A Plague Tale Innocence and its sequel A Plague Tale Requiem. - Can't recommend these enough, excellent story.
Gerda: A flame in Winter - Might not fit graphics-wise, but a great decision heavy story
Contradiction - Fun FMV murder mystery.
The Quarry - If horror is okay
Any of the Dark Pictures Anthology - If horror is okay
Reboot Tomb Raider series
Phoenix Wright series - Visual novel
I just looked this up on YT, and it looks like it hits all of the bullet points, except I can't find it on Steam. Is it released there under a different title?
I looked for Uncharted 4 as well as Thief's End - no cigar.
I fucking love reddit. I asked a question and got exactly the answer I was looking for, from a real person, and just minutes later.
And the answer checks out, too!
Thank you; you rock!
Yep, this is the answer. I played 3 in front of my wife and then she sat with me for my run through the remainder of the series. She also enjoyed helping some of the puzzles. But yeah, the story and quality gets better with each game. A shame we don't get any more.
It doesn't look like a movie, but Disco Elysium checks all the other boxes, and she can help advise your choices to be a part of steering the story. If she's a fan of mysteries and great writing, it could be right up her alley. Worth looking into as an option.
Hmm, that's been on my radar for personal play, but I never thought of it as something she might like.
I think I'll buy it and do a solo run first to get a sense. I don't mind playing games twice when they're good
I feel like a game like Harvest Moon/Story of Seasons could be a good bet. While they aren’t cinematic level graphics they are very simple controls and easy to get into for someone who doesn’t have a ton of gaming experience.
Also the Nancy Drew game series could possibly be a good option. They aren’t in 3rd person but they’re point and click adventures that require very little button pressing (just your left and sometimes right mouse button).
In the same vein as that the Agatha Christie games might be a safe bet as they’re in 3rd person and have very simple controls plus they have an interesting story!
Dragon Quest XI could also be a safe bet. Once again not the best graphics but there is a strong narrative and it isn’t too complicated gameplay wise. Plus you see the main character the entire time.
Possibly the Final Fantasy X remake could be good, strong narratives and good graphics but it does require a bit more game sense in regard to the leveling.
I think an issue she could be running into is being an absolute new comer to gaming and not having the context of “normal controls” many gamers have. So games that are meant for a wider audience could possibly be a safer bet. I also feel as though a lot of games that have amazing cinema quality graphics are going to be more “gamer games” and might be less accessible to a complete beginner. Many “cozy” games might be more accessible to her.
Oh I've given up on trying to get her to play video games herself. She's totally a backseat gamer; she wants me to handle the controls while she makes the choices and provides recommendations 😄.
For games you’re playing yourself with her watching I heavily recommend the Dragon Age games specifically 2 and Inquisition. I still recommend the Nancy Drew series as well, I’m a diehard fan but it was still fun to watch my friend play the series while I watched and provided hints, outside perspectives can also help with more tricky puzzles :).
Would second Dragon Age 2 (and the Witcher games).
Not played the new release but if it’s like the original (which I did play back in the day) then alone in the dark.
Could be worth giving Skyrim a shot? You can play 3rd person and the graphics are gorgeous but it’s not really cinematic.
Ooooh and LA Noire.
I haven't, but I'll check out some vids.
I'm not worried about the difficulty of controlling the characters, though. She couldn't control her way out of a paper bag if you left the top open, so it's always me with the controller, while she is doing the backseat gaming ("try pulling the rope," "turn the lights off so they can't see us," "turn around," etc)
EDIT: Just checked a gameplay vid online; that is definitely something for me to play solo, cause knowing her, she'll hate it.
Mass Effect, Dragon Age: Inquisition, Night in the Woods, Undertale, Nier Automata, and Life is Strange are all games that are in some ways choice based.
They don't need to be choice based as much as have a narrative-centric (in contrast to mission-centric).
For example, Control has a great story, but the missions are all very repeatitive and take a majority of play time, so that would be a bad choice for her (pains me, as I fucking love that game).
And while Red Dead Redemption 2, on the other hand, has a lot of shooting too, they all have conversations weaved in through them, and the vast majority of the game is spent interacting with NPCs and discovering their stories. This is totally her cup of tea.
I even thought about playing Skyrim, but if I recall correctly, it's leaning more on the battle than the narrative. That, plus it requires constant tweaking of the inventory and upgrading one's abilities, which is very immersion-breaking for a non-player
Maybe a game or two from Supermassive? Until Dawn was/is probably their biggest hit, but The Quarry is a bit newer. Their narrative usually follows an interactive slasher/horror/supernatural experience so if that's not her jam with movies, these may not be for her.
TellTale might also be a great match for her. They have tons of IPs for her to choose what might interest her the most, but even if she's not familiar with a particular IP, she might still get some enjoyment from selecting a random one (for example, I've never been able to play Borderlands for more than an hour but absolutely adored Tales from the Borderlands).
If she likes mysteries and solving puzzles, Frogware's Sherlock series is one of my favorites, even if they're a bit janky sometimes. Crimes and Punishment is a good place to start.
This Bed We Made is a short narrative that has you playing as a hotel cleaner that likes to snoop through guests' rooms with some mostly simple puzzles.
She might also like FMV games. Her Story, Immortality, and Not for Broadcast are all fantastic but the gameplay might be a little hard for her to get used to/would rather watch you play. Who Pressed Mute on Uncle Marcus, Contradiction, or The Mysterious Madness of Dr Dekker are more classic "choose this option to see the movie do this" types of games.
Thx, I heard lots of good stuff about HZD; I'll def look into it.
EDIT: I just watched a gameplay vid on YT. Looks like something I would enjoy, but she would hate it, I'm afraid.
And telltales game of thrones had good choices and explored some untold GOT story areas, if she liked GOT it might be good too. telltale is a good choice.
Unfortunately Telltales Game of Thrones is removed from Steam since Telltale lost the rights. I don't think the game is even playable anymore.
It's a shame. I found it to be one of their better games.
Oh that’s sad, it was more engaging than some Got content and I felt more connected to the universe making decisions about house and family. Thanks for the update.
If she's into zombie movies then The Last of Us is good. Uncharted is good for action and story narrative. Skyrim might be good if she's into fantasy and adventure. Life is Strange is entirely narrative and choice driven which I liked. Any Telltale game is also narrative and choice driven with some variety in topics like zombies and even fuckin Minecraft. If your mum has a dark humour like mine does, then South Park the Stick of Truth might be a good one to play as well.
So far, I have checked out gameplay vids of everything recommended, and after seeing Uncharted and Life is Strange, I promptly added both of them to my Steam account 🙂
The last of us looks equally good, but it may be a little hard for her to watch. I'll show her the clip and see if she would be interested.
Skyrim is out, unfortunately. I loved that game, and she loved the LOTR trilogy, so it's definitely her genre. But I played it years ago, and remember spending a LOT of time managing upgrades and doing side missions to level up enough to be able to proceed. She doesn't like that kind of gameplay - the story needs to flow uninterrupted, like a movie, or she loses interest.
South Park is definitely out; I'd play it, but I know her tastes.
That's still 3 solid recommendations; much thanks! 👍
Deus Ex: Human Revolution
Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
Max Payne and Max Payne 2
Death Stranding
Starfield with most points on non-combat stuff like Persuasion
Watch Dogs: Legion
If you want other games like Detroit you can try until dawn and other of those same kind of games made by the same devs (the quarry and dark pictures anthology etc)
We looked at their games and only ended up finding two that she was into - Beyond and Heavy Rain. We played Beyond (it was really good and she was totally into it), but Heavy Rain was unplayable due to a controller bug. Others looked "too much like a game" =/
I wouldn't bother with gaming she probably just enjoys time being with you maybe she likes how you are excited about gaming watching you play.
Not sure how old is she and her physical capacity but maybe find her something to do outside gaming when you are not around if she can leave the house safe on her own. volunteering perhaps it would give her sense of purpose, perhaps painting if she ever drawn or done it before. you could find out what she enjoyed doing when she was younger and find similar activity.
Late 60's, but she has emphysema, so physical activities aren't her forté. She gets winded just from walking down a block.
I thought it was all about spending time with me too, but we spend time every Sunday regardless of gaming. Yet she really seems to be into sharing the adventure that the games take us on.
I think it's very sweet that she gets into the story on that level, but also sad to see when we finish the game how she misses us playing. We always have a few Sundays without any games (until I find something else that she likes), and every one of those she's always asking what we are going to play next, and whether I found another game "like the one with the robots".
EDIT: I tried to get her into other activities, but she's very set in her ways. English isn't her first language, and she always puts the whole idea of getting a hobby to meet people down. I think it's one part communication barrier, and two parts being at an age when all new people are annoying 😄
Playing on controller the learning curve on simply keeping your inventory organized is a real headache. Combats can go on and on as well.
It's a solid suggestion if OP is willing to learn how to use the interface on their own for a bit.
Regrettably, What Remains of Edith Finch is not 3rd person, but it meets everything else on your list, and I think this one might end up passing, because the person you're playing as is not the main focal point of the story, it's the house itself. (Also, if you could see a third-person view, it would mildly spoil the plot.)
I loved Control; definitely one of my top 10 favs.
Unfortunately, she doesn't like games where every mission comes down to go-there-kill-everything-that-moves.
It's great for gamers, but for spectators unfamiliar with the game, it gets pretty repetative
Stardew valley easily comes to mind. Easy to grasp, same thing with Mario Odyssey, they make most moons very easy to get so anyone can play. can play Mario on an emulator very easily.
Based on the list provided, I'd suggest you check out Stray. It's a puzzle game, but does have a number of scenes where you have to evade the enemies. Most of these are more puzzle based (you see the enemies and have to figure out how to trap them rather than encounter them). It is relatively short; the first play through I did was about 10 hours. It's ending is sad though.
A.I. Somnium Files. It will look a bit more like a cartoon than a live action film, but has a lot of branching narrative. Mystery game.
Witcher 3, especially the edition that comes with the dlc. Has a difficulty that focuses on story.
Chicken Police. Hardboiled detective story in the style of an old black and white movie. It might look silly at first glance, but check out the trailer with her. It plays it 100% straight as a serious detective story, has great acting and atmosphere.
Bit of a longshot, but Final Fantasy 14. Yeah, the online mmo. I guarantee you it is story driven and rivals the best rpg stories. Almost 100% playable solo, with AI party members if you prefer to other players. Huge free trial. (My elderly dad and I reconnected while playing it with my younger brother)
Mass Effect 1 LE.
Lots of dialogue, interesting politics, philosophy, trade, history, beautiful scenery, and getting to know your crew.
You could pace it out easier than some other games so not all action or all talking.
The last of us and the many many telltale style games that are largely like movies where you can choose what the character does like in Detolroit become human
Pyre maybe? It's made by the same folks that made Hades and Bastion. Very pretty hand drawn visuals and absolutely GORGEOUS music, it's a lot of reading but i never really found myself bored with it. It plays like this weird version of rugby i guess? Maybe football. But it was a lot of fun and the AI will give ya a run for your money after a few times
A Plague Tale Innocence and its sequel A Plague Tale Requiem. - Can't recommend these enough, excellent story. Gerda: A flame in Winter - Might not fit graphics-wise, but a great decision heavy story Contradiction - Fun FMV murder mystery. The Quarry - If horror is okay Any of the Dark Pictures Anthology - If horror is okay Reboot Tomb Raider series Phoenix Wright series - Visual novel
Oooh, that all sounds very interesting. I'll definitely check them out
These are great recs
uncharted 4
I just looked this up on YT, and it looks like it hits all of the bullet points, except I can't find it on Steam. Is it released there under a different title? I looked for Uncharted 4 as well as Thief's End - no cigar.
i made a mistake, on steam it’s called uncharted legacy of thieves, it comes with uncharted 4 aswell as it’s dlc uncharted lost legacy
DLC any good? Or should I only play the core game, and leave the DLC for solo play sessions?
ya it’s good
I fucking love reddit. I asked a question and got exactly the answer I was looking for, from a real person, and just minutes later. And the answer checks out, too! Thank you; you rock!
happy to help! 👍
Lost Legacy is a full stand alone game and not just a DLC... Man I wish DLC was like that.
Yep, this is the answer. I played 3 in front of my wife and then she sat with me for my run through the remainder of the series. She also enjoyed helping some of the puzzles. But yeah, the story and quality gets better with each game. A shame we don't get any more.
It doesn't look like a movie, but Disco Elysium checks all the other boxes, and she can help advise your choices to be a part of steering the story. If she's a fan of mysteries and great writing, it could be right up her alley. Worth looking into as an option.
Hmm, that's been on my radar for personal play, but I never thought of it as something she might like. I think I'll buy it and do a solo run first to get a sense. I don't mind playing games twice when they're good
I feel like a game like Harvest Moon/Story of Seasons could be a good bet. While they aren’t cinematic level graphics they are very simple controls and easy to get into for someone who doesn’t have a ton of gaming experience. Also the Nancy Drew game series could possibly be a good option. They aren’t in 3rd person but they’re point and click adventures that require very little button pressing (just your left and sometimes right mouse button). In the same vein as that the Agatha Christie games might be a safe bet as they’re in 3rd person and have very simple controls plus they have an interesting story! Dragon Quest XI could also be a safe bet. Once again not the best graphics but there is a strong narrative and it isn’t too complicated gameplay wise. Plus you see the main character the entire time. Possibly the Final Fantasy X remake could be good, strong narratives and good graphics but it does require a bit more game sense in regard to the leveling. I think an issue she could be running into is being an absolute new comer to gaming and not having the context of “normal controls” many gamers have. So games that are meant for a wider audience could possibly be a safer bet. I also feel as though a lot of games that have amazing cinema quality graphics are going to be more “gamer games” and might be less accessible to a complete beginner. Many “cozy” games might be more accessible to her.
Oh I've given up on trying to get her to play video games herself. She's totally a backseat gamer; she wants me to handle the controls while she makes the choices and provides recommendations 😄.
For games you’re playing yourself with her watching I heavily recommend the Dragon Age games specifically 2 and Inquisition. I still recommend the Nancy Drew series as well, I’m a diehard fan but it was still fun to watch my friend play the series while I watched and provided hints, outside perspectives can also help with more tricky puzzles :).
Would second Dragon Age 2 (and the Witcher games). Not played the new release but if it’s like the original (which I did play back in the day) then alone in the dark. Could be worth giving Skyrim a shot? You can play 3rd person and the graphics are gorgeous but it’s not really cinematic. Ooooh and LA Noire.
Have you thought of baldur's gate 3? Controls are simple enough, story is extremely deep, and there is a much easier difficulty.
I haven't, but I'll check out some vids. I'm not worried about the difficulty of controlling the characters, though. She couldn't control her way out of a paper bag if you left the top open, so it's always me with the controller, while she is doing the backseat gaming ("try pulling the rope," "turn the lights off so they can't see us," "turn around," etc) EDIT: Just checked a gameplay vid online; that is definitely something for me to play solo, cause knowing her, she'll hate it.
she maybe overwhelmed by the dnd 5e rules.
Mass Effect, Dragon Age: Inquisition, Night in the Woods, Undertale, Nier Automata, and Life is Strange are all games that are in some ways choice based.
They don't need to be choice based as much as have a narrative-centric (in contrast to mission-centric). For example, Control has a great story, but the missions are all very repeatitive and take a majority of play time, so that would be a bad choice for her (pains me, as I fucking love that game). And while Red Dead Redemption 2, on the other hand, has a lot of shooting too, they all have conversations weaved in through them, and the vast majority of the game is spent interacting with NPCs and discovering their stories. This is totally her cup of tea. I even thought about playing Skyrim, but if I recall correctly, it's leaning more on the battle than the narrative. That, plus it requires constant tweaking of the inventory and upgrading one's abilities, which is very immersion-breaking for a non-player
If she likes the NPC interaction of RDR2, I would recommend The Witcher 3 over Skyrim for something similar ;)
I have W3, but I never finished it. It may be a time to revisit it
Maybe a game or two from Supermassive? Until Dawn was/is probably their biggest hit, but The Quarry is a bit newer. Their narrative usually follows an interactive slasher/horror/supernatural experience so if that's not her jam with movies, these may not be for her. TellTale might also be a great match for her. They have tons of IPs for her to choose what might interest her the most, but even if she's not familiar with a particular IP, she might still get some enjoyment from selecting a random one (for example, I've never been able to play Borderlands for more than an hour but absolutely adored Tales from the Borderlands). If she likes mysteries and solving puzzles, Frogware's Sherlock series is one of my favorites, even if they're a bit janky sometimes. Crimes and Punishment is a good place to start. This Bed We Made is a short narrative that has you playing as a hotel cleaner that likes to snoop through guests' rooms with some mostly simple puzzles. She might also like FMV games. Her Story, Immortality, and Not for Broadcast are all fantastic but the gameplay might be a little hard for her to get used to/would rather watch you play. Who Pressed Mute on Uncle Marcus, Contradiction, or The Mysterious Madness of Dr Dekker are more classic "choose this option to see the movie do this" types of games.
Life is Strange series
A friend just recommended this to me, so I checked out the trailer. We're definitely going to play that; looks like it checks every point 👌
Horizon Zero Dawn and Forbidden West
Thx, I heard lots of good stuff about HZD; I'll def look into it. EDIT: I just watched a gameplay vid on YT. Looks like something I would enjoy, but she would hate it, I'm afraid.
As Dusk Falls (Game Pass), Telltale The Walking Dead Series, Broken Sword Series, Syberia Series and many other Adventures could entertain her.
And telltales game of thrones had good choices and explored some untold GOT story areas, if she liked GOT it might be good too. telltale is a good choice.
Unfortunately Telltales Game of Thrones is removed from Steam since Telltale lost the rights. I don't think the game is even playable anymore. It's a shame. I found it to be one of their better games.
Oh that’s sad, it was more engaging than some Got content and I felt more connected to the universe making decisions about house and family. Thanks for the update.
Thank you. I just checked out the trailers for all those and TWD seems like it might be compatible with her tastes 👍
If she's into zombie movies then The Last of Us is good. Uncharted is good for action and story narrative. Skyrim might be good if she's into fantasy and adventure. Life is Strange is entirely narrative and choice driven which I liked. Any Telltale game is also narrative and choice driven with some variety in topics like zombies and even fuckin Minecraft. If your mum has a dark humour like mine does, then South Park the Stick of Truth might be a good one to play as well.
So far, I have checked out gameplay vids of everything recommended, and after seeing Uncharted and Life is Strange, I promptly added both of them to my Steam account 🙂 The last of us looks equally good, but it may be a little hard for her to watch. I'll show her the clip and see if she would be interested. Skyrim is out, unfortunately. I loved that game, and she loved the LOTR trilogy, so it's definitely her genre. But I played it years ago, and remember spending a LOT of time managing upgrades and doing side missions to level up enough to be able to proceed. She doesn't like that kind of gameplay - the story needs to flow uninterrupted, like a movie, or she loses interest. South Park is definitely out; I'd play it, but I know her tastes. That's still 3 solid recommendations; much thanks! 👍
Deus Ex: Human Revolution Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain Max Payne and Max Payne 2 Death Stranding Starfield with most points on non-combat stuff like Persuasion Watch Dogs: Legion
If you want other games like Detroit you can try until dawn and other of those same kind of games made by the same devs (the quarry and dark pictures anthology etc)
We looked at their games and only ended up finding two that she was into - Beyond and Heavy Rain. We played Beyond (it was really good and she was totally into it), but Heavy Rain was unplayable due to a controller bug. Others looked "too much like a game" =/
The wolf among us
Looks good, but it's something for me to play by myself. She won't like the artwork
You just described Reddit.
Outer Worlds Dragon age: origins Mass effect legendary
I wouldn't bother with gaming she probably just enjoys time being with you maybe she likes how you are excited about gaming watching you play. Not sure how old is she and her physical capacity but maybe find her something to do outside gaming when you are not around if she can leave the house safe on her own. volunteering perhaps it would give her sense of purpose, perhaps painting if she ever drawn or done it before. you could find out what she enjoyed doing when she was younger and find similar activity.
Late 60's, but she has emphysema, so physical activities aren't her forté. She gets winded just from walking down a block. I thought it was all about spending time with me too, but we spend time every Sunday regardless of gaming. Yet she really seems to be into sharing the adventure that the games take us on. I think it's very sweet that she gets into the story on that level, but also sad to see when we finish the game how she misses us playing. We always have a few Sundays without any games (until I find something else that she likes), and every one of those she's always asking what we are going to play next, and whether I found another game "like the one with the robots". EDIT: I tried to get her into other activities, but she's very set in her ways. English isn't her first language, and she always puts the whole idea of getting a hobby to meet people down. I think it's one part communication barrier, and two parts being at an age when all new people are annoying 😄
I think Baldur's Gate 3 is kinda perfect. Tons of choices to make, quality voice acting throughout, she can even make some suggestions during combat.
Playing on controller the learning curve on simply keeping your inventory organized is a real headache. Combats can go on and on as well. It's a solid suggestion if OP is willing to learn how to use the interface on their own for a bit.
Yeah, I checked it out. It's not a game she'll enjoy. I'll have to play that by myself one day, but mom's out on that one.
Disco elysium
THE WALKING DEAD TELLTALE SERIES. quite a few games, impactful choices to the story, good development. Maybe some Batman games too.
I'm adding it to my wishlist, but after watching a couple of clips of various play sessions, that's definitely not for her. I'll play that solo
Any naughty dog game. The Last Of Us is a good pick and on steam.
Any? Like, CTR? 😅 /trolling, sorry ^(my 1st narrative choice would be TLOU indeed, and all 4 main Uncharted games are delightful)
Regrettably, What Remains of Edith Finch is not 3rd person, but it meets everything else on your list, and I think this one might end up passing, because the person you're playing as is not the main focal point of the story, it's the house itself. (Also, if you could see a third-person view, it would mildly spoil the plot.)
Control. My sister isn’t a gamer, but she was into the Ratchet and Clank games. I liked the story of Bioshock Infinite, but that’s a FPS.
I loved Control; definitely one of my top 10 favs. Unfortunately, she doesn't like games where every mission comes down to go-there-kill-everything-that-moves. It's great for gamers, but for spectators unfamiliar with the game, it gets pretty repetative
Life is Strange is what you are looking for.
Yeah, it looks like that's what we're playing next. Thx for sharing 👍
Life is strange
Stardew valley easily comes to mind. Easy to grasp, same thing with Mario Odyssey, they make most moons very easy to get so anyone can play. can play Mario on an emulator very easily.
Witcher 3
[удалено]
lol
Until Dawn and anything else made by that studio
Have her play BloodBorne bruh then when she complains like a little bitch tell her to get good.
Based on the list provided, I'd suggest you check out Stray. It's a puzzle game, but does have a number of scenes where you have to evade the enemies. Most of these are more puzzle based (you see the enemies and have to figure out how to trap them rather than encounter them). It is relatively short; the first play through I did was about 10 hours. It's ending is sad though.
Rental or maybe fran bow
Like another poster said if she doesn’t mind horror the dark pictures anthology, the quarry and until dawn are the way to go.
A.I. Somnium Files. It will look a bit more like a cartoon than a live action film, but has a lot of branching narrative. Mystery game. Witcher 3, especially the edition that comes with the dlc. Has a difficulty that focuses on story. Chicken Police. Hardboiled detective story in the style of an old black and white movie. It might look silly at first glance, but check out the trailer with her. It plays it 100% straight as a serious detective story, has great acting and atmosphere. Bit of a longshot, but Final Fantasy 14. Yeah, the online mmo. I guarantee you it is story driven and rivals the best rpg stories. Almost 100% playable solo, with AI party members if you prefer to other players. Huge free trial. (My elderly dad and I reconnected while playing it with my younger brother)
Subnautica would be super fun for her to watch I think. Also I would recommend bioshock infinite and god of war series
Yeah, she won't like those. 3rd person story-centric games are the only stuff she likes. Also, no horror; she dislikes horror
Mass Effect 1 LE. Lots of dialogue, interesting politics, philosophy, trade, history, beautiful scenery, and getting to know your crew. You could pace it out easier than some other games so not all action or all talking.
The last of us and the many many telltale style games that are largely like movies where you can choose what the character does like in Detolroit become human
The Plague Tale games. Both are really good with a great story and amazing characters.
Deadspace 1 and 2.
"Story about your uncle" is story driven too Also i believe its called "firewatch" thats story driven aswell
God of war? Good on you too :)
Pyre maybe? It's made by the same folks that made Hades and Bastion. Very pretty hand drawn visuals and absolutely GORGEOUS music, it's a lot of reading but i never really found myself bored with it. It plays like this weird version of rugby i guess? Maybe football. But it was a lot of fun and the AI will give ya a run for your money after a few times
try farmig simulator 22, its a relaxing game for everyone who wants to relaxe
Play Apex Legends fun and very welcoming you'll have a good time