!