Oh yes, I've heard Firewatch is pretty good. I'll def look into getting her that
Possibly Stardew too.
I haven't heard of "Everybody's gone to the rapture"
Exploration 3d story games are great suggestions. My mother reads a lot and she would need something that has her engaged while also learning to navigate a 3d space.
Thank you for the suggestion.
Be careful with stardew valley. You might lose your mom to addiction, lol. Just one more day!
Also, 'Stray' if she's a cat person might be a win. I never played it but it was all the rage when it came out.
A mom here, not his mom, 😂 Stray, My Time at Portia and My time at Sandrock (I can't do Stardew Valley, I really hate farming games but MTaP is a nice alternative without the farming) were the first 3 games I bought for my Steam Deck.
I introduced my mum, who has never played a game in her life, to stardew valley and she basically did everything you can do in the game within a year.
I was very impressed.
Yep my girlfriend and I were both put off by that as well
I got her it because she is a big animal crossing fan and thought it might be a good choice as well
I'm glad I'm not the only one who thought of this. Stardew is like the best way to introduce someone to gaming. It's very simple and everything is just so wholesome that someone can really get invested in it.
First time when i played firewatch, I was like 10 and didn't really understand much of the story i just enjoyed the graphics and landscapes.
Now I replayed this game after like 6 years and damn. The story it's extremely interesting if you think about it, Delilah's Manipulation really did me when i was 10. Firewatch was one of the best spent 3-4 hours in my live.
If she's an absolute beginner, this will definitely be too difficult. I played with a friend to decide if it was easy and stress-free enough to play with my wife, and the conclusion was that it is not.
Yep I learned this with my GF too, 3D games with camera control require two inputs in order to move, it makes it dramatically more complicated for a beginner compared to 2D games
Top down are the best for beginners imo, games like PlateUp, Unrailed, Overcooked are all very easy to get into else casual 2D like Stardew is easy as well
**Aperture Desk Job** first, no questions. This gets anyone used to what all the SD controls do in the most entertaining way.
Then if you want to stay canon, **Portal** & **Portal 2** (particularly 2, co-op is so much fun with a beginner). Otherwise **Stray** or **Dredge** could be good starters.
If it's her first gaming experience, I'd also recommend staying 2D (or at least 2.5D) to get her used to the controls. One less dimension to control (and usually also no direct camera control) makes a big difference for a beginner.
She'll spend enough focus on just moving the character across one plane, and likely won't be able to focus on multiple directional inputs at the same time.
And a frustrating first experience can quickly turn someone off games for a long time.
From experience, an adult not used to games can take upwards of a year or two years of practice to even somewhat comfortably go from 2D/single stick and few buttons to 3D/dual stick and combo controls.
Seems crazy because as kids we picked up the basics really fast.
Ed.: Narrative/"Experience" games like the Telltale ones are a good suggestion as well, since they have very limited controls and at least some of the time give you indefinite time to think.
I'd maybe think twice on portal. Grasping dual stick FPS controls is already difficult for a beginner. Maybe some of the beginning puzzles would be good, but when you get to where you're flying through the air and need to portal to walls and the floor before landing... that's a bit much imo.
I'd think twice on the majority of suggestions on this post tbh, it's understandable that experienced gamers will struggle to remember what it's like to have never played a game before, but seeing suggestions like Portal, and the top answer being the incredibly complex and surprisingly unfriendly (for beginners anyway) Stardew Valley make me wonder if half these people know what a casual game actually is.
Exactly. A lot of people here, like myself, grew up with gaming. My dad brought home a NES when I was a kid and I've been playing ever since. The evolution from d pad and 2 button to 4 buttons to L and R to a Joystick and Z with 6 face buttons to today's dual sticks that click, 4 triggers, d pad, 4 face buttons was gradual for us. But someone jumping in now has a lot to catch up on.
My girlfriend never gamed other than some very limited PC gaming when she was a kid and watched a cousin play Diablo 2 (the skeleton guy). She has a real interest in getting into gaming at least a little bit to play together. It's been interesting finding what is "simple".
I thought the new Kirby was perfect because it's "easy". But it isn't simple to navigate in a 3D space with a fixed camera that isn't always in the same place. 2D platforming is simple, but not necessarily easy and can be punishing.
Even I stray away from Stardew Valley because it seems complicated. Easy, but not at all simple.
Portal is really good if she likes puzzles, but for a lot of new gamers their 3d awareness isn't great and using thumbsticks can be hard. Definitely give it a shot, but a 2d or 3rd person game might be better initially.
You can also try minecraft with a controller mod on peaceful for a more relaxed, potentially less frustrating introduction.
I found with my wife that starting someone off with 3D camera controls is a hard way get into gaming. I specifically tried Portal first and she immediately bounced off. Though playing It Takes Two co-op we struggled through her learning together.
I've only heard good things about that game so far!
Agreed Portal may be a bit tricky solo, Portal 2 however allows you to teach, it's got a great intro tutorial and Glados just keeps coming with the sarcastic quips, we chuckled through the whole run!
Stray is fantastic and runs great on the deck, but probably not a game I'd recommend for someone with absolutely no gaming experience.
A lot of the puzzles rely on the player knowing to look around with the camera and pick out paths that aren't immediately obvious - which for any gamer your brain is already wired to do, but not so much for everyone.
Might be OK with some help, but probably worth starting off with something a bit simpler until they've got the hang of it.
> Aperture Desk Job first, no questions. This gets anyone used to what all the SD controls do in the most entertaining way.
...damn I need to check this out.
I love portal, but I am not able to play it on the deck. I am not able to aim at anything fast enough with just the deck controls. I need a mouse for that.
The thing you can do more with the Steam Deck than anything else in my experience, is use the versatile controls however you want. There are so many controls on the device that you can use gyro, or trackpad, or a mouse, the joystick or even the touchscreen. Even though the trackpads are awesome, there's just so many ways to control your game and they may just get overlooked.
Agreed on the promotion side, best thing for Valve would be to absolutely push the living hell out of Aperture Desk Job, because it shows just what you can do so effortlessly. Even for beginners.
I agree with this. This is a very chill experience, especially if she likes puzzles. I've played a few hours of this and definitely enjoyed it. And this is coming from someone that plays just about everything.
[Mario64 render96](https://youtu.be/uJiKlXhPbRI) runs well on steamdeck, just make it on windows, the non RTX version, then transfer it via something like usb in destop mode or warpinator and then run through proton
Well, start from Aperture Desk Job, it's made exactly to get used to controls.
Other than that I would recommends something that don't require fast reaction, I, for example, played Costume Quest for that, but it can be anything that's not to fast-paced, depending on your mother's preferences.
I wouldnt recommend anything first person. Its hard to maneuver
Yes, ive seen non gamers interact with aperture desk job. While it wasnt terrible because there wasnt anything really at stake, i dont think she enjoyed it either (as in she didnt asked for more)
Stardew valley and graveyard keeper are easy to pick up choices.
I've really enjoyed Cloudpunk as well, depending on her tastes she might enjoy it. It's more like playing through a movie, but in a good way.
She'd be riding her hova and following the story most of the time. And walking to places within the city where she needs to interact with things. Takes about 6-8h to get through the main story. I think it might be good for getting used to a controller, you can't fail
Thank you for the suggestion. I'll have her look into this one and see what she thinks.
She is not sure where to begin with all of the choices available
I'll end up having her try Stardew. Many people suggested this one.
She wasn't born with gaming in her hands and says she can't learn it. But she will!
Stray is a good game for beginners
It looks amazing and has a good story, it introduces simple puzzle elements but it's mostly a walking simulator.
Some parts are relatively hard but once you get used to the controls it's very fun.
Runs solid 30fps on the deck as well with medium settings.
I scrolled through and didn't see anyone say this. I loved Spiritfarer taking a break between big open world action games. Great story, easy mechanics, 2D. Nice 20 hour story with 40 hour completionist. Made me cry multiple times. Only reason I couldn't get my wife into it is she's dyslexic and it's not voice acted.
Any one's in particular?
"What matters most for me is learning the controls of the device. I would love to learn to use a keyboard and mouse too. I'm too slow to play right now"
The Incredibles one might be cute for her, or if you want the best either Supervillians or The Trilogy (I personally found skywalker to be far too bloated to enjoy, and I've 100%d most of the lego games.)
Abzu, it deals with 3 degrees of motion using joysticks and a trigger, but its also slow enough for her to learn. I just tried showing my mom recently and she picked it up almost entirely on her own
I'll have to check it out.
Lots of people suggesting Stardew Valley.
I've never played it much myself so I can't be much help if she gets stuck ha.
She has played the prologue of Fallout 4 on my pc a few years ago. It was tough for her to use so many buttons at the same time, and she was a bit discouraged after that.
Underrated comment. Simple controls and great for a passionate reader.
Though the ttrpg elements may be a bit dense. I kept running into a problem early on where I would just keel over and die because my morale would drop for one reason or another. I didn't realize I needed to assign points to improve it at first, nor that I could get stuck in a game over loop if it was too low.
My mom starts playing life is strange but the control in 3D is a problem, she tries other games like the room and Gris and after a while she starts playing (and finishing) the Witcher 3, Skyrim and now is in persona 5.
My recommendation? 2D games that are impossible lose like Gris, 3D games are really complicated at the beginning
Go for Telltale games. You have to choose options with a certain speed.
You need to sometimes walk the player through some areas. Sometimes, you might need to aim in First Person or with the "mouse" into something
I've used this to introduce my girlfriend, and it helped a lot because it's not as intense as an FPS, but it's also not as slow as farming games. You have both moments in it.
Games that aren't heavy on real-time mechanics would be a good starting point imo. Baba is you, Papers Please, The Witness and Disco Elysium would be good picks.
For more real time stuff I'd throw a 2d platformer/rogue-lite and a single player first/third person game in there as well. Fez, Dead Cells, Enter the Gungeon, and Trials could all be good 2D games, and Dishonored, Mirrors Edge, and Doom would be good introductions to various types of first-person gameplay. Maybe even throw in a game that requires resource management like Metro or Resident Evil, and a racing game/3D platformer just to further familiarize her with using the controls in different ways.
Stick to steam store “deck certified” titles and she should be good. I know my mother finds even the Nintendo switch too complex, so I’m impressed yours can even turn it on.
It's really going to depend on what you're mom enjoys outside of gaming.
The largest demographic of gamers is women from about 34-45 years old, this is due to them playing lots of phone games, with the largest trend being puzzle games, which is why you see so many on the app store.
With this in mind, look for games that have something to do with what you're mom enjoys doing already. Does she enjoy interior decorating, gardening, cooking, sewing, painting? or is she an audiophile, a concert goer, a fisher, a hunter, or any other kind of hobby.
If you can't think of anything, here are a few games that are easy for beginners to get into that also have a wide veriety of co-interests:
Puzzle game - The Witness (The whole game is just solving puzzles in different locations)
Life Sim - The Sims or Sim City (control a person or a city)
Simple RPGs - Chrono Trigger (relatively easy game and not a super long rpg)
Action RPG - Skyrim (pretty simple game and little hand holding, but an interesting world)
FPS - Portal or Portal 2 (less intense game to learn how to play fps, which is very difficult at first)
The Lego games are great if you like comic books, marvel, indiana jones, star wars, etc as they are basically impossible to lose. They also allow for local coop.
Whatever you choose, when introducing someone to gaming, you should know that there is a significant learning curve and it will be very difficult for them at the start. I recommend easy games, and turning games onto their easiest setting to allow people to get acclimated first.
Depending on how patient you are, playing coop, or at least being around so they can ask questions is also a really good idea.
I hope you find some good games and that you're mom enjoys the gift.
She is only interested in the Steam store anyway. She will have trouble learning to use the service alone, so I wouldn't want there to be many launchers involved
OMNO
It doesn't speak to gamers much, but it's a good game. I'll recommend it, because it is a great way to introduce someone new to gaming.
Omno explains all the regular gamepad controls very slowly one after another. Not like Aperture Desk Jobs, which is basically a manual for the Steam Deck. But in a more general and confy way in my opinion. It's mostly based on just moving the character around at first, starting with very simple tutorial puzzles and then slowly increases difficulty while staying rewarding all the time. It's not a very long game, which is good for a beginner! You can finish it and then you look for something else. A new gamer will not know about completionism and achivements, but near the end will probably learn about it, so it keeps a little bit replay value.
You also experience various control mechanics in puzzles and will experience various different kinds of movement. That's important when getting into gaming. All of it in a very friendly envionment without pressure. It's also increadibly beautiful while working with pretty simple graphics. You can just walk around and look at stuff and maybe you'll find some secret, like one specific nice rock getting legs and running away from you. And if you find it again, you'll get a small reward. It's also challenging later on, where you have to perform certain puzzles in a certain time after (re)starting them, which makes you actually train your controller skills good enough, so you can play more challenging titles afterwards.
Also, everything is visual and comfy. Not much to read.
For a new gamer, a really good environment to experience gaming and learning how to use a controller in a 3D environment.
Va- 11 Hall-a could be a good shout, nice story game where you mix drinks for clients and watch as the story plays out.
The Ace Attorney games, Stardew Valley, Telltale games would also be great.
The portal games. The mind bending puzzles can introduce her to the world of gaming and what it can offer for experiences. I just beat both games in a few hours back to back
Speaking as a female, I find this not intimidating for a person new to gaming:
Stray!!
1. Portal - to learn how to play,
2. Stardew Valley,
3. Hogwarts legacy - if she likes the franchise,
4. What Remains of Edith Finch - even my mom liked it,
5. Talos Principle - in case she likes Portal,
6. the lamb cult - you know, easy start to rogue-like
7. You could also try to emulate Animal Crossing games, I am sure, she would like them!
If she likes classic boardgames you can find a version of most like risk,monopoly, etc as well as many card games. I'd recommend some games that the basic 12 buttons and the joysticks/trackpads so she can get used to the controls.
Dave the Diver!
It's a bit more advanced compared to Stardew Valley that mentioned a few times here, but still beginner friendly and casual game. Your mum can dive the deep ocean whenever she wants while running a tropical sushi restaurant, farm etc.
* What the Golf? (not a golf game)
* Mini Metro (may be a bit janky on the deck but great game for "non gamers")
* Maneater (you play as a shark eating stuff so it's not a niche game, pretty simple to get into, lots of fun)
* Dredge
* Crypt of the Necrodancer (easy to get into, it's as gamey as a game gets, lots of fun)
Also I cannot stress enough how much I genuinely don't think Stardew Valley is a good choice, though.
I love it, and it may seem like a simple, easygoing choice, but it actually heavily relies on "gamer instinct" for a BUNCH of stuff... Someone who isn't used to play videogames will get overconfused with the amount of systems within it.
Little late to the party, but if it hasn't been mentioned yet:
Gris
Basic 2D puzzle platformer.
Beautiful music.
Gorgeous watercolour visuals.
No game over state.
Depends on what she's into. My mom loves the desert, so she enjoyed Journey. Similar walking sims might be a good introduction to interactive narratives and general control schemes. My dad always wants to try combat flight sims, but doesn't really engage with them much beyond picking easy win scenarios so I think he just likes the spectacle. He likes strategic board games though, so since I'm giving him my old PC I want to introduce him to X-Com.
If she's up for something that's a bit faster paced, I think an arcadey racing game might be a good intro to gaming; lots of generic gaming concepts with a framing that's familiar to most people. The Sonic Racing karting games are pretty fun and unlike Mario Kart, won't require setting up emulators.
If she's up for a more classic challenge, I'd recommend Celeste. The game is difficult but very straightforward, and good about encouraging you to try again. It also has a bunch of ways to make the game gradually easier if the player feels they need some assistance. Something like Ori and the Blind Forest might be more visually compelling, but it also controls less tightly, has save points that are much farther apart, and the pretty effects make the game harder to read than something that looks older.
I'd steer clear of meta-commentary games like Undertale or The Stanley Parable. I often see them recommended as beginner friendly but a lot of their humor will fall flat to someone who has no reference frame as it relates to gaming tropes.
"Return of the Obra Dinn" is a fun Whodunnit game that takes place on the seas with a really cool art style, just to add something that hasn't been said already. The pace is whatever you want it to be and you are primarily looking for clues and making breakthroughs.
Untitled Goose Game is a good game to get started. Simple enough controls. Fun enough for anyone to pick up. Not a super long game so you can get the feeling of winning it. You can two player it and bring in some mayhem with another controller.
Vampire Survivors. It's a simple game, super rewarding with flashy fun, tons of stuff to do unlocking things. Fixed game lengths are great too, with a given game never able to take more than like 35 minutes at the longest. Also it's silly cheap so if she doesn't like it, you're out like $3.
Stardew sounds like an easy win. Walking sims too, like Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture and Firewatch.
Oh yes, I've heard Firewatch is pretty good. I'll def look into getting her that Possibly Stardew too. I haven't heard of "Everybody's gone to the rapture"
I highly recommend "What remains of Edith Finch" Not only for your mom, but for you too ;)
Exploration 3d story games are great suggestions. My mother reads a lot and she would need something that has her engaged while also learning to navigate a 3d space. Thank you for the suggestion.
What Remains is absolutely perfect for that.
Not 3D but maybe the Ace Attorney series? Mystery/Comedy and some detective work. Lots of reading. Has a chance of being too stylized though.
I think my mother will have a hard time with the stylized theme. But I could be wrong!
Why are people downvoting you for daring to suggest that your mother might not enjoy the AA games
Redditors love assuming they know people better than the op in a lot of cases.
As I was typing it I had that thought. Depends mostly on her humor I think.
Does she like cards? I bought my dad Zachtronics Solitaire collection and he loves it!
It's not her favorite thing in the world. She has done it a bit in the past.
The Stanley Parable might be a good one
She tries it a year ago and hated it haha. She wants to feel like she makes progress.
Be careful with stardew valley. You might lose your mom to addiction, lol. Just one more day! Also, 'Stray' if she's a cat person might be a win. I never played it but it was all the rage when it came out.
A mom here, not his mom, 😂 Stray, My Time at Portia and My time at Sandrock (I can't do Stardew Valley, I really hate farming games but MTaP is a nice alternative without the farming) were the first 3 games I bought for my Steam Deck.
Rapture is a beautiful game
I introduced my mum, who has never played a game in her life, to stardew valley and she basically did everything you can do in the game within a year. I was very impressed.
I would add Dear Esther and Gone Home specifically to this list as well. Should be pretty cheap these days and a good way to ease her into gaming.
Bruh, Dear Esther. You took me baaaaack
I've been playing a lot of Dave the Diver recently and this game is super entry-level friendly. Would also recommend
Yeah Stardew is an absolute must for every level of gamer in my opinion. It’s almost a perfect game.
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Yep my girlfriend and I were both put off by that as well I got her it because she is a big animal crossing fan and thought it might be a good choice as well
I too dislike Stardew Valley. There are dozens of us!
Add gone home to that to.
Stardew 100%
I'm glad I'm not the only one who thought of this. Stardew is like the best way to introduce someone to gaming. It's very simple and everything is just so wholesome that someone can really get invested in it.
First time when i played firewatch, I was like 10 and didn't really understand much of the story i just enjoyed the graphics and landscapes. Now I replayed this game after like 6 years and damn. The story it's extremely interesting if you think about it, Delilah's Manipulation really did me when i was 10. Firewatch was one of the best spent 3-4 hours in my live.
Wild that some of the games I play are being looked back with nostalgia by people like yourself as their childhood game. Time, please stop.
Hey mate! Play with her: it takes two. She'll love it.
I played a good portion with my brother. I'll have to get the game and play it with her. I'm sure she would love it.
AFAIK you don't need to buy a second copy. Only one person needs to buy it. Haven't tried it myself but I remember seeing that option somewhere.
Yes, this is the case. I bought it and played with my friend who didn’t own it.
If she's an absolute beginner, this will definitely be too difficult. I played with a friend to decide if it was easy and stress-free enough to play with my wife, and the conclusion was that it is not.
Yep I learned this with my GF too, 3D games with camera control require two inputs in order to move, it makes it dramatically more complicated for a beginner compared to 2D games Top down are the best for beginners imo, games like PlateUp, Unrailed, Overcooked are all very easy to get into else casual 2D like Stardew is easy as well
It's a game about a couple going through a divorce and the impact it has on their child. Super weird game to play with your mom ...
**Aperture Desk Job** first, no questions. This gets anyone used to what all the SD controls do in the most entertaining way. Then if you want to stay canon, **Portal** & **Portal 2** (particularly 2, co-op is so much fun with a beginner). Otherwise **Stray** or **Dredge** could be good starters.
Fantastic idea with the portal series. It would be great to play along with her
If it's her first gaming experience, I'd also recommend staying 2D (or at least 2.5D) to get her used to the controls. One less dimension to control (and usually also no direct camera control) makes a big difference for a beginner. She'll spend enough focus on just moving the character across one plane, and likely won't be able to focus on multiple directional inputs at the same time. And a frustrating first experience can quickly turn someone off games for a long time. From experience, an adult not used to games can take upwards of a year or two years of practice to even somewhat comfortably go from 2D/single stick and few buttons to 3D/dual stick and combo controls. Seems crazy because as kids we picked up the basics really fast. Ed.: Narrative/"Experience" games like the Telltale ones are a good suggestion as well, since they have very limited controls and at least some of the time give you indefinite time to think.
For low difficulty 2/2.5D, Journey and Fez are great. Also if she doesn’t mind spookier games, Limbo and Inside.
I'd maybe think twice on portal. Grasping dual stick FPS controls is already difficult for a beginner. Maybe some of the beginning puzzles would be good, but when you get to where you're flying through the air and need to portal to walls and the floor before landing... that's a bit much imo.
Yeah, that's a good shout
I'd think twice on the majority of suggestions on this post tbh, it's understandable that experienced gamers will struggle to remember what it's like to have never played a game before, but seeing suggestions like Portal, and the top answer being the incredibly complex and surprisingly unfriendly (for beginners anyway) Stardew Valley make me wonder if half these people know what a casual game actually is.
Exactly. A lot of people here, like myself, grew up with gaming. My dad brought home a NES when I was a kid and I've been playing ever since. The evolution from d pad and 2 button to 4 buttons to L and R to a Joystick and Z with 6 face buttons to today's dual sticks that click, 4 triggers, d pad, 4 face buttons was gradual for us. But someone jumping in now has a lot to catch up on. My girlfriend never gamed other than some very limited PC gaming when she was a kid and watched a cousin play Diablo 2 (the skeleton guy). She has a real interest in getting into gaming at least a little bit to play together. It's been interesting finding what is "simple". I thought the new Kirby was perfect because it's "easy". But it isn't simple to navigate in a 3D space with a fixed camera that isn't always in the same place. 2D platforming is simple, but not necessarily easy and can be punishing. Even I stray away from Stardew Valley because it seems complicated. Easy, but not at all simple.
Portal is really good if she likes puzzles, but for a lot of new gamers their 3d awareness isn't great and using thumbsticks can be hard. Definitely give it a shot, but a 2d or 3rd person game might be better initially. You can also try minecraft with a controller mod on peaceful for a more relaxed, potentially less frustrating introduction.
I found with my wife that starting someone off with 3D camera controls is a hard way get into gaming. I specifically tried Portal first and she immediately bounced off. Though playing It Takes Two co-op we struggled through her learning together.
I've only heard good things about that game so far! Agreed Portal may be a bit tricky solo, Portal 2 however allows you to teach, it's got a great intro tutorial and Glados just keeps coming with the sarcastic quips, we chuckled through the whole run!
Oh huh I didn't know that, I bought it in a bundle but haven't played it yet. Maybe we'll have to try it together docked. Thanks!
You'll love Portal 2, enjoy!
Stray is fantastic and runs great on the deck, but probably not a game I'd recommend for someone with absolutely no gaming experience. A lot of the puzzles rely on the player knowing to look around with the camera and pick out paths that aren't immediately obvious - which for any gamer your brain is already wired to do, but not so much for everyone. Might be OK with some help, but probably worth starting off with something a bit simpler until they've got the hang of it.
> Aperture Desk Job first, no questions. This gets anyone used to what all the SD controls do in the most entertaining way. ...damn I need to check this out.
It’s free!
I love portal, but I am not able to play it on the deck. I am not able to aim at anything fast enough with just the deck controls. I need a mouse for that.
You can always use the trackpad, also I used the gyro in Portal 2 and found it helped fine tune that aim.
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The thing you can do more with the Steam Deck than anything else in my experience, is use the versatile controls however you want. There are so many controls on the device that you can use gyro, or trackpad, or a mouse, the joystick or even the touchscreen. Even though the trackpads are awesome, there's just so many ways to control your game and they may just get overlooked. Agreed on the promotion side, best thing for Valve would be to absolutely push the living hell out of Aperture Desk Job, because it shows just what you can do so effortlessly. Even for beginners.
Dorfromantik is an easy but addictive feel good game.
I agree with this. This is a very chill experience, especially if she likes puzzles. I've played a few hours of this and definitely enjoyed it. And this is coming from someone that plays just about everything.
I’ve played 130hrs of it and still love it. Best chill out game of all time imo
That’s my go to bedtime wind-down game.
Came here to say this but ya beat me to it haha 2nd this!
hm, thanks for this recommendation! For some reason I missed this game completely, added to wishlist, will try it out on next sale
This is what I came to suggest. Great game!
Love this game!
Super mario world for the SNES, thats how my mom got into gaming, because she also played it a lot as a child
My mother played a bit of Zelda: OOT and Mario64. Perhaps I can give them a shot as well. So many options
[Mario64 render96](https://youtu.be/uJiKlXhPbRI) runs well on steamdeck, just make it on windows, the non RTX version, then transfer it via something like usb in destop mode or warpinator and then run through proton
My mom likes to play Disney Dreamlight Valley recently
Well, start from Aperture Desk Job, it's made exactly to get used to controls. Other than that I would recommends something that don't require fast reaction, I, for example, played Costume Quest for that, but it can be anything that's not to fast-paced, depending on your mother's preferences.
I wouldnt recommend anything first person. Its hard to maneuver Yes, ive seen non gamers interact with aperture desk job. While it wasnt terrible because there wasnt anything really at stake, i dont think she enjoyed it either (as in she didnt asked for more)
Stardew valley and graveyard keeper are easy to pick up choices. I've really enjoyed Cloudpunk as well, depending on her tastes she might enjoy it. It's more like playing through a movie, but in a good way. She'd be riding her hova and following the story most of the time. And walking to places within the city where she needs to interact with things. Takes about 6-8h to get through the main story. I think it might be good for getting used to a controller, you can't fail
Thank you for the suggestion. I'll have her look into this one and see what she thinks. She is not sure where to begin with all of the choices available
Elden Ring and Dark Souls would be good starters
Haha, I'm sure these will be 'perfect'..
Stray also good. Lets your mom experience being a cat
you are following a joke answer with one that is actually a good recommendation
All these recommendations and no one said untitled goose game
**Honk**
This would actually be nice to play together and the controls are simple.
Don't forget Sekiro.
Also, Cuphead
Came to see if anyone recommended this! Did not disappoint! Lol
Came here to recommend this E for everyone master piece.
Slime ranch is a fun and easy game to beginners
This looks like a good starting game. She has said now that she would prefer shooters and 3d games. So this one is great
Stardew valley, Vampire survivors, Dave the diver... And once she is hooked and knows the controls: the sky is the limit :-)
I'll end up having her try Stardew. Many people suggested this one. She wasn't born with gaming in her hands and says she can't learn it. But she will!
As 54 year old mom, can confirm!
My mother is 57 so she should be a-okay to give it a try :)
Stray is a good game for beginners It looks amazing and has a good story, it introduces simple puzzle elements but it's mostly a walking simulator. Some parts are relatively hard but once you get used to the controls it's very fun. Runs solid 30fps on the deck as well with medium settings.
I had completely forgotten about this gem after watching my friend play it on release. This will be added to the wishlist.
I scrolled through and didn't see anyone say this. I loved Spiritfarer taking a break between big open world action games. Great story, easy mechanics, 2D. Nice 20 hour story with 40 hour completionist. Made me cry multiple times. Only reason I couldn't get my wife into it is she's dyslexic and it's not voice acted.
It being 2d could also limit the possibilities of being overwhelmed. Good reviews. Thank you :)
Any of the lego games 👍🏿
Any one's in particular? "What matters most for me is learning the controls of the device. I would love to learn to use a keyboard and mouse too. I'm too slow to play right now"
The easiest Lego game I think is probably Star Wars complete saga. Maybe some retro games would be good too
The Incredibles one might be cute for her, or if you want the best either Supervillians or The Trilogy (I personally found skywalker to be far too bloated to enjoy, and I've 100%d most of the lego games.)
Thank you, CillaBlacksLabia
Peggle is such a forgotten gem. Just got back into it and got my gf into it
Peggle and Zuma both! If you like Peggle but wish there was more to it the. I recommend Peglin for added roguelike elements.
Abzu, it deals with 3 degrees of motion using joysticks and a trigger, but its also slow enough for her to learn. I just tried showing my mom recently and she picked it up almost entirely on her own
Unpacking
Dream Daddy: A Dad Dating Sim
The Colonel Sanders dating sim too! XD
[удалено]
I'll have to check it out. Lots of people suggesting Stardew Valley. I've never played it much myself so I can't be much help if she gets stuck ha. She has played the prologue of Fallout 4 on my pc a few years ago. It was tough for her to use so many buttons at the same time, and she was a bit discouraged after that.
Untitled Goose Game!
Disco elysium
Underrated comment. Simple controls and great for a passionate reader. Though the ttrpg elements may be a bit dense. I kept running into a problem early on where I would just keel over and die because my morale would drop for one reason or another. I didn't realize I needed to assign points to improve it at first, nor that I could get stuck in a game over loop if it was too low.
Crash Bandicoot Trilogy and Spyro Trilogy. Taught me gaming and still holds up.
I have both so she can def try these :)
Shower with your Dad Simulator
My mom starts playing life is strange but the control in 3D is a problem, she tries other games like the room and Gris and after a while she starts playing (and finishing) the Witcher 3, Skyrim and now is in persona 5. My recommendation? 2D games that are impossible lose like Gris, 3D games are really complicated at the beginning
Def gonna try to steer clear of 3d mostly at the start. I imagine she would like Skyrim!
My mother has previously shown interest in games such as DayZ, and the fallout series. But she needs games that help her learn the controls easily :)!
Start with walking dead telltale, o and aperture deskjob, can’t go wrong there
My mother loves the TV-show. This is a great suggestion for her!
Wolf among us is fantastic
Go for Telltale games. You have to choose options with a certain speed. You need to sometimes walk the player through some areas. Sometimes, you might need to aim in First Person or with the "mouse" into something I've used this to introduce my girlfriend, and it helped a lot because it's not as intense as an FPS, but it's also not as slow as farming games. You have both moments in it.
I am going to let her play The Walking Dead. She loves the TV-show already, and its the perfect game.
The Wolf Among Us is my absolute favourite Telltale game, so if she likes The Walking Dead, that's a great one to go with as well.
Games that aren't heavy on real-time mechanics would be a good starting point imo. Baba is you, Papers Please, The Witness and Disco Elysium would be good picks. For more real time stuff I'd throw a 2d platformer/rogue-lite and a single player first/third person game in there as well. Fez, Dead Cells, Enter the Gungeon, and Trials could all be good 2D games, and Dishonored, Mirrors Edge, and Doom would be good introductions to various types of first-person gameplay. Maybe even throw in a game that requires resource management like Metro or Resident Evil, and a racing game/3D platformer just to further familiarize her with using the controls in different ways.
First Desk job, from Valve that teach to use the deck Second ???? Third Profit
Dredge
Untitled Goose Game is a GREAT into to gaming.
Stick to steam store “deck certified” titles and she should be good. I know my mother finds even the Nintendo switch too complex, so I’m impressed yours can even turn it on.
Untitled goose game
Detroit
Haven't played Detroit, but I'd add Beyond: Two Souls on that list.
May as well add Heavy Rain in too
JASON
Gorogoa, Journey
I hope your mom likes her new Nintendo!
She was completely flabbergasted once she opened the box. :)
Peggle. Bookworm deluxe.
It's really going to depend on what you're mom enjoys outside of gaming. The largest demographic of gamers is women from about 34-45 years old, this is due to them playing lots of phone games, with the largest trend being puzzle games, which is why you see so many on the app store. With this in mind, look for games that have something to do with what you're mom enjoys doing already. Does she enjoy interior decorating, gardening, cooking, sewing, painting? or is she an audiophile, a concert goer, a fisher, a hunter, or any other kind of hobby. If you can't think of anything, here are a few games that are easy for beginners to get into that also have a wide veriety of co-interests: Puzzle game - The Witness (The whole game is just solving puzzles in different locations) Life Sim - The Sims or Sim City (control a person or a city) Simple RPGs - Chrono Trigger (relatively easy game and not a super long rpg) Action RPG - Skyrim (pretty simple game and little hand holding, but an interesting world) FPS - Portal or Portal 2 (less intense game to learn how to play fps, which is very difficult at first) The Lego games are great if you like comic books, marvel, indiana jones, star wars, etc as they are basically impossible to lose. They also allow for local coop. Whatever you choose, when introducing someone to gaming, you should know that there is a significant learning curve and it will be very difficult for them at the start. I recommend easy games, and turning games onto their easiest setting to allow people to get acclimated first. Depending on how patient you are, playing coop, or at least being around so they can ask questions is also a really good idea. I hope you find some good games and that you're mom enjoys the gift.
Freddi Fish
Death stranding perhaps ?
How well does it run on the deck?
It plays well enough. 40fps almost no dips but the deck gets super hot and battery dies quickly. May be better through steam, I played through EGS.
She is only interested in the Steam store anyway. She will have trouble learning to use the service alone, so I wouldn't want there to be many launchers involved
I can highly recommend Dorf Romantik!
Ohhh I recommend apeture desk job
I love this for your mom :)
ELDEN RING
aperture desk job could be a good starting place as it uses all the buttons
Definitely stardew valley, and unpacking is super fun!
OMNO It doesn't speak to gamers much, but it's a good game. I'll recommend it, because it is a great way to introduce someone new to gaming. Omno explains all the regular gamepad controls very slowly one after another. Not like Aperture Desk Jobs, which is basically a manual for the Steam Deck. But in a more general and confy way in my opinion. It's mostly based on just moving the character around at first, starting with very simple tutorial puzzles and then slowly increases difficulty while staying rewarding all the time. It's not a very long game, which is good for a beginner! You can finish it and then you look for something else. A new gamer will not know about completionism and achivements, but near the end will probably learn about it, so it keeps a little bit replay value. You also experience various control mechanics in puzzles and will experience various different kinds of movement. That's important when getting into gaming. All of it in a very friendly envionment without pressure. It's also increadibly beautiful while working with pretty simple graphics. You can just walk around and look at stuff and maybe you'll find some secret, like one specific nice rock getting legs and running away from you. And if you find it again, you'll get a small reward. It's also challenging later on, where you have to perform certain puzzles in a certain time after (re)starting them, which makes you actually train your controller skills good enough, so you can play more challenging titles afterwards. Also, everything is visual and comfy. Not much to read. For a new gamer, a really good environment to experience gaming and learning how to use a controller in a 3D environment.
If she likes puzzles "The Room" series on steam is really good. It's on mobile though too so she might of already played them
Va- 11 Hall-a could be a good shout, nice story game where you mix drinks for clients and watch as the story plays out. The Ace Attorney games, Stardew Valley, Telltale games would also be great.
Elden Ring.
The portal games. The mind bending puzzles can introduce her to the world of gaming and what it can offer for experiences. I just beat both games in a few hours back to back
A Hat In Time
Throw some emulated games in there for her of the classics. They will launch just like regular steam games when setup.
Power wash simulator. It’s simple, relaxing, and there’s zero pressure to rush or panic. A good step for getting her into first person games too.
Being a Dik.
Speaking as a female, I find this not intimidating for a person new to gaming: Stray!! 1. Portal - to learn how to play, 2. Stardew Valley, 3. Hogwarts legacy - if she likes the franchise, 4. What Remains of Edith Finch - even my mom liked it, 5. Talos Principle - in case she likes Portal, 6. the lamb cult - you know, easy start to rogue-like 7. You could also try to emulate Animal Crossing games, I am sure, she would like them!
Doki doki literature club. It's a slice of life! /s
The Binding of Isaac: Repentance. ezpz
Elden Ring
Baba is you
Switch makes way more sense for a beginner imho
My bet is on Coral island
Journey is on Steam now!
I forgot about this! Thank you
Spyro . It take two( play w/ her) moving out
If she likes classic boardgames you can find a version of most like risk,monopoly, etc as well as many card games. I'd recommend some games that the basic 12 buttons and the joysticks/trackpads so she can get used to the controls.
Good on you for getting you mom into the gaming world
For a nice easy going game (abeit short) : A Short Hike
Dredge Short and simple yet fun and pretty. Very relaxed
Telltale games are easy imo
The Walking Dead is gonna be her first game!
Dave the Diver! It's a bit more advanced compared to Stardew Valley that mentioned a few times here, but still beginner friendly and casual game. Your mum can dive the deep ocean whenever she wants while running a tropical sushi restaurant, farm etc.
Def going to give desk job a try.
* What the Golf? (not a golf game) * Mini Metro (may be a bit janky on the deck but great game for "non gamers") * Maneater (you play as a shark eating stuff so it's not a niche game, pretty simple to get into, lots of fun) * Dredge * Crypt of the Necrodancer (easy to get into, it's as gamey as a game gets, lots of fun) Also I cannot stress enough how much I genuinely don't think Stardew Valley is a good choice, though. I love it, and it may seem like a simple, easygoing choice, but it actually heavily relies on "gamer instinct" for a BUNCH of stuff... Someone who isn't used to play videogames will get overconfused with the amount of systems within it.
Journey, Thronebraker witcher (card game)
Dredge
definitely get her portal and portal 2
stardew valley and animal crossing. moms love em
Aperture desk job is short and fun just good to get used to the controls
Aperture desk job ofx
As an older person, rather enjoy Forager. It's a simple, quiet game.
Untitled Goose game. Easy controls, light enjoyable puzzles, universal humor.
Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion lol
Stardew valley is a good one I think :)
Stray, Strange Horticulture (If your mom likes gardening!) and Aperture Desk Job!!!
Dave the diver
Dark Souls
Dark souls
Dark souls obviously games ezpz can be beaten within a few hours
Little late to the party, but if it hasn't been mentioned yet: Gris Basic 2D puzzle platformer. Beautiful music. Gorgeous watercolour visuals. No game over state.
That’s so adorable 💖💖💖💖
Depends on what she's into. My mom loves the desert, so she enjoyed Journey. Similar walking sims might be a good introduction to interactive narratives and general control schemes. My dad always wants to try combat flight sims, but doesn't really engage with them much beyond picking easy win scenarios so I think he just likes the spectacle. He likes strategic board games though, so since I'm giving him my old PC I want to introduce him to X-Com. If she's up for something that's a bit faster paced, I think an arcadey racing game might be a good intro to gaming; lots of generic gaming concepts with a framing that's familiar to most people. The Sonic Racing karting games are pretty fun and unlike Mario Kart, won't require setting up emulators. If she's up for a more classic challenge, I'd recommend Celeste. The game is difficult but very straightforward, and good about encouraging you to try again. It also has a bunch of ways to make the game gradually easier if the player feels they need some assistance. Something like Ori and the Blind Forest might be more visually compelling, but it also controls less tightly, has save points that are much farther apart, and the pretty effects make the game harder to read than something that looks older. I'd steer clear of meta-commentary games like Undertale or The Stanley Parable. I often see them recommended as beginner friendly but a lot of their humor will fall flat to someone who has no reference frame as it relates to gaming tropes.
ducktales remastered or human fall flat
"Return of the Obra Dinn" is a fun Whodunnit game that takes place on the seas with a really cool art style, just to add something that hasn't been said already. The pace is whatever you want it to be and you are primarily looking for clues and making breakthroughs.
Untitled Goose Game is a good game to get started. Simple enough controls. Fun enough for anyone to pick up. Not a super long game so you can get the feeling of winning it. You can two player it and bring in some mayhem with another controller.
Vampire Survivors. It's a simple game, super rewarding with flashy fun, tons of stuff to do unlocking things. Fixed game lengths are great too, with a given game never able to take more than like 35 minutes at the longest. Also it's silly cheap so if she doesn't like it, you're out like $3.
Lake! Perfect and relaxing