10mo ago

What games do you recommend for my girlfriend?

My girlfriend has never really gamed. But she’s now forced to move less than she would like to (health problem) and she’s getting bored. I was thinking of introducing her to a game or two that we could play together. She’s not the real action game type, and seeing as she has no experience with controller/mouse and keyboard I was thinking starting simple.

I can’t think of anything else than Factorio, as she likes organizing/keeping track of stuff.

Would you recommend against that or have anything better in mind? Let me know!

151 comments

Stardew valley is 2D so fewer controls to learn than a 3D game. It also has a cute art style.
- And lots of additional content in mods (you can do that for her, it's pretty simple).
  Another one, Universim. Oh, and Roller Coaster Tycoon 2, maybe Sims 3/4.

It's funny how people overestimate what a person that never gamed can do. OP, Factorio is constant precise clicking with an unintuitive UI if you haven't played any games. So is Satisfactory and similar others.
Start with things casual gamers play. There is a reason Sims is so popular. If you want to later (muuuch later) introduce her into the FPS genre - Portal 2. It has very little controls to remember, and very rarely is there any action that needs to require dexterity in aiming. Also, Valve invisible tutorials are awesome for new gamers.
- Yeah, I played It Takes Two with my gf last week and she had trouble with the most basic jumps because she couldn't use the keyboard and mouse at the same time. It might be easier with the controller, but moving a character and the camera at the same time is surprisingly hard to learn for beginners.
  The best recommendations here are the games with extremely simple controls. I think Vampire Survivors was a good pick since you only need to use the keyboard for most of the time. Adventure games was another good recommendation since it should only require the mouse.
  
  Yeah, I'd also recommend more casual games.
  Good that she likes organizing, but Factorio is way over the head of any non-gamer. Doubt it would keep her entertained for long. Its only great if you like micromanaging and meticulously playing around with game mechanics. Which usually only happens after being exposed to gaming long enough.
  It Takes Two is much better for a beginner since it isn't a punishing game.
  Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime is an other great couple game.
  We were Here if both of you like puzzles.
  
  Yeah, I played It Takes Two with my gf last week and she had trouble with the most basic jumps because she couldn't use the keyboard and mouse at the same time.
  This is probably a stupid question ... but it was an actual mouse right? Like she wasn't using a touchpad?
  So many OSes default to the touchpad being disabled while typing and that causes big issues for WASD keyboard and mouse games.

Any "cozy" game. Animal Crossing, Stardew Valley, others like those.
One that I personally really like, that sort of blends different aspects of AC and SV, is Paleo Pines. You have a ranch that you little by little clear out, fix up, and decorate; all with the help of adorable dinosaur friends. There's actually a surprising number of species and map space in the game, and the vibe and aesthetic are ridiculously cute. I will say it's slightly more laid back than SV as there are no real timers for the different quests and such, and there are fewer characters to keep track of/befriend.

Stardew Valley
- My wife is still playing this, going on 4 years.
  Also Animal Crossing: New Horizons.

Ok so the answer is Stardew Valley. There are some other decent answers in here but trust me on this, it’s Stardew Valley for her first one.
- My partner used to be a teacher. There was a period of like a year when she would get home from work looking insanely stressed. Then she'd boot up Stardew Valley on her laptop from the couch and I could see her mood change immediately. She'd play for hours too.
  At one point it was like Stardew Valley was her real life while the actual outside world was some horrible nightmare she had to wake up from.

Start her on Dark Souls so that nothing she plays after will seem difficult.
- I got a girlfriend a long time ago to give the game a shot. She had played stuff before- she was playing BioShock on Xbox when we met. The rats by the big drake on the bridge literally made her cry. Felt pretty bad.
  (We did eventually finish the game together in co-op, but we're long since broken up for largely unrelated reasons)
- One of my coworkers at some point told my girlfriend she should go in completely blind when she tried DS1, and I agree with that, but she took it to mean she should under no circumstances allow me to explain the mechanics of the game or the UI. She spent nearly two hours in the Asylum without ever getting to the boss's fog wall because she wouldn't let me explain that picking her weapon up didn't mean she had it equipped. Finally I told her there was a big problem she could easily fix and move on with the game if she'd hear me out, but she still wouldn't hear any of it, and then 30 seconds later I see her on her phone googling "do you need to use a shield in DS1" 🤦‍♀️
  It was really frustrating because DS1 is hands down my favorite game, and I fully expected her to give up at some point but she gave up before she actually got to play the game.

It takes two is a fantastic experience to have with a loved one, even if inexperienced with games, it is very forgiving
- The gameplay of 'It takes two' is very fun, but the characters and the story can be infuriating. If they annoy you in the trailers or in a gameplay video, be aware that their dynamic stays like that a long time - we gave up on it after a while because of it
  
  Exactly this. It's a terrible, outdated story that essentially sells "staying together for the kids." The whole way through we were both like "ye these two need to get divorced." The book is a villain.
  Eta: game play was fun though

If she likes organizing, let her take a peek at "unpacking". Cute artstyle, really cozy and lots of stuff to unpack and organize. Hope your girlfriend gets better soon!
- A Little to the Left is a nice pick for organizing puzzle style game. It's on gamepass if you have it.

Games that I played with my wife that wr thoroughly enjoyed
--------COOP-------- -Unravel two. Great cute platformer where it doesn't matter if one player isn't that great at platformers. A mpving stoey with beautiful graphics and fun coop.
It Takes Two A platforming game with a great story. Good feels all around
-Stardew Valley Many people already suggested this. It's amazing. Super addictive, great coop, but can be played singleplayer as well if you're not around
- Trine series Another great platformer series. Difficulty can easily be adjusted (by allowing lifting boxes with people on it with wizard). And can also be played solo.
Escape Simulator Great escape room game with many small escaperooms that take about 10 to 15 minutes each to solve. Solo and coop.
-Overcooked Great hectic coop game. I find this game quite hectic and exhausting to play for a long time, but my wife couldn't get enough of it. Even when she was tired. Best to play coop, can be played solo.
-------SINGLEPLAYER------- My wife enjoyed management style games a lot, where you had no time pressure of any sorts.
- Strange Horticulture Puzzle game where you try to find the right plants by deductions. No time pressure, very relaxing. Only single player, although you could play it together.
Planet Zoo Probably the best zoo management game out there. Wife was addicted to it for months
Planet Coaster Same as above, but with theme parks
Cities Skylines (first one) Great city planner
Hope this helps!

SIMS 3 and/or 4, Stardew Valley, Unpacking, Furnish Master, How To Bathe Your Cat
Co-Op: It Takes Two, A Way Out, Unravel Two, Vampire Survivors (also solo)
- Mario Kart and Mario Party.
  Animal Crossing.

Portal and Portal 2 are excellent "introduction to gaming," games. Memorable, fun, funny, and most importantly the entire game teaches you the skills needed for a large percentage of other games.
Factorio, Satisfactory, and Dyson Sphere Program are all good factory building games.
Terraria and Minecraft can be surprisingly engaging with multiplayer.
- Portal 2 multiplayer is really nice as wella
  
  Unfortunately I missed out there. I only managed to pick up P2 last year, and no one that I live near is a gamer.

Stardew Valley, therapy the game.

Stardew Valley is a fantastic couples game
- Yes. Very much worth trying. My wife and myself have about a hundred hours in our coop save.
- Stardew valley can be super annoying due to the sleeping mechanic and having to be on time with the planting of things.
  I've found terraria to be less stressful and had more success with it
  
  Yeah, totally no stress fighting the moonlord or any of the bosses...
  Terraria is fun, but doubt a non-gamer will be able to jump right in and understand the fiddly build, mine and jump mechanics. They'll get overwhelmed.

I'd recommend story-based games like The Wolf Among Us, The Walking Dead, Life is Strange, etc. You don't need to know anything about gaming to enjoy them, and you can both play it like a series.

So I am a baby gamer. My husband is a big gamer and has been trying to get me into it for years but his games are intimidating on a level he doesn't understand because a lot of the interfaces are hard if you didn't grow up with them. And I don't like a lot of scary battles or waves of enemies. I just wanna explore and at the beginning platforming was freaking hard as I just wasn't precise enough with jumps.
If it's in budget, I would recommend the switch as I've found a ton of games I've gelled with and have grown with me a bit. Get a pro controller and that was super easy to get used to, WADS controller have a learning curve I've never personally mastered. Hubby also has a steam deck I've stolen on occasion but I like the cute and cozy games in switch. The steam store is great but overwhelming too..
Current games I'm playing, unpacking, Stardew and Disney dream light valley (I'm not even a huge Disney fan but I am over 200 hours in on this sucker). I have played animal crossing, Gris, costume quest, monkey island, and Luigi mansion (that one was a challenge for me). I have Veneba, coral island, short hike, little to the left and ooblets on my want to play list.
I would also say that YouTube has helped me find games. If you look up cozy games, I find a ton of reviews and let's plays that kinda help me get a better idea on if I'd be interested or if it's kinda in my play style before I waste my money. I do have a limited gaming budget so, I like to be sure before I spend.. Nothing is more discouraging then dropping money on a stinker game that you can't get the hang of. Granted watching reviews and playthroughs is kinda becoming it's own hobby.
- This is the best advice in here imo. Stardew valley or animal crossing is a decent start imo.

Minecraft, Terreria, Stardew Valley, Overcooked, The Sims, Dark Souls.
- 🎵 one of these things are not like the others 🎵
  
  Really pushing her into the deep end, sink-or-swim style. I just hope Pelican Town doesn't chew her up and spit her out too hard.
- Valheim, astroneer, baldurs gate, space engineers, sex with Hitler.

There's a game called A Little to the Left that's a whole bunch of lovely organisational + sorting puzzles
- Got any more hidden gems like that which you could recommend?
  
  Check out Unpacking. It's less puzzle, and more organizing. Super casual, satisfying game about literally unpacking things into your apartments and houses as you progress through life.
  It's quite short at about 3-4 hours.

Stardew Valley. It’s a cozy farm sim with lots to dig into if you want to at your own pace (it is not uncommon to play the wiki open) The same save file can be used for single player or multiplayer
(local or online).

Return of the Obra Dinn is short but a great puzzle game for keeping track of things.
- I'll second this. I finished playing it the other week.
  It's a singleplayer game, but seems like it would be fun for two people to discuss all the clues together.

Portal
- This was a triumph
- I second Portal. Technically it's a "first person puzzle platformer" but it's just so its own thing that it hardly feels like a video game.
  My mom who hadn't touched any video games since 80s arcade machines absolutely loved Portal

It Takes Two was really popular. I've only heard good things.
- I, a casual PC gamer, played it with a hardcore console gamer, and it was very fun overall
  But BOY were there some shooter sections that absolutely dismembered me with my WASD-brain 💀

Stardew Valley
Disney Dreamlight Valley
Or maybe just Minecraft

Take a look at "Lovers in a dangerous spacetime". It's a cute, fun coop game with fairly simple controls. And I'm pretty sure it was developed with non-gamer partners in mind.

Minecraft? you could build atuff together

It Takes Two would be my introduction for a partner who doesn't game very much. Co-op, easy to play, fun in a really low stakes way with a great story. I had tons of fun with the game playing with an ex.
Raft is another I played with an ex that was a lot of fun. It's a very chill co-op survival game where you build up your boat.
- I tried It Takes Two with my SO, and they hated it because of the need to control the camera - so we went to 2d platformers after that.
  I finished It Takes Two with my sister, small warning: the game is mostly feel good at the beginning, but in the end you're gonna have to do some horrible things.
  I didn't mind - I've done a lot worse in other games where I didn't have to - but she did not enjoy these parts of the game.

If she loves organisation, "A Little to the Left" and "Unpacking" are cute.
Stardew Valley is being mentioned a lot and with good reason, there are a lot of elements to that game and you can choose which activities you like most - farming, mining, fighting monsters, foraging, interacting with villagers.
From there you can get a really good idea of what other games could be even better. For example if she loves the social side of Stardew Valley a Japanese Social Sim game might be fun too.

she likes organizing/keeping track of stuff.
Stardew Valley.

This is a cliche, but a lot of women I know play the Sims. Your girlfriend might like it as well.
Wilmot's Warehouse is a cool game about organizing a warehouse.
I played a lot of Terraria with my sister. It's 2D, so she did not get motion sickness. There's a lot of costumes we could collect. (This was probably our favourite part of the game.)
- Adding to the cliche list, Animal Crossing is another game to consider since it’s very chill and can be cozy. Has collections she can work on filling out, she can make a dope island, and make her house into a perfect living space.
  Another recommendation that might sound counter-intuitive but could work is Vermintide 2. It’s an action game that does have mechanical depth to it for the higher difficulties, but the game is very forgiving on the two easiest difficulties where you can just use whatever is fun and do decently well. The melee combat is very satisfying even when just going unga bunga, and it goes on sale frequently for like $5, so you both could pick up copies and have fun in a coop game where you’re bashing the heads of ratmen in with ease.

Not a fan myself, but my wife quite enjoyed getting into Life is Strange.

It Takes Two is a great coop game for causal gamers and it’s romantic too

I don't think Factorio is suitable for a first-time gamer. The way the inventory, hotbar and the map work aren't immediately obvious if you've never played a game. If you do try, at least turn biters off. The time pressure that's added by having to set up defense would be difficult enough to handle, but offensive combat is quite the struggle if you're still trying to learn basic gaming controls. You'd be dealing with things like swapping hotbars to one with grenades & stuff, control schemes changing the moment you get into a vehicle and weird targeting quirks. And by the time you get to trains or advanced oil cracking quite a lot of people tend to drop off the game in general.
I'd start with something like Minecraft on peaceful difficulty, then give easy or normal a try after a couple of hours if that goes well. Peaceful leaves time to learn all the basic controls and is fun enough to run around in by itself, and you're not going to get blasted by a creeper that fell behind you.

Katamari Damacy.
- This is awesome. Also it's fun enough just to watch someone play

Switch?
AC New Horizons Cult of the Lamb My Time at Portia
- I was gonna say animal crossing as soon as he said organizing and stuff.
- Was just thinking about My Time at Portia. Pretty new gamer friendly and when things start feeling tedious, a new mechanic is introduced to make everything you were doing easier. Haven't played My Time at Sandrock, so can't speak for the sequel.
  
  I've heard Sandrock is far better on PC than on Switch fwiw

House flipper, The Sims, Planet Zoo/Planet coaster, Two Point Hospital/Campus, or anything in the creative management genre. Stardew Valley is good, and in the same vein, Graveyard Keeper.
If you have a Switch, Animal Crossing
If she likes Factorio, try Terra Nil maybe?
Also, there's always minecraft in peaceful mode?

I played Minecraft with my gf before but she didn't really enjoy it. The only game I've seen her play a lot of is Civ 6.
This time on Minecraft I started a server with some friends and she's having a blast. She made a cute little house and she has built a "girl-cave" where she and her friend shares cake. It's so wholesome.
In case you she's new you could probably play a LAN world on peaceful. That's what I did back when I started.

One more recommendation I haven't seen here - Dave the Diver. A cosy blend of underwater exploration, collecting, and selling sushi!

I’m just gonna say Skyrim. Sandbox world.
- @Granite I second this. I have had so many non-gamers become fascinated and want a turn.

My partner wasn't into video games, but I got her into them. One she was really into is stardew valley. It's really chill and low stakes. Might be a good one to try.
- Or somewhat similar (though lacking that late game content) Roots of Pacha

Unpacking

I haven't tried it yet, but A Little to the Left looks like a fun organizing game. It was just added to Game Pass if you have that. I also see my daughter playing Power Washer Simulator sometimes, which I haven't tried, but it looks like it could be satisfying to play.
I'm a big fan of Don't Nod games (Life is Strange, Tell Me Why) for atmospheric storytelling. Life is Strange: True Colors is from Deck Nine games, but falls in the same category. Detroit: Become Human is also kind of similar, but it occasionally throws in sections where you have to quickly react with button pushing that I don't enjoy. One thing I find interesting about all of these is that you can play them more than once with different choices to get different paths, but so far I haven't replayed any of them because I felt like the path I took was meaningful and I don't want to change my story yet.
An MMO could be a good way to go. My wife isn't really into gaming, but we played WoW together on and off for years. I haven't played them much, but if I were to recommend one to start with now I'd probably check out Final Fantasy 14 or Elder Scrolls Online.

A Hat in Time is a somewhat easy platformer IMO. It’s super cute and a low-stress game.
If the only reason that you’re avoiding action games is that she may not be good at the controls, you can consider action games that have good low difficulty modes. Deep Rock Galactic has good lower difficulty modes in my opinion, and it is fun to play with others.
IIRC Dusk has a really slow paced low difficulty mode as well. Projectile based attacks move super slow. I’m not sure what she’ll be into as far as genre goes, but action games may be approachable if you pick the right ones.

Overcooked could be fun and easy to get into.
- That shit is STRESSFUL
- They're gonna break up if they play overcooked xD

When first starting out, I think relaxed games that help a player get used to left and right directions (side-scrolling or platform) and timing on the controls is a good start. Then evolve into camera and movement based controls.
My suggestions are starting with these:
My Brother Rabbit
The Between Gardens
Dawn (may have some camera control, but this is the most relaxing game I've played for that)
Then move on to these:
La Rana
The Room Series
Aim Labs or any shooting game that has tutorials/ practice mode (for FPS practice)
These games are found on steam. Note, most of these are casual/puzzle based.
I don't have much experience with co-op, so can't help you there. But I do like the suggestions so far based on reviews.
_Anti _{Commercial-AI} _license _(CC _By-NC-SA _4.0

My SO doesn't like gaming as well, but we play Bejuweled 3 together. It is not multiplayer but we take turns everytime it's game over. It's very relaxing and addictive and kills time pretty quick.

Dark Picture games with it being coop and story driven so easier for new comers to get into with less reflexes being involved.

A short hike. It's like a super short cosy version of breath of the world's platforming/exploration
- Seconded. Nice and chill, with just a touch of coming-of-age parents-aren't-invincible melancholy.
  Using A Short Hike as a jumping off point and following the growing-pains and melancholy threads while maintaining the explore-and-talk aspects, I'd like to recommend Night in the Woods.

If you're a fan of 80s-90s action movies check out "broforce". There are some multiplayer "single stick shooters"out there that are quite fun, vampire survivors comes to mind. Don't starve together is a great multiplayer experience. Others have said stardew valley, and I agree with them, if single player is desired check out animal crossing. Satisfactory is the 3-D version of factorio, with fewer resources constraints and less enemy aggression, Dyson sphere program is factorio tuned the opposite way. Rimworld and dwarf fortress are both highly recommended "run your own city, but in a passive manner"games

Phogs is a game where you a control a dog-dog (Remember Cat-Dog from Nickelodeon? That, but double dog) through a series of themed worlds solving puzzles. The themes are things puppies are interested in (eating, sleeping, and playing). The game is meant to be played co-op, but I believe it can be played alone.

Satisfactory. Lots to organize and build. A bit of a learning curve if you want to get complex, but if you want to keep things simple it's really doable.
No Man's Sky. Space exploration, building, and all round reason to goof about for hours. (Free to play this weekend on all platforms.)
Both games have a great community.

sorry i don't know enough about multiplayer or local multiplayer games although if you're looking for a Co-op game i would recommend It Takes Two. it's simple but has its own charm. beware it's a third person game and has some shooting sections in it but it's beginner friendly enough.
i think city builders and management/tycoon games would be great for these situations cause if you like them there's no upper limit on playtime. cities skyline and RollerCoaster Tycoon are both great. if you're looking for something like factorio satisfactory could also work.
of course adventure games or puzzle games are also a great fit since most of them tend to have simple controls but great story and humor and hard puzzles that can keep you busy while solving them is satisfying. i've made a post recently on this community asking for people's recommendations so definitely check that out.
there's also this lovely little game called Townscaper. it's really simple you just add or remove blocks on a non-rectangular grid on a sea and the game tries to generate a pleasant looking town. it might sound lackluster on paper but it's fun and you can get some hours out of it developing your town and discovering the town style rules (there is also some hidden structures that can pop up discovering those is also fun).
- I was going to suggest Adventure games too. Games like the Broken Series series, Sam and Max games, Sherlock Holmes and a large variety of puzzle games like Machinarium. There is a huge selection to choose from. A lot of them tell stories, are humorous and engaging

For puzzles, absolutely unpacking, also have seen similar friends put time into that remodel game that escapes me right now. House Fixer maybe?
It is more action, but I have had success during covid with family who was trapped at home by introducing them to Mass Effect (on story mode, the easiest setting). The story is so engrossing through the three games that they overlooked the action. If she likes big stories, I would suggest that. On keyboard and mouse it's not the most confusing game either, pretty simple.
If you were thinking Factorio but want to do it together, check out Satisfactory. It's a 1st person version of it that supports multiplayer, and you could set up a dedicated server. (I'm biased though, I have over 2000 hours in it and I am a mod of !satisfactory@lemmy.world). Satisfactory is definitely less intimidating than factorio for newbies to the factory building environment, and there's a creative factor in there too.
I've also had luck with people giving them portal. Portal is a great game to introduce them to not anction gameplay but helps them learn movement controls. Honestly out of the three I suggested maybe portal first and go from there. Would introduce movement, a weapon, and the second has a pretty strong story.
For anything else, what are her interests, what does she do for a living? Maybe we can put forward some more.

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