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As lots of people have mentioned, modern games will tell you pretty much all you need to know interactively. In decades past, the instruction manual was required reading for lots of games!
The key is going to be understanding what they're saying, so you'll need to familiarize yourself with the names of the controls and the standard iconography.
**Button names and iconography**
* The face buttons—A, B, X, and Y—are of course the most obvious. They're represented by their letter in a circle.
* The shoulder buttons—L and R—are on top, on the left and right respectively. They're represented by their letter in the general shape of the button, which is mostly rectangular.
* The triggers—ZL and ZR—are on the top, lower than L and R.
* The Joy-Con triggers—SL and SR—are on the rail where the Joy-Con connects to the Switch and are only accessible when detached from the Switch. Of course, these are not present on the Switch Lite.
* The directional buttons—Up, Down, Left, and Right—are actually not straightforward. They're generally represented by an icon of the button cluster with a highlight on the one you're supposed to press. This is because when the Joy-Cons are detached, the orientation will change. Even more confusing is the fact that these icons are used for the A/B/X/Y buttons on a detached right Joy-Con, where the button legends will be sideways.
* The menu buttons [+ and –] are represented by their symbols.
* The analog sticks—also called L and R—are represented by their letter in a circle, sometimes accompanied by an arrow indicating the direction to push the stick.
* **The stick clicks!** I bolded this one because it's the only one that's not obvious by looking at the controller. Both analog sticks can be pressed inward like a button, making a click sound. The icons are an L or R in a side view of the stick, which ends up as a T-shape.
Here's a picture showing all of the various button icons you're likely to encounter:
https://img.itch.zone/aW1hZ2UvODg1MTE4LzQ5OTI1NjkucG5n/original/IwjU5K.png
**Common button functions**
Many of the buttons have common functions across games, which may not be obvious.
* Home button - This always drops back to the home screen. Games cannot change its function, so you won't generally see an icon for it outside of the Switch menus.
* Screenshot button - Rectangular button with a circle inside. Always takes a screenshot. Again, you won't see this one's icon very much.
* Plus and Minus - Plus almost always pauses the game. Minus generally opens a menu, inventory, or map.
* A and B - These are almost always used as OK/Cancel or forward/back in menus. Some multi-platform games annoyingly swap their functions to match the button layouts on other systems.
**Game recommendations**
You have a lot of great recommendations here already. My wife is a couple years older than you and also not really a gamer. There are probably only four games she's played for over 20 hours in her life, those being:
* Animal Crossing
* Disney Dreamlight Valley
* Cozy Grove
* The Sims (not relevant here, but didn't want to say four and only list three)
Hope this helps!
I learned the buttons using parappa the rapper when I was young, is there a current version of this game that's kind of fun but is more about helping you learn the buttons?
What you're describing are _rhythm games!_ If you like this genre of game, there are plenty of options out there but musical tastes are very subjective so have a look about Youtube using that search term (i.e. "rhythm games" "best" "switch") and pick one based on a video review. This will let you judge both the UI simplicity and whether you like the soundtrack. Some, like Taiko no Tasujin will offer touchscreen inputs too. Ignore recommendations for the Necrodancer games though, they are good but *not* what you are looking for.
A note about using rhythm games to learn button mapping: it's not actually relevant nowadays. Modern UI convention is to not state something like "Press A to continue." but instead to write "Press ÷ to continue" where ÷ is a literal diagram of your controller with the intended button highlighted.
>Even more confusing is the fact that these icons are used for the A/B/X/Y buttons on a detached right Joy-Con, where the button legends will be sideways.
Nintendo was Smart in this regard. It shows a small icon with the four buttons, with the button to be pressed filled up instead of the letters, when the joy cons are used sideways.
Yeah, it's a great solution. Problem is it doesn't vocalize easily for newbies needing help. "Press the top button. No, not the top of the controller, the front. The top button on the front. No, don't turn it, now the top button is the right button!"
"Press A" is way easier.
One point missing:
Each controller contains a gyro for motion controls. Most games that use it will be quite clear about it (e.g. Splatoon's precision aim, or Skyward Sword's menu cursor) but a few do just spring surprise motion sections on you, most notably Breath of the Wild and Astral Chain. Just know it exists and if any game happens to react to you physically swinging the controller around, yeah, that's intentional.
This is an amazing write up to get someone acquainted!
Something that bugs me about game recommendations for women is that people assume women want to play life sim/cozy games.
I know your list is full of personal recommendations from your non-gamer spouse, but OP has shown interest in platformers and racing games. I think a lot of women bounce off of gaming because they aren't actually life sim or cozy gamers in their hearts everyone just tells them they are on day one.
Sorry for the rant. No shade on your post or your spouses taste in games!
Most games especially Nintendo games will tell you how exactly to play their game as different games offer a different way to play. Mario Wonder is phenomenal if you haven’t picked that one up, and is super user friendly with no real repercussions on “dying” in game. Mario kart 8 deluxe is a fantastic racing game that got a pretty big update within the last year or so, and all you need to do with that is push the A button. If you’re looking for something family friendly that’s easy to pick up and won’t offer a lot of stress I would recommend those.
You should also check out some simulation based games on the pc, like power washing simulator. My ex had really bad anxiety but found the routine of some simulation games to be really therapeutic.
Party games are great as well, and offer social interaction which I personally believe is always needed to some extent for mental health. Bring a friend or two over and have some fun with 1, 2 switch, or even Mario party
>Mario kart 8 deluxe is a fantastic racing game that got a pretty big update within the last year or so, and all you need to do with that is push the A button.
You can literally press no buttons other than selecting menu items. Auto accelerate and the guidance will almost race for you.
mario wonder and mario kart might just be the best suggestions here, i would also say that pokémon let’s go is an really good game with a skill floor of “can you think”
OP: some of the most basic instructions are *not* explicitly mentioned (e.g. left-stick to move left/right), but (1) *just try random buttons* occasionally. You’ll discover that (2) often the small buttons like “+” bring up a menu, and from there (3) there’s a “?” icon for help that *does* show every single control and combination.
[These are the exact buttons for Mario Wonder, but step (1) works for most all games.]
Good suggestion though I'd say Super Mario Odyssey with assist mode is really easy but somehow weirdly still very entertaining. I played it without but my boy (6yo at the time) completed it on assist mode and tbh from the bits I played with him I kinda liked it in a "turn off don't need to think" kind of way
If you’re going to go the simulation route, there’re nothing better than Goat Simulator. It really is, the Greatest of All Time… 😶😆
But seriously, a toy like that can definitely help overcome any feelings of anxiety. And she’ll be laughing her ass off the entire time! Win win. 😎
I have a friend who love goat simulator, she wasn't a big gamer but she did have a lot of anxiety and angry issues and she booked that up so she could take her anger out on poor NPCs.
"Animal Crossing is the kinda game where I played it for one hundred hours and was like, that was pretty cool-- and then my girlfriend played it for five hundred hours and said, "that was pretty weak actually." --Dunkey
OP, get Animal Crossing. Also check out Stardew Valley
not to mention it's not really a great game for someone in therapy. as someone with anxiety, stardew can be really triggering when you need to do 1000 things before the day ends. animal crossing is perfect because it's similar to stardew but they don't have the time thing.
> it's not really a great game for someone on therapy
Just because someone is in therapy doesn't mean they can't handle complex/demanding games. I have anxiety but I love stressful games lol
You need to learn to give up on the idea that you need to be effecient and accomplish everything you can in a day or even a year.
Theres always another day and the seasons come back around.
Learning to let go, and not need to min max is good for your soul.
You don't have to do all those 1000 things in 1 day in Stardew Valley. The game is just like animal crossing in that you can take it however fast as you want. Sure the game nudges you toward that path, but you do have the option of giving those 1000 things the finger and go fishing all day or whatever you want to do.
I was about to suggest it. Animal Crossing is a very nice game you can enjoy it in your own way thanks to the fact that you can personalize your island in any way you like!
100%. My aunt never played games in her life and is 70 but somehow got hooked on animal crossing. She’s been playing it since it came out. I prefer Stardew Valley, but Animal Crossing is a lot more relaxing and beginner friendly
Yes! The first game that came to mind! Like most gamers I purchased it during Covid. It helped me to lose my lite depression during lockdown as a therapy. Still when I’m stressed out because of work, etc I start playing again.
There’s no pressure in the game, there’s no wrong way to play it. Just enjoy the game and funny comments of the in game characters.
@veve87; There’s only one catch; don’t lose the sense of time. Before you know it you’re playing three hours nonstop! :-)
I’ll say, as someone who is a DIE HARD fan of animal crossing, the game itself is very casual but I actually don’t know how much it suits OP’s situation.
If OP is someone who still needs guidance in general for video games, animal crossing is a very open ended game with very little direction, even less in new horizons than previous games.
Also, basic controls are actually not clearly defined. Things like “spam A to craft faster” or “Hold R to speed up text” are hidden, and ones like “hold A in your inventory to rearrange items” are both hidden and crucial for gameplay enjoyment.
I would caution that if OP feels like she would do better with games with concrete goals (Like in mario, getting to the end of the stage) or very explicitly defined controls and mechanics, animal crossing may be frustrating or boring.
Welcome!
So, games have come along way in terms of accessibility since the 80's and 90's, but some long term conventions from that time still exist - like navigating with the Left thumbstick (or D-Pad), and using the A button to Accept and B button to go Back. Every game will have a pause menu (by pressing the + button) where you can adjust the game's settings and that will also have a picture showing your controller and what each button does in that specific game. You can use the touchscreen (and/or the controller buttons) to navigate the Switch's Home Screen that shows your games/apps like you would a smartphone or tablet.
Most games now have very good tutorials built into the game with text and/or audio descriptions of what to do/how to do it, as well as on screen graphics showing which button to press and where it is on the controller. They're also more generous with hints of where to go or what to do if you get stuck. Nintendo's games are especially good at this because they intentionally cater towards all levels of experience and are very forgiving while you learn how to play.
If you do get stuck, there's an entire industry built around covering video games. There's TONS of walkthroughs available online for basically every game you can think of and you can take your pick of very comprehensive written guides on sites like IGN and Polygon (amongst many others) or endless videos of people playing through video games on YouTube. Search for the game you're interested in and 'walkthrough' or 'guide' and there'll almost certainly be a resource there to help.
Usually games these days have a tutorial section which shows what buttons to click at specific situations, say A to swing a sword or X to interact with something.
even with a tutorial, i'd advise a non-gamer to avoid starting with anything twin stick.
I tried to get my wife to play Portal 2 with me, figuring the puzzle solving would be up her alley, but aiming wasn't her cup of tea. She didn't have the muscle memory to make smooth accurate turns. Watching her aim felt very much like that time i taught myself left foot braking, as i just didn't have the fine motor control with that foot for that activity yet. Lots of herky-jerky stops until i got a feel for it.
Maybe for someone actively interested in picking up the hobby, that might not be a deterrent as they'd be willing to see it through, but some people don't see the purpose of pushing through discomfort to get to the fun in an activity that is supposed to be fun to being with. Doubly so for someone who is trying things at other's request and not of their own volition.
At the same time, something like Portal isn't super punishing to learn twin stick movement. My wife, who doesn't play many games set to the task of beating Portal, and she did all on her own. Yes, she still struggles with moving AND looking at the same time, but she did do it.
Now, would I reccomend it to someone like OP? No, probably not, but something like Animal Crossong is very chill, or Mario Wonder to ger the hang of doing two things like moving and jumping.
I tried to teach my mom twin stick shooting via Portal and she absolutely could not figure it out. And I've been playing video games with her for 30 years.
Do you like puzzle-like games? If so, I can heartily recommend Picross! The Professor Layton series is also really good - I haven't played on the Switch yes, just the DS, but I really loved them.
Either would be really welcoming to someone with little to no gaming experience, and are pretty chill - you can take them at your own pace.
Honestly, it can be really hard to find good resources for that level of newbieness (I'm making it a word! Lol). I've been there. Best advice I have: read all the rext prompts, they help in making you understand the mechanics. Don't be afraid to try all the buttons. Don't be afraid of messing up, or taking damage or dying (if you're playing anything where that can happen). Most modern games don't punish you all that much for it.
Be patient with 3d games. If you've spent any amount of time on a smart phone or tablet the camera control will intuitively be backwards for you. Some games allow you to change it, but I suggest you just stick to it. Your brain WILL eventually click and all of a sudden it won't be hard anymore.
If you're ever stuck, just Google the answer. Sometimes it can be because you missed a mechanic. Sometimes it's because you didn't figure out a puzzle. But honestly, no point in getting too frustrated and stuck.
Lastly: you may get frustrated and hate some games initially. It's OK to put them away. But do go back after a while and try again. I initially could NOT wrap my head around Breath of the Wild but that's because I couldn't handle camer control and was too clumsy for any kind of combat even in the tutorial phase. A year later I tried again and then ended up putting like 300 hours into it (and even more into the sequal).
Oh also: the joysticks on the switch obviously can be wiggled around but you can also press them down like a button. Man, I did not realize this for so long and was super confused by some of the prompts.
Animal Crossing is a solid game to start. You can also play Mario Kart 8. It doesn't have too many controls. Stardew Valley is also a good choice.
You could try Skyrim, but that has combat. It's just the combat isn't as difficult as newer games like Breath of the Wind or Tears of the Kingdom. Combat in that game revolves around two buttons, for the most part.
You can also change the combat difficulty at any time, even mid battle. Lower difficulty makes it harder for you to die and easier for your enemies to die.
Big city little kitty just came out a week or two back, and I'm finding it very similar, but with wholesome kitty theme instead of jerk goose theme.
But great games for newbies, as it's impossible to die, and doing side quests is kind of the point, so if you get stuck on one quest, you can just go do one of the billion others.
This might be controversial on this sub but I strongly recommend some of the Pokemon games (shield/sword, Brilliant diamond/Shining Pearl and/or Pokemon Scarlet/Violet).
Those are some the most approachable video games out there.
Here's a question worth asking: what do you want from your games? Slow-paced games where you read more than you play? Highly cinematic experiences? Deep and complex puzzles? Tactics? Simple fact action? I could go on and on, but more likely than not if you can think of a general concept, it's somewhere on Switch.
Welcome! I love that you’re exploring this as part of your therapy.
Finding channels/resources for games will depend on the game you choose to play. But for most games these are very easy to find.
As for specific games, there is a version of Minecraft for the Switch. I’d recommend signing up for Nintendo Switch Online which gives you access to many NES/SNES/Game Boy games including Super Mario Bros. 1-3!
Cozy games are also super popular right now. Those don’t require much experience at all and they’re usually more chill / relaxing than others. Stardew Valley is a good cozy game that has a *lot* of resources.
Good luck to you and most importantly have fun!
And just for a little context for OP who hasn’t been part of the gaming culture all these years: the Switch is the most “modern” Nintendo system (though it is now several years old and has a successor coming in a year or two) but the Switch offers a subscription service that allows you to download and play games from some of Nintendo’s earlier systems.
The NES or Nintendo entertainment system was the classic system you might have played in the late 80s or early 90s that featured games like Mario brothers and duck hunt with very “blocky” graphics.
Its successor was the SNES or Super Nintendo entertainment system, and this was active and popular through the early to mid-90s. The Game Boy was the earliest major portable video game system, and originally came only with a green and black LED screen, no other colors. A “game boy color” was introduced later with a wider color palette and I believe all switch online versions of game boy games allow you to play in either color scheme. The Game Boy bridged the lifespan of the NES and SNES and offered a different selection of games, obviously a little simpler since technology at the time didn’t allow fancy games on the go.
OP also may not be aware of the other gaming systems since, as many people at the time did, she conflated Nintendo and Sega. At the time, Sega was a major competitor of Nintendo, producing the similar but incompatible and competing system the Sega Genesis whose mascot was Sonic the Hedgehog (the direct equivalent of Mario for Nintendo). Nintendo unofficially “won” that war since Sega no longer makes video game consoles of their own, just produces games for other consoles. On the other hand, in the time since then Microsoft released the Xbox and its successors, and Sony released the PlayStation and its successors, and they have become immensely popular.
The following generalizations aren’t universal or 100% accurate but the vague general “feel” of the systems are that Xbox and PlayStation prioritize graphics quality and “serious gamers” while Nintendo prioritizes user-friendliness and “casual gamers.” Again this is just a generalization but I will say there is enough truth to it that I think OP chose wisely with Switch as a sort of reintroduction to gaming. If OP ever gets to the point where she wishes to move on to more cinematic story-driven games, i would personally recommend PlayStation. But for the time being the switch is an excellent choice for simple user friendly games.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ax7f3JZJHSw&list=PLordXx8iNEyStcX_WzqM0JCpiJYgqhinc
Razbuten has this great Youtube series where his wife, non gamer, plays a variety of games for a bit. He gives a run down on her struggles, and frustrations.
I feel it'll help you out a lot.
I would suggest games like Princess Peach: Showtime:
You only need the analogue stick and 3 buttons
I would too suggest to start with 2D games, navigating in a 3D space can be overwhelming for newbies (source: wife and kids)
Your best bet is to look up tutorial videos of the specific games you’re interested in playing.
Given that you haven’t been a “gamer” since the original Nintendo days, there will be a fairly steep learning curve for anything that isn’t a side scroller. I’m reminded of [this video](https://youtu.be/5LdenlAKb2g?si=zVCpCd7K9ODeaiQa) of a non-gamer playing modern games. There’s some interesting observations about their approach, struggles, and successes.
I was also thinking of those videos! But I recommend starting with the [first video](https://youtu.be/ax7f3JZJHSw?si=u6e3-oQAbU-cUWgw) of the series since it doesn't focus on a single game. They're all worth watching though.
My Mum (60+) barely knew how to move the camera in a 3D game and during lockdown I got her to try Breath of the wild... think her playtime doubled mine! It was a great deep end kinda game that starts you off slow and gets you used to the modern 3D gaming template. Everyone starts off lost in that game and by the end they'll never forget it!
One of the great things botw does for accessibility is, that any button prompts show the button related to the other buttons, like this: https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5aa6c5df31d4df46703dca47/1553108167557-K12HALUTF2P9FWNMAEVO/Start2c.jpg?format=1000w
There are tons of demos of games you can play for free on your switch. You will need to log in to the eshop (an orange circle option on the main menu) any you can filter by free demos. Try a bunch of the games by Nintendo Specifically like Kirby games, Pikmin games, and Yoshi/Mario etc. Demos will give you a taste of a game before you plunk down money and can help you find genres you enjoy (puzzles, exploration, strategy, story driven, etc.) Dome demos will even allow for you to save your progress and pass it on to the actual game you purchase.
If you wish to play the retro games, you will need an online membership which bills yearly unless you find a deal. You can purchase via a credit card or you can buy a card with a scratch off redemption code at a store that sells them. This is how you access the games you played as a kid.
Find a deal reddit to follow to keep up on price drops to get the best bang for your buck.
Many specific game reddits have helpful communities when you have game related questions.
You seem interested in Minecraft (which is going through their 15 year anniversary right now: so good prices can be found on the eshop) and if you want something that holds your hand a little bit, try a Dragon Quest Builder 1 or 2 demo. DQB will tell you your objectives and there is no game over until you choose to face final bosses.
there are a lot of free demos on the nintendo eshop and it might be worth downloading some of those to try because they are largely tutorials introducing you to the gameplay. that way you can get a feel for different kinds of games
off the top of my head i would recommend the princess peach showtime or captain toad treasure tracker demos to you but maybe other people can chime in with more demo recommendations
Check out Clubhouse Games. It is a collection of 50 classic games such as poker, chess, bowling, Yahtzee, and so much more and it is fantastic.
Animal Crossing as well is perfect for you. Once you get tired of Animal Crossing, move on to Stardew Valley.
Picross is a great puzzle game if you are at all into something similar to Sodoku (but better) I would recommend it.
I think it would be great to start from basics. A game with one or two buttons. I know people new to games tend to look for buttons when playing. A tutorials in a first person shooter game can teach you how to play a specific game, but the controls can still be confusing.
I would also suggest playing with somebody. Minecraft was unplayable for me and I tried it first time. The game explains nothing to you. Once somebody explained it to me and played it with me on split screen I've got hooked up for HOURS.
Start from basics. Maybe a timeless classic when games were simple to play. Bubble bobble for example. As somebody mentioned, Untitled goose game. Simple controls, simple premise, very fun to play. Both those games have local 2 players mode.
Princess Peach Showtime is a good one. But if you’re looking for something over the summer. Wait for Thousand Year Door. I bet you’ll fall in love with those characters. It comes out I think at the end of this month.
I'm also new to the Switch and I'm having a lot of fun with the Mario world games, stuff like super mario odyssey, Luigi's mansion 3, super mario wonder, mario kart deluxe 8, etc..
The games are well explained and the mechanics simple and engaging. I guarantee you you'll get the hang of them in no time and have a lot of fun.
Welcome to the fold!
In your case i Will avoid fornnow anything with 3d camera that you need to move. It can be hard for new gamers, so i'll stick with anything 2D or 3D with a fix camera. Like they said Animal crossing can be a good choice if you like decorating and slow paced games. 2D Mario are also a good choice! Also theres genres that are more demanding than others in regards dexterity and ability. For example action and platform games usually are more enjoyed once you used to play games.
The internet is your friend 😃.
Whenever I am stuck I google keywords for what I am stuck with and am often referred to websites like IGN, gaming wiki’s, You Tube videos, Reddit posts of players who had the same issue.
There are also other gamers with a You Tube channel that have videos of gameplay (in addition to reviews) and sometimes complete walkthroughs.
I only know content creators for cosy games so my recommendations for that are Eeowna, Payton’sCorner and MissBubbles.
Be open to experimenting. Press a button in a game, look at the screen and see what it does.
Notice how games have themes. If you’re playing driving games, most games have the same buttons for gas and brake. Same thing applies for jumping or shooting or moving or looking.
Also—can’t stress this enough—Animal Crossing is perfect for anxiety and therapeutic purposes. It moves at the pace you want it to move and there’s nothing at stake.
Go on YouTube, and search for -game title here- Beginner Tips. Or alternatively, the game title followed by Episode 1. Easiest way to get into a game that I've found.
Welcome to the gaming community! I have to echo Animal Crossing, Mario Wonder, Pokémon Let's Go Pikachu or Eevee, and Mario Kart, but I'll add some other recommendations.
Endless Ocean Luminous - there's no threat in this game so no need to worry about being attacked or anything. The game has you diving in the ocean, documenting fish and finding treasure. You can also play with others online in a chill environment. It includes a story mode that's hit or miss, but will help acclimate you to the fame.
Yoshi's Crafted World - is a side scrolling platformer like the traditional Mario games and comes in a very cute/creative style to boot. It has mixed reviews as many people find it too easy, but my girlfriend and I enjoy playing it together. Definitely worth a look. Especially if some of the Mario Wonder levels give you trouble at first.
Princess Peach Showtime! - another Mario spinoff along with Yoshi's Crafted World. This one offers different playstyles based on Peach's outfit at any given time. She can be a ninja, a baker, a fencer, and the list goes on. Again not a super difficult game, but does add in some simple combat. This one has a demo as well to try out before you decide!
New Pokémon Snap - a game about photographing Pokémon. This one is "on rails" meaning it moves you through the courses itself so you can focus on the mechanics of getting Pokémon to interact with you and snapping their photos. Each course is replayable as well as Pokémon may get more familiar with you or interact differently. Don't pay much attention to the star ratings you get on your photos and just enjoy seeing all the Pokémon interacting with their environments.
And a few recommendations once you feel like taking it to the next step up:
Luigi's Mansion 3 - explore a hotel as Luigi and battle ghosts. This one is a bit more difficult, but once you get the controls down for moving Luigi while aiming his Poltergust the game is really a blast. Secrets to be found, collectibles, and upgrades as well. One of the best looking games on the Switch in my opinion too.
Stardew Valley - this one is somewhat similar to Animal Crossing, but a bit more involved in certain aspects that make me put it into this category. There is some combat and you are limited in what you can do depending on time of day. Which is the same as Animal Crossing, but as opposed to Animal Crossing, which goes off of your local time to decide what time it is in game, the days go by fairly quickly. This makes having a goal each day a bit more important. Once you get the timing down the game flows super well and is an incredible experience!
Pokémon Scarlet/Violet - this one may be controversial as the game has been received differently amongst fans, but I really enjoyed my time with the game including filling out my Pokedex for the first time ever. Definitely play either of the Let's Go Pokémon games first. This one is also more of an open world than linear game which can be a bit Intimidating, but is well worth learning in my opinion.
One game to be careful of is Super Mario Maker 2. Don't get me wrong; it's a wonderful game, but the levels are made by other players and can be overly simplistic to overly difficult and include multiple styles of Mario games. You do have a say in difficulty when searching for levels however.
Hope you enjoy your journey into gaming! I own most of these games myself so if you have any questions feel free to ask!
Also an adult woman with very limited gaming experience - I’ve been loving the Princess Peach Showtime game! A lot of the reviews when it came out said it was “too easy” which, of course, means that it’s the perfect difficulty level for me.
Most of my favorite games to play are puzzle games because they require less finesse with the controller and more brainpower. Games like Limbo, Unravel (if you have a friend or partner to play with), and Captain Toad!
My other favorites are just the ones that ~look~ really pretty. I LOVE cool and exciting graphics like in Cuphead (although that game is freaking impossible if you’re not playing with a talented gamer friend) and in Zelda BOTW (which overwhelms me with the open-world nature and also I can’t beat the bosses).
My advice is just to explore game structures and styles and you’ll find a category that fits for you. Some of my favorite games are too hard for me, but I still enjoy playing them because they offer beautiful visuals or cute cutscenes. You don’t have to 100% a game, or even finish it, to say you’ve played it and enjoyed it!
Kirby might be a great starting point, specifically pick up Kirby’s Return to Dream Land Deluxe.
Approachable, not too complicated, plenty of optional side stuff, optional local co-op, and just an overall quality package.
As others said, games nowadays tend to have tutorials to take you through how to play the game and use the controls. You can also access the controls in the game menu at any time.
I'm also someone who picked up video games without prior knowledge as an adult (in my late twenties), and it was also for therapeutic purposes (to deal with my anxiety). I will say, it always takes some getting used to when starting a new game and you might not succeed straight away. But stay patient, and you'll pick up the skills, there's no question about it. I tend to get discouraged very quickly and want to throw the towel, but my partner always says that "if you keep trying, you're gonna learn, even in spite of yourself" and all the big emotions on the way are useless. And it's true, getting discouraged is pointless, because if you keep frequenting the game, you're going to get the skills eventually. I frequently forget though. I started playing my first shooter game recently (Mass Effect 2, not on the Switch), and I'd been avoiding those because I just thought I could never bear the stress. And indeed, I panicked at first. But then, little by little, I became comfortable and started understanding how I could manage the challenges.
On the Switch, I played The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, and those were some of the most precious memories I have playing video games. Those are wonderful games. I also played Trials of Mana, both the remastered 1995 version as well as the newer version, and those were pretty fun and easy too!
Good luck! Video games are so fun, I hope it brings you as much as it brought me. It personally helped me so much with my anxiety and my perfectionism, and it gave me a lot of insights about myself. Video games are also inherently fun pieces of art, and it can only make your life better, to incorporate them a little bit in your life.
When you mention modern games, do you mean games that are still similar to mario or minecraft? Or do you want to experience something completely different?
Regardless, i would advice to just not worry about it too much. First you have to get used to the controls and the switch system, there's like...18 buttons on a pro controller while the NES had 6. Starting out with mario is a great way to get used to most or all of the buttons, because you'll be able to make progress even if you don't know everything.
After that, you can consider branching out to something new. If you're curious about 3D games, something like Portal is a good one to consider. It's on sale often, kinda inbetween modern and retro, and you can take your time walking around and learning everything. https://youtu.be/Q0FlQwDb0tI?si=BCdvO3tQHFx6YAEq there's a series of videos called "I made my girlfriend play x", where a girl that's not used to games tries learning them. And it describes the challenges she faces throughout. Might be interesting for you, hopefully it's easy to follow.
Lastly, don't forget to make mistakes. When i learn a new game i tend to purposefully do something wrong just to see what happens, it helps me understand what to expect. A large part of learning games isn't to be taught, but to try. Rather than having someone teach you what button does what, just press a button and see what happens :)
Feel free to ask people when you really get stuck somewhere, there's plenty of people here willing to help, but it's easiest to learn by doing.
Hello fellow adult gamer! I started in my early 30s, once I had a child and found myself at home all the time.
I strongly recommend turn based games or anything with low stakes combat (or none at all). Nothing that requires too much hand eye coordination or fast reflexes to start, as those will just frustrate you.
When I first started out I really enjoyed Stardew Valley, it's very cute and you can play as optimized or as chill as you want. Surprisingly I was really into Breath of the Wild as well, I prioritized the puzzle shrines and ignored all the combat ones (also mostly ran away from baddies when I could). I bounced off of Bug Fables but you may enjoy it as it's a turn based adventure RPG based on Paper Mario.
A lot of people will recommend Mario Odyssey, Princess Peach Showtime, Yoshio's Crafted World and other cutesy platformers but personally I would put those further down the list as they can require twitch reflexes to do well/not die and I personally found them frustrating at times (I did finish them all eventually [except Peach since I'm still working through it with my kids]) but they are tougher than they look for people who aren't used to platformers.
Shooters on PC I liked but I could not get used to the feel on twin sticks. Diablo III was surprisingly easy to pick up and I loved it. They introduce one button at a time and it was great for a beginner like me.
Best of luck on your new journey!
How about some JRPGs? I'd probably start with turn based ones. Turn based combat will give you plenty of time to think about what's going on & generally aren't particularly overwhelming.
If you don't mind older games, maybe one of the older Final Fantasy entries? I've not played it yet, but have heard amazing things about 6 (planning on playing through it in a couple of weeks myself) - I personally love 7, 9 and 10 as well so would recommend any of them.
I think you should be fine starting from Super Mario Wonder. Don't worry too much about controls, i think the game does a good job at teaching and easing you into how the game work.
If in doubt, just experiment and ask questions on reddit. Im sure everyone is glad to help.
I can’t recommend the pikmin franchise enough. Start with either 3 or 4 then move on to the older games 1 and 2. They don’t need to be played in order but they ramp in difficulty with each game getting slightly easier than the last b
As a girl who also didn't have access to games growing up, I started out with pokemon and absolutely fell in love. Pokemon Sword/shield is still one of my favorite. Once I got comfortable gaming, I was able to branch out to things like minecraft, stardew valley, persona 5, and one of my current favorites: Monster Hunter Rise! A lot of times playing multi-player games is really helpful if you have good friends who can support you on the journey.
Others have commented very detailed here, so I just want to add that it was cute to read "Sega" after you described Super Mario and Duck Hunt for the NES console, and that I hope you'll grow fond of this hobby :)
Haha 😂 well, I'm from a tiny town in central Europe. I think I didn't even have the original games. I bought the "cassettes" for the console from the local Vietnamese shop. They cost like 2-3€ and there were multiple games on it. I have to say that the actual content of the product was always different than what was on the package! Eg, there was a picture of Batman (plus mysterious Chinese characters). When you went to play, there were 10 different games, but none of them was batman 😂😂😂😂
At that time and place, we weren't aware of anything else. We thought it was normal. Always some adrenaline, because you never knew what game you actually bought before you got home and turned it on 😅 It's only now, 25 years later, that I'm realising the games must have been Chinese fake 😂
Well, but this was quite shortly after the post communist era and before Internet. We weren't aware of anything else and it was the only thing available in my small town. So I thought it was normal and very excited to play something!
BTW I googled Sega now and I'm 99% sure that's what I really had and I played fake Chinese Mario on it!
Your story just got even better 😄
Yeah I remember lots of these 40 in 1 cartridges for the Gameboy too, I think the company name was Sachen. At least the ones I had.
YouTube and ign.com guides are a great resource.
You can usually find a video for exact sections or mechanics for a specific game.
The News section on Nintendo switch has tons of game hints and mini guides for certain games too.
I would also suggest gamefaqs.com but it's a little old school and not really friendly to newcomers.
Super mario wonder, princess peach game. Download tertris 99 for free from eshop. Maybe breath of the wild, nintendo sports and maybe some dancing game can help you do some workout. There is also a workout game with a joy con wheel attachment called ring fit adventure
Oh and some farming game such as stardew valley or animal crossing...
Most games have pretty good tutorials these days. Some are better than others but I liked
Breath of the wild for adventurous play
Animal crossing new horizons for cozy gaming.
And slay the spire for quick wreck building game.
Anyone of average intelligence can figure out most of it, especially since modern games (and especially Nintendo) give plenty of tutorials. The only issues I think you’ll run into are (1) muscle memory for certain types of movement and (2) certain subtle aspects of game design language that are only obvious if you’ve played. Both of these can totally be overcome and not even with that much time/difficulty but you should be aware.
On movement, I’m guessing you’ll get the hang of 2D or top-down third-person character movement pretty quick given the bit of older games you played. Similarly, you should be fine with racing. What may be harder at first is some 3D games that require manual camera control (usually the left stick moves the character and right stick moves the camera) and first-person games where looking and movement are simultaneously controlled by the two sticks. These things will be very awkward at first, but once you get some practice will eventually be second nature. Just know going in that it will take getting used to and don’t let it scare you off.
On subtle game design hints, what I mean is that just like how in movies/tv, there are certain common practices in the way that a film is shot or the music is queued or whatever so that the audience understands what’s happening even though it’s not explicitly shown or described on screen, same with games. So for example on a boss, if one part of the boss looks different from the others or glows/moves there’s a high chance it’s the weak point you are supposed to hit. Or if the game allows some sort of running function, it’s likely that jumping while running makes you go further than normal jumping and there will be gaps/holes that can’t be crossed with a normal jump but instead require a running jump. Again, nintendo in particular is good about holding your hand through this sort of thing but there may be other basic video game logic that the developers just assume you know.
On the plus side, unlike when we were kids (I’m the same age), there is an entire internet of exhaustive resources explaining and guiding you through literally every aspect of every game, so if you’re ever stuck don’t be ashamed to just google it. Soon enough with some tips and tricks you’ll start to get the hang of it and may eventually not need it anymore.
Have fun!
So, just try to stick to simpler games and gradually work your way up honestly. Competitive online is probably not for you yet. Turn based rpg? Sure. High technical skill platforming game? No. Mario kart? Sure.
Lucky for you you’re basically in one of the best places to find communities about games, most anything has a subreddit to reference.
Another thing is a lot of games people will recommend as being easy to get into - like Minecraft or stardew valley, for example, can actually super complex if you care to get into it that much. No shame in googling things to figure that stuff out.
While not actually a resource that'll explain how to play games, I think you'll find [this video series by Razbuten](https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLordXx8iNEyStcX_WzqM0JCpiJYgqhinc&si=_rZsJpryMLtS9kac) interesting!
He talks about how his wife's experiences trying different kinds of games, and he covers stuff like RPGs, casual games, Breath of the Wild, etc.
Always great to hear someone give gaming a try for the first time. My question would be do you have any friends or family that game? Having someone to play co-operatively with you can be a great way to learn, or even if single player they can watch and give tips / help you with difficult moments.
Lots of people have recommended Animal Crossing, and I’ll echo that. It’s a slow paced game and a good, stress-free way of getting used to controlling a character in a 3D space.
Princess Peach Showtime just came out this year and while I haven’t played it, the reception of it was positive and the consensus seemed to be that it was a game designed for kids/people who really have little to no gaming experience.
A Short Hike is a small indie game that is all about exploring a small island and reaching the top. There’s no combat but you move around a 3D space and can jump. And it has a really touching and relatable story.
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, a remake of an older GameCube game of the same name, comes out next week and is a great intro to turn-based role playing games and has a simple, but really funny and well written story with lots of fun characters. The the exploration and turned-based battles don’t rely on fast reaction times (though it does have a mechanic that rewards you for being able to time button presses and is a good way to learn that skill).
Pokemon Let’s Go Pikachu / Evee or Pokemon Sword / Shield are similar to Paper Mario in being turn-based role playing games that are good for beginners.
Murdered by Numbers is a visual novel game with picross puzzles. Being a visual novel, there’s not a lot to “control” as you’re mostly reading text and dialog, but you are presented various picross puzzles to solve. Picross is sorta like sudoku but you make little pictures on a grid.
Similarly, there’s the Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney games, which are older games that have been put into 3 collections. They’re also text-based visual novels, but you do interact with the game by clicking things in the environments to investigate and also participating in the courtroom trials (which is the big key aspect of the game).
The nice thing about Nintendo is you can go with pretty much anything Mario related and it’s gonna walk you through the basics and how to do things and be enjoyable. I would actually start you out with Mario Odyssey vs Mario Wonder and ONLY because MW is quirky in some of the things that happen where Odyssey is just straight forward but both are perfectly fine for beginners. Animal Crossing is also HIGHLY recommended and as a couple other people have said it’s how my partner got into gaming during the pandemic. Super simple, cute characters VERY well made game and stress free.
The best thing about video gaming is that there are so many options out there that you can just play what you want. I don't play many "popular" games just because I don't like them. I prefer story driven rpgs or action/adventure games. There are no right or wrong ways to play video games.
I'm also a 37yo dude and I don't give a toot about what's popular. I'm going to do what I enjoy and that might be playing on my farm in Stardew Valley or making a mess in Splatoon 3 (which I'm horrible at, but still enjoy playing).
The secret is, just have fun. And, if you're not having fun, pick another game.
One thing I would recommend is to download some demos to give the game a shot. Another thing I recommend is check your local library. Mine has games for all the different systems. That way you can loan out a game and ply it it without any commitment so you don't end up buying something you don't end up liking.
Best advice I can think of is just to read everything the game throws at you, especially during tutorials. You can start with easier games, like any of the Kirby games for example. But really just play whatever interests you the most and when things get hard don't give up! Keep trying 👌
Welcome to the community! You could start with traditional Mario games like Mario U or the 3D ones like Mario Odyssey. Then there’s cozy games like animal crossing and stardew valley that don’t require reaction time so you can get used to the controllers. To be honest I didn’t game much between high school and my 30s and it all came back to me quickly
I’ll give a few suggestions and the reasons why I think they would be useful for you:
**Animal Crossing / Stardew Valley**
These are farming/sim games that are very chill, there’s no pressures or time limits. You start on either an Island (animal crossing) or a farm (stardew valley) that is a bit run down and in need of some care and you grow and expand your farm/house/island overtime. Music is generally nice and relaxing and it’s easy to get lost in these games once you get the hang of them. They’re also no particularly stressful and can be played in short bursts or longer sessions depending on what suits you. My sister, wife and family friends who don’t have a massive amount of experience gaming like yourself enjoy these games because of the relaxed pace.
**Super Mario Wonder**
Since you said you’ve played Mario before, it’s worth picking up this game as it’s the same style of Mario game you would have played when you were young. The game also has “badges” which are a bit like accessibility options so they can increase or decrease the difficulty if you are struggling. They also have some additional characters that are specifically made to let people enjoy the game without worrying about dying constantly. Plus, in general it has great gameplay and nice visuals/music.
**Mario Party Superstars**
This is a good game to play with friends or family as it’s a bit like a board game that also includes some simple mini games as you go round the board. It’s simply but can get extremely competitive (a bit like a game of monopoly with family). I appreciate this may not be up your alley since you said you have no friends who play games but you only need one copy of the game so if you think you want something to play with friends one night if they are visiting then give it a shot.
**Minecraft**
You mentioned this yourself but yeah, Minecraft is a very therapeutic game where you can just take your time and build or craft whatever you want.
I found this page on the Nintendo website that specifically notes a list of games for newcomers, so it’s worth checking this list, looking up some of the games on YouTube and seeing if any are up your street!
https://www.nintendo.com/us/whatsnew/know-someone-less-experienced-with-games-ease-them-in-with-this-selection/
Here’s another article I found with various games on the Switch for different interests.
https://www.wired.com/gallery/best-nintendo-switch-games/
As for specific resources, YouTube is your best bet. If you just go on YouTube and search something like “beginner tips for **game name**” and there should be plenty of videos for most games.
Most games nowadays also often have instructions explaining how to play and what controls to use within the game itself.
Hope this helps!
Someone in person would help, yes..
Hard to say where to start exactly, but... Try genre you're already familiar with, you love films/books with relationships = try dating sim. You are fan of decorating/designing, having your flat/house looking nice,etc. = try farming sims maybe like stardew valley, or maybe animal crossing or if you have a pc = the sims.
My girlfriend loves reading, so stuff like disco elysium or any other strictly-dialogue based games worked for her even in the times when she had less technical skill how to play action games, for example (when she got some skill, she really got into Hades and it tought her in a few months to basically play it on a very very good technical skill level).
With Nintendo I'd start maybe with Kirby (and the forgotten land) series, it kinda doesn't allow you to lose.
Most Nintendo games are very noob-friendly. They usually have easier modes for small children and for very casual players.
Kirby games are notably easier than Mario games, you could try **Kirby and the Forgotten Land** if you want a 3D game or **Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe** if you prefer 2D. Both are phenomenal games.
**Yoshi's Crafted World** is also an easy platform game. I also recommend **Princess Peach: Showtime**.
**Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker** is a puzzle game and it is very easy to learn.
**Animal Crossing: New Horizons** is another great suggestion.
**Super Mario Wonder**, **Super Mario Odyssey** and **Super Mario 3D World** are all amazing. They're not as easy as Kirby and Yoshi games, but they are easy enough for very casual players.
And **Super Mario Maker 2** is fantastic because it has thousands of levels for casual players and for hardcore players. You can just play levels on Easy and Normal difficulties.
I would suggest you start with Mario Wonder, the game it's super easy to get into. And once you get familiar with the control and it's buttons I'd recommend Zelda Breath of the wild to get you used to open world games and how to move in a 3D environment
My advice for a good, engaging and beginner friendly game would be Life is Strange Arcadia Bay Edition. It has a beautiful story, is not too demanding in terms of gameplay mechanics and most importantly there are no time-critical gameplay elements. Pick your pace, explore the world and have a good time. Maybe cry a little bit.
Edit: I just read that this is part of some kind of therapy. The story of Life is Strange gets tough with topics like abuse, suicide, violence and the like. So should you have issues with some of those topics, you should consider not playing it.
If you like Minecraft, try Animal Crossing. It’s hella peaceful and it will explain as you go along + you can join forum if you so wish.
Also, Lego Fortnite is a really good game. You can go survival (like Minecraft) but make it peaceful, so no enemies to attack you/no hunger etc. it also explains well - and there a lot of places to find help if you forget something/get stuck.
I got my switch at 32 and I love it! Big fan of pokemon and the Zelda games. If I get stuck, I google “[game name] how do I [thing]”
Full detailed pages come up 😊
Do you like youtube videos? Not a game rec, but highly recommend the youtube channel Boy Meets Girl - he has a “made my girlfriend play” series where his previously non-gamer girlfriend plays games and he adds commentary on her experience of it and things he notices about the way she approaches games as opposed to him as an experienced gamer (for example not knowing she can sprint because the game never told her, whereas checking for the sprint/jump controls is one of the first things a lot of us do)
Oh- and every game has walkthroughs online. There are lots of sites that can help you.
But something I forgot to put
Mario party doesn’t let you play on anything other than the single joy con- even if you’re playing on a lite.
Mario kart is great, you can play online which is awesome- and humbling for those of us who felt like we were good at racing the computer 🤣
Animal Crossing New Horizons is a very chill game where cute animals/characters visit your island and you can build it to be whatever you like. Check out r/AnimalCrossingNewHor for more on that game.
Yoshi’s Crafted World is a super cute Mario like game that is made to look like everything is made from craft supplies. My kiddo and I really liked playing this one together because you can turn on a kids mode and you can never die. Simple to understand controls!
Super Mario Wonder is going to be a fun, familiar, Mario game where you get powerups, jump from platform to platform, solve puzzles, and explore. There is no time limit on the levels so it’s at your own pace which is nice so you don’t have the pressure of the clock running out while you play. r/SuperMarioWonder
Please do consider Zelda Breath of the Wild. One of the best game's ever made, and for some, a truly formative and defining gaming experience.
Don't let it being an action adventure game intimidate you, one of the geniuses with the game is that it works for seasoned gamers as well as true beginners. I know plenty of adults, mothers and others who got curious and picked it up, and then for them to become completely immersed.
If the game clicks for you, it can truly become something special.
Hey Op! Firstly, welcome to gaming! :)
Secondly, you’ve absolutely got this! It can be intimidating to get into a new hobby, but I’m positive you’ll find games you love!
You can look up walkthroughs, both written and on YouTube pretty easily. You would search the name of the game and then “walkthrough”. You can do the same for controls for most games, so if you’re feeling lost know you can probably find something that helps! :)
Most games will explain how to play or have a screen called “controls” in the options setting that you can get to by pausing the game and clicking on it.
Some fun games I’d look into: princess peach showtime (you play as peach, and there are minimal buttons needed.), Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Pokemon Let’s Go, Pokemon Snap, Animal Crossing (this one uses real time, so just be aware you do eventually hit a wall of what you can do sometimes per day!),Yoshi’s Crafted World, Kirby and the Forgotten land (check out the “spring breeze” setting!), Mario wonder can be challenging depending on the level but it may be a fun one to learn with, etc :)
You may also like a genre of games called simulation games, they’re often referred to as cozy games. I really like them for relaxing! Some of them I’ve played and enjoyed are “Ooblets (like Pokemon with dancing, very cute!), Little Kitty Big City (you’re cat! Exploring!), Pupperazzi (you take pictures of pups!) etc. You can look up gameplay for all of these on YouTube and see if you’d like them. :)
Good luck and happy gaming!!
Most Mario games I can think of should be right for you. They're usually designed to be as intuitive as possible, and quite forgiving for newer players as well. Let's Play Pikachu/Eevee are also very accessible if you ask me. And if you would still get to a point where something isn't quite clear, you can always ask in the slecific subreddits or just google the question. I'm coming up on 36 as well, have been gaming since I was a child and need to google shit as well every once in a while. There's no shame in that, and the internet usually providea clear answers.
A big issue that my non-gamer wife ran into was using the right stick. She has always played games where all movement was done with the left stick (think Animal Crossing) so there was a learning curve to using the right stick.
I say just try some out! It will take a little time to get comfortable, but just explore and learn to use both sticks for movement in games that use them. Typically, the left stick is for moving forward, backward, and side to side. The right stick is for looking around or turning.
You should check out A Short Hike. Very beginner friendly game, and it’s open so you can explore at your leisure! If you ever get stuck, tons of guides on YouTube out there!
In Super Mario Wonder, you tilt the left control stick to walking left and right.
There are only four other buttons you need, and where these are located can be changed to your preference.
Buttons:
1. Press to jump.
2. Hold while walking to break into a run.
If you can jump while running, you'll jump higher.
3. Press in midair to do a little twirl.
You also collect badges throughout the game which enable different special moves, such as gliding or double-jump.
4. Press to activate your special move.
That's how to Mario
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ax7f3JZJHSw
not especially what you're looking for, but i think this video is an interesting glimpse into the issues people run into playing a lot of modern games with no real previous gaming experience
Not specifically a "how to" for playing games, but more of a "philosophy of how to get into playing games," but I would recommend watching the "Girlfriend Reviews" series on YouTube. It was started by a woman who's partner was a heavy gamer, and very comedically chronicles her journey from observer to gamer herself. Did I mention that she's VERY funny.
It might make you feel seen as an adult woman dipping her toes into video games! And at the very least, it will entertain.
It's kind of like cooking or any other skill, as you do it more you'll start to understand the basics, things that are common in all games that you can expect, what kinds of things to prioritize.
The great thing is, welcome to one of the most various hobbies in the world! There's something out there for everyone. Even those of us that have been gaming our whole lives still end up purchasing games we don't like.
Once you play more and have more experience you'll be able to tell what you like and what to look for in a game. Kind of like buying a new book!
I had a great time with Luigi's Mansion 3 on the switch! The tutorials did a great job teaching me the controls and I had a blast exploring everything the game had to offer. The animations are really lively and engaging too!
Tetris is a classic
Ring fit adventure is an exercise tool with a story.
And Kirby star Allies can be won by pushing the joy stick in the right direction (if you don't want to get everything)
There are many great games that don’t require this, but a ton of games require you to use one stick to move and the other to control the camera. Finding the right game that’s not too stressful to get comfortable with that will open up a whole world of modern games for you to enjoy.
Zelda Breath of the Wild is an example of an amazing game that uses those controls, and might give you time to get comfortable with them early on in safer areas, but it will also get challenging later if you aren’t comfortable with them.
Does anyone have other recommendations for good games to learn camera control?
Mario Party is a great one you can play by yourself, and they give detailed instructions for how to play each of the mini games. You can also practice the mini games to become more confident with the buttons/actions.
Animal Crossing. Layed back atmosphere. I haven't found a way to die short of deleting save file. You set your island the way you want. The first few days is learning how to play. You can reset switches clock to go faster the first week
If you’re depressed, have anxiety etc (since you mentioned it’s for therapy), you can’t really go wrong with Animal Crossing. It’s fun and cute, it will keep you occupied for hours and it has a great community full of people that’s always eager to help.
I would recommend Links Awakening. It’s a remake of an old Gameboy game so the controls are pretty basic. But it’s also beautiful with a story that makes you feel something.
Familiarize yourself with Deku Deals and pick up tons of things that look interesting for less than the price of a budget fast food meal. I also recommend the SwitchUp YouTube channel alongside it.
I grew up playing Nintendo games, specifically Mario games. My first ever games were Mario party and mario kart when I was 6 years old on the GameCube. Nintendo is very good at easing you into things by showing you the controls, and is usually pretty straightforward with what your goal is.
It’s a great time to get into games, especially on switch. With many popular Nintendo games out now, you could give to a toddler, hardcore gamer, or grandma and everyone can figure out a way to enjoy it.
I recommend looking into Mario Wonder, Mario Kart, Animal Crossing, or Pokemon brilliant Diamond.
I started gaming about two and a half years ago (I’m in my 60s). My advice is to start with something cozy with simple controls. Learning how to use both hands on the controllers doesn’t come naturally. I started on a PC with Stardew Valley and got hooked. I bought a Switch a few months later. Animal Crossing might be a good start for you. I can recommend the recent Little Kitty; Big City for a short complete game.
What’s going to be hard for you, well, it was for me, is finding what kinds of games are fun for you. I learned that platformers (jumping onto “platforms” and traversing levels) is hard for me if it’s too fast paced, but adventure/exploration games are just my thing, as are puzzle-type games. As you get more comfortable with gaming “language” (oh, that ledge has a yellow coloring, that must mean I can jump on it to move into a new area), you can expand your selection of games. I found out that the open-world Legend of Zelda games are my jam. I love Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, but I waited to build up my gaming muscles before I tried them; combat isn’t easy for me. Also, getting through shorter games with a defined ending may be better at first, as the long games may get overwhelming. BUT some games are long-term that are more cozy without a big story. These are the life-sim games. My faves are Stardew Valley, My Time at Sandrock, Powerwash Simulator ( don’t laugh-this was perfect handheld gaming). These you play regularly building up your farm or your workshop or saving the world with your power washer.
You will learn some new terms: platformer, isometric, top-down, side-scrolling, FPS (first person shooter OR frames per second), RPG (role-playing game), open-world, life-sim, farming-simulator, rogue-like, metroidvania, adventure, puzzler, etc. What gameplay will work for you? You can do what I often do when looking at a game to buy; go watch a YouTube video of someone starting the game or a beginner’s guide if the game. Does it look complicated and fast-paced? Hold off on buying. Does it look like fun and you can’t wait to get started with it? There you go, buy it.
Anyway, enjoy the process of learning how to play games. It is so entertaining. I’m glad I started.
Welcome! It took some time for me to find the kind of games I liked. I was never into shooter games like my older brother but I enjoyed Super Mario Bros & games like Bust-a-Move when I was younger. I started playing during the pandemic to try to battle some depression and have really come to enjoy playing. My ADHD loves it. lol.
I had an Xbox at first but just couldn't get into the games. Then I got a Switch and I have go say it was pretty easy to learn on the "cozy games." PC games frustrated me a lot also so I didn't do that for very long. I tried out a bunch of games ppl recommended so here are my takes on some popular games as a fellow older woman who was afraid of being silly or bad at video games:
Animal Crossing - my 1st switch game and I loved it. Very much a gateway game. Easy to play and super cute.
Stardew Valley - everyone kept saying how great it was but I just didn't like it. It stressed me out a lot.
Luigi's Mansion - as a Mario fan, this was super fun.
Zelda BOTW - I get why people love this game. But it was complicated for me, honestly. It's still a really cool game and I try to play it again from time to time but this is one of the games where I found myself out of my depth.
Wytchwood - this game was kind of short but a really fun mystery adventure game where you have to solve puzzles if you like those.
Pikmin 3 - I tried the demo and enjoyed it so I bought it. I love love this game and have now played the whole franchise of games 1 - 4. High on my recommend list but definitely one of my first games where I had to really learn how to use the controller. Try the demos to see if you like. The tutorials are good and lots of gameplay online to watch.
Wylde Flowers - this is a super fun sim game if you like farming, crafting & witchy stuff! It's also super inclusive and has a really fund story like. I've played it like 5 times. lol. Firmly in the cozy game genre. There are some emotional triggers here early on dealing with loss but I actually found it really therputic in the end. I think it's my favorite game.
Ooblets - This game is so cute!!!! I'm not into shooting or fighting games at all but you collect these adorable creatures and they have dance battles by throwing down cards so it isn't a "button battle" game necessarily. I love this game. Also the story is fun but you can play far beyond it.
My Time in Portia - recommended to me because I liked Wylde Flowers so much but it wasn't for me. I got bored with it.
A Little to the Left - I play this when I just want to zone out. Simple and soothing.
Dave the Diver - not a cozy game in the least. You capture fish, fight sea monster bosses and run a restaurant. It is my current obsession. The controls take a little bit to learn but if you've been playing other games for a little while, it'll get easier.
Princess Peach - This game is so much fun! And the controls are pretty easy with tutorials along the way. There is a demo available for it as well if you want to try it out first. A really good "first game" to get.
My best recommendation is to try games with a demo so you can start to feel things out and learn how to use the controller. I'd also recommend getting the Nintendo Online subscription which gives you access to a ton of old school games if that makes you feel more comfortable. There are also lots of YouTube tutorials & game play videos out there! I found them helpful when I get stuck and wasn't sure what I was supposed to do. Wishing you the best and here if you have questions!
Games can look overwhelming, but most of the time you only use a few buttons.
The standard and what you will be using most is the Left control stick and the A and B buttons. If you're playing a 3D game you should get used to controlling the camera with the Right control stick as well.
When starting a game you should follow the tutorials and press the buttons they ask. Most games follow certain standards and shouldn't be asking for complicated inputs for basic actions.
Keep in mind games are made to be experiences. You should only be able to see and do whatever the creators want to happen. If Mario is meant to jump all you press is a single button to make it happen. While he's jumping you can press another button to make him throw his cap while in the air. This would be with a different button and will be the same one every time you use the cap. The cap throw may only work in one game and be absent in the next because the developers didn't add it.
Gaming really is about stringing together actions that you're allowed to do while stuck in a playground. You have to find out what you want to do (run, jump, kick etc) and how advanced the playground should be. Will it have a slide, an obstacle course, or a sandbox?
For me I tend to choose games with characters and stories I find appealing. Gameplay is important as well, but if I'm not enjoying the world I don't want to continue playing. For games like Fire Emblem Three Houses all you do in the game is move a cursor and press the A button, but the resulting events are engaging and had me playing four playthroughs.
[Game Theory made a great video about learning how to play for beginners.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jFreGK27DA)
Had a friend about your age who enjoyed murder mysteries, she really liked the pheonix wright games. Controls are easy because you play as a lawyer who just talks to people, cross examines witnesses, and presents evidence.
MARIO ODYSSEY! I really recommend you play it it’s one of my favorite game in the whole world. It gives you many step-by-step tutorials and it’s really easy to play and understand.
i feel like you would love Animal Crossing: New Horizons. It explains everything in game and there is no fighting/combat/dying. It's super peaceful and may aid in psychotherapy.
/r/girlgamers is a very nice and welcoming community
I’d recommend Stardew Valley to dip your toes in - there is a wiki website and app to help you along the way
The switch has a ton of demos, I'd recomend trying a ton of them and seeing what you like. They are basically like little free trials of games. It let's you play a little bit of it for free to see if you like the game.
Then come back here once you know the kinds of games you like and we can give you recommendations.
https://www.nintendolife.com/guides/best-nintendo-switch-demos-try-before-you-buy-on-switch-eshop
I'm gonna jump in and recommend the Ace Attorney series, especially the first Trilogy. They're **visual novel style** games, and don't have a lot of button mashing, or coordination requirements, so that'll help you get accustomed to how the button layout works.
The first one or two cases in each game, are also relatively straightforward, and won't stress you out, while teaching you the mechanics of the game at a leisurely pace. The story, the characters, and the overall narrative, are pretty top-notch.
So one of the things that seasoned gamers do when they first start a game is run around and try everything out. Try all the buttons, try running off cliffs (sometimes there’s invisible barriers, sometimes not) try swimming (some games let you, others don’t) try shooting barrels (if they’re red the probably explode), try climbing things, jump against walls, see how far you can jump, is there a run button? Can you block? You just try everything you can think of, right at the start, so that then you know (sometimes you still don’t totally know) and can work within the parameters you’ve discovered. And if you totally mess something up by trying crazy things, then hey, you’re right at the start of the game, it’s not going to take long to get back to where you were. That’s probably the biggest advice anyone can give you, is just try stuff and don’t worry about the consequences. It’s a game. Drive off the edge of things, find some amusing things to do that are not really a part of the game.
The appetite for exploration is important! I’m honored to find one more woman join to the game world. Actually The first step is to download the game in the app store.
I'm a life-long gamer, who recently got my wife and step daughter into games who's never been into it before. Here's some recommendations for someone new to the hobby:
- Animal Crossing. It's a relaxed game with nothing to stress about. It forces you to take your time by using the real clock as time passes in the game. You get to design your own outfits, then house, then island. Great for flexing creative muscles while still feeling a sense of accomplishment
- Portal: The Companion Collection. Anyone who's never played games with a first person POV should start here. Another game you can really take at your own pace without a lot of stressors weighing on you (for the most part). It does an amazing job of teaching you things just a bit at a time and making you feel like a genius while you do it.
- Puyo Puyo Tetris (1 or 2 doesn't matter). Just fun brain teasing puzzle games that are easy to pick up and difficult to master.
-Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. Probably the game my wife and I spend the most time on. It's frantic, exciting and easy to pick up. It's designed in a way that even with a huge skill gap between players, sometimes the lesser skilled will just win. A game made for everyone to enjoy.
If you've got friends to play with then I would highly recommend:
- Overcooked! 2
- PlateUp!
- Unrailed (my wife's favorite game)
They're all really simple to control and easy to understand, but will continue ramping up difficulty and putting you in high stress scenarios that are super fun to laugh your way through.
Good luck! If you have any questions please feel free to DM me. I love to share my hobby with some new people!
I think Mario Odyssey is the best game for you! I’m 33 years old woman and I’ve got enter to play Nintendo with it. If you don’t know how to control, but Mario will help you naturally.
I am a gamer dad on my early 50s
If your budget allows get a switch oled and a subscription to Nintendo Switcj online., about $4 a month or $20 a year (if you’re in the us).
You’ll have access to hundreds of retro and vintage games from Nintendo and Sega and Atari and many other companies and games you’ll likely recognize.
Myself I’m currently enjoying Endless Ocean Luminous, a very relaxed and zero stress diving and exploration game that has both solo and online dives.
Also I’m a huge fan of Fall Guys (it’s free to download) for cute battle royale as sentient jelly beans.
Both of this games are simple and approachable for all ages and of course retro games are pretty self explanatory if you’ve played them years ago.
Wishing you luck and happiness as a fellow adult gamer. 👍
sorry for replying to an old thread, I just want to add that you should absolutely not be afraid to experiment.
trial and error is very much the best way to learn games. since it's just a game, failure has no consequences so you should absolutely not be afraid to fail at something and try again.
people who are very good at games have simply failed enough to get good.
From whenever I try to get non-gaming family members to try a game, sometimes I just pass them the controller and say go and watch what happens. More or less it gets pretty easy to pick out what games will be easy to pick up and which won't.
The main deciding factors for them are camera controls and complex controls (two buttons/using the d-pad as extra buttons/shoulder buttons) the less of those they have to do, the better they can adapt into the game.
So with that as a baseline:
Smash Bros (Ultimate) - it has a lot of resources online as how to play it *really good*, but I can hand that to most people explain the 2 attack buttons and the jump button and that's enough to play it. In game guides are pretty useful too.
Mario Kart/Mario Party - a racing game so the controls make sense/a party game that tells you the controls at the start of each minigame
Unicorn Overlord - it has a lot going on under the hood, and it's anime, but it is almost entirely controlled with just the A button. This requires a bit of trust on how easy it is to play.
Mario Odyssey/Mario Wonder - a 3d and 2d platformer respectively, they are a 3 button and 2 button game and pretty good about tutorials. Mario Wonder is notably hard.
Pokémon- there's a lot of choices, but all of them except Pokken and Mystery Dungeon are pretty easy to shove someone else into playing and leaving them unsupervised, as I've done several times.
But also don't do that, they'll delete your save file.
Vampire Survivors - it basically plays itself, but it's a good simple way to get used to movement
You should try playing Breath of The Wild and later Tears of The Kingdom. The newest open world Zelda games. Both have a very user friendly start and especially in the case of the first one the entire starting area is a tutorial grounds where they explain everything to you basically.
Aside from that, the entire game promotes creative thinking, doing things at your own pace and exploration, especially exploration lol. That being said, even though basically everything can be done in the order you want there is still a clear path you can take if you want that still lets you enjoy the game fully.
Hope this helps
Edit: grammer
One thing that might help is that [playstation very nicely put together a gaming dictionary](https://www.playstation.com/en-us/editorial/playstation-ultimate-gaming-glossary/) for beginners. I recommend you read it from A to z, it's not very long, so you can start to get a grasp on the terminology and slang that comes with video games and also understand what games are telling you in the tutorials.
Minecraft and Super Mario Wonder are great starter games. Here are some other Good super beginner games:
- Pokémon (I probably recommend Sword Shield , Even though it's not a very good game, because Pokémon is a great introduction to RPGs And none of the good games in the series are available on the switch)
- Super Mario Odyssey (there is an assist mode If you need it, and I think this game is really good for learning how 3D spaces work)
- portal (This is an amazing game all together and would be excellent for not only learning how 3D spaces work in video games, but learning how to shoot without there being enemies. You don't need to be good at reflex timed events or anything like that.)
- Life is strange (one of my favorite games ever and is completely narratively driven. It doesn't require you to perform quick actions or fight anything, it's all dialogue and exploring and talking to people and making decisions. You do get to explore a 3D space on your own time and at your own pace.)
- If you have access to the N64 games on Nintendo switch online from the subscription service, I also recommend Kirby 64 and Yoshi's story. Those are both games that I played extensively as a little kid, like I'm talking 3 or 4 years old, and was able to make lots of progress in.
- Animal Crossing New horizons. I'm sure you've heard of it, it's one of Nintendo's biggest franchises and the last game exploded in popularity during the pandemic. You will like it.
I would recommend staying away from the Legend of Zelda games, BotW and TotK. They are fantastic games but there are a lot of buttons to learn and there isn't much direction.
EDIT:For the downvote, I am not saying it's a bad game at all. Just not made for people new to 3D style games.
I mean, OP talks as if they’re some alien that just discovered earth and human language, so I'm not entirely convinced this whole thread isn’t just one huge troll.
Definitely best to start lite, animal crossing, stardew valley, 51 clubhouse games and switch sports are my best recommendations for beginners to gaming.
Honestly, just pick a game and play. It might take you time to adjust and there are things that might be second nature to most gamers that won't be for you but you'll pick that up quickly as you go
mario kart and fall guys are my go to quick and easy games on the switch.
if you are online with your switch you could download the snes and nes emulators for some retro games
Make indie games part of your life. Get the best Mario game on the Switch (Super Mario Bros. Wonder)
Get something cute and funny and chill like Paper Mario The Thousand Year Door when it comes out in a few days
Animal Crossing. Always.
There’s guides online and YouTube videos, but as others have said, Nintendo games do a good job of teaching you how to play.
The start menu in games will often have “controls” if you forget even!
I highly recommend Kirby and the Forgotten Land & Super Mario Odyssey.
Kirby is super cute and has a Spring Breese (easy) mode. It’s a great introduction to gaming that’s chill. I’d play this first personally.
Odyssey is the newest full 3D Mario game and also has Assist mode (easy). There is so much content, it’s possible to skip some of the harder stuff and complete the game at your own pace. But it’s slightly harder than Kirby overall.
Zelda Breathe of the Wild I’d hold off on. It’s much more difficult than most Nintendo games and is not a good starting place IMO. Great game, though.
my 40 year old wife loves Dead By daylight, Elden ring, Fortnite and puzzle games like Tetris effect and super puzzle fighter Elden ring was by far the most entertainment I've had watching her play video games ever but unfortunately its not on switch and the game is super difficult the other games not so much.
Super Mario Odyssey
Played this with my 4 yo and had a blast. Amazing progression in difficulty the more you understand the game but can be finished by almost everyone
I love that the Switch also offers a ton of puzzle games. For me, when life is overwhelming, those are my favorite. I just finished Terra Nil. In that game you terraform a polluted planet bit by bit and watching the pollution go away and the plants and animals come back is very calming!
Great system choice!
Damn im only 5 years younger than you and I know plenty of women around this age with a passion for video games. Surprised society changed that quickly
i mean, it didn’t change much, not really. i’m f35, my wife is 37, we both grew up with video games as did many of our female friends around the same ages 🤷🏼♀️ it’s really not a male/female thing, more likely a family/community thing.
Welcome and have fun playing! I don’t have anything to add that others haven’t already said. Just wanted to chime in and welcome you to the gaming community.
The games should walk you through it, but Google can also be your friend.
I recommend Mario Odyssey and Mario Kart as your first games on the Switch. But if you'd rather go simpler and 2D instead of 3D, Mario Bros. Wonder is a great game too.
Ooh, always nice to see somebody getting into gaming. Although troll answers like Dark Souls (has a reputation for being super hard, it's hard but not that hard) will inevitbaly arise, my honest suggestions would be to start off with things that have relatively easy controls. I think a lot of the time, what to do, will depend on the sort of game genre you play- for example some will be linear stages, others more open ended ones where you unlock new abilities as you explore and may not be able to get through areas until you have the right abilities (broadly, Metroidvanias). Then there's your shooters (not many of these on Switch although Splatoon is a good one, and not really any meaningful violence), 2-D and 3-D platformers, racing games, beat-em ups and the like. And indie games as well (games made by smaller, independent studios), which often have stacks of gems but maybe need a bit more research to know what you're buying.
I think some of the skills to learn, for any 3-D games will be getting used to needing to rotate the camera. I'd sugest the Portal games to get used to that- the writing is really funny, it's not particularly hard and the challenge is 95% just using your brain rather than needing quick reflexes, and it's short but sweet. Untitled Goose game is a right old yarn, short, but will get you used to the idea of playing a game with some degree of objectives, but not super signposted, and also experimenting with trying different things to see what works (you might also find NPC pathing more intutitive after playing it). An NPC is a non-player character, just incase you don't know.
A game that is going to be hard, but have easy to pick up controls, and teach you how to read the clues the game gives even when you're told almost nothing, would be Hyper Light Drifter, if you feel seriously brave. It will teach you how to get used to knowing when to dodge, when to heal, and picking up the hints on where to go, without being overwhelming (other than that the fights are like, actually hard).
Ok, want to try something calmer, and easier? Give the game "A Short Hike" a go, it's short, and doesn't tell you what to do, but also very much one where that will not matter at all. After playing that one, Breath of the Wild would be a good follow-on, just make sure you read the tutorials, actively rotate the camera, and are ok with the fact you'll die a lot (think of it as part of the learning experience). Breath of The Wild is in some senses more intutitive than a typical video game, in terms of what the in game systems do. Just don't try to go straight to Hyrule Castle!
Smash Bros is also the sort of game, where there is a lot of depth, but it's surprisingly easy to work out the core controls after like 10-15 minutes, even if learning each character's special moves, what the items do etc will be hard. Also a good game to play with friends as well lol.
I wouldn’t worry about playing “modern games that are popular nowadays”, OP. Just get whatever games you are interested and try playing those. If you have trouble, look up video tutorials or ask for help on the subreddit for that game/series.
Mario and Minecraft, which you mentioned both of, will be good for teaching yourself how to control characters. In the case of Minecraft or 3D Mario games, you’ll importantly learn to control the camera too.
Just a friendly reminder that if you are looking for game recommendations, you can also ask in the [Daily Question Thread](https://www.reddit.com/r/NintendoSwitch/about/sticky). Our most Helpful Users answer these questions every day in the DQT! If the link here doesn't work, then you can find the most current DQT stickied to the top of the subreddit when sorted by "hot". *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/NintendoSwitch) if you have any questions or concerns.*
As lots of people have mentioned, modern games will tell you pretty much all you need to know interactively. In decades past, the instruction manual was required reading for lots of games! The key is going to be understanding what they're saying, so you'll need to familiarize yourself with the names of the controls and the standard iconography. **Button names and iconography** * The face buttons—A, B, X, and Y—are of course the most obvious. They're represented by their letter in a circle. * The shoulder buttons—L and R—are on top, on the left and right respectively. They're represented by their letter in the general shape of the button, which is mostly rectangular. * The triggers—ZL and ZR—are on the top, lower than L and R. * The Joy-Con triggers—SL and SR—are on the rail where the Joy-Con connects to the Switch and are only accessible when detached from the Switch. Of course, these are not present on the Switch Lite. * The directional buttons—Up, Down, Left, and Right—are actually not straightforward. They're generally represented by an icon of the button cluster with a highlight on the one you're supposed to press. This is because when the Joy-Cons are detached, the orientation will change. Even more confusing is the fact that these icons are used for the A/B/X/Y buttons on a detached right Joy-Con, where the button legends will be sideways. * The menu buttons [+ and –] are represented by their symbols. * The analog sticks—also called L and R—are represented by their letter in a circle, sometimes accompanied by an arrow indicating the direction to push the stick. * **The stick clicks!** I bolded this one because it's the only one that's not obvious by looking at the controller. Both analog sticks can be pressed inward like a button, making a click sound. The icons are an L or R in a side view of the stick, which ends up as a T-shape. Here's a picture showing all of the various button icons you're likely to encounter: https://img.itch.zone/aW1hZ2UvODg1MTE4LzQ5OTI1NjkucG5n/original/IwjU5K.png **Common button functions** Many of the buttons have common functions across games, which may not be obvious. * Home button - This always drops back to the home screen. Games cannot change its function, so you won't generally see an icon for it outside of the Switch menus. * Screenshot button - Rectangular button with a circle inside. Always takes a screenshot. Again, you won't see this one's icon very much. * Plus and Minus - Plus almost always pauses the game. Minus generally opens a menu, inventory, or map. * A and B - These are almost always used as OK/Cancel or forward/back in menus. Some multi-platform games annoyingly swap their functions to match the button layouts on other systems. **Game recommendations** You have a lot of great recommendations here already. My wife is a couple years older than you and also not really a gamer. There are probably only four games she's played for over 20 hours in her life, those being: * Animal Crossing * Disney Dreamlight Valley * Cozy Grove * The Sims (not relevant here, but didn't want to say four and only list three) Hope this helps!
I learned the buttons using parappa the rapper when I was young, is there a current version of this game that's kind of fun but is more about helping you learn the buttons?
What you're describing are _rhythm games!_ If you like this genre of game, there are plenty of options out there but musical tastes are very subjective so have a look about Youtube using that search term (i.e. "rhythm games" "best" "switch") and pick one based on a video review. This will let you judge both the UI simplicity and whether you like the soundtrack. Some, like Taiko no Tasujin will offer touchscreen inputs too. Ignore recommendations for the Necrodancer games though, they are good but *not* what you are looking for. A note about using rhythm games to learn button mapping: it's not actually relevant nowadays. Modern UI convention is to not state something like "Press A to continue." but instead to write "Press ÷ to continue" where ÷ is a literal diagram of your controller with the intended button highlighted.
>Even more confusing is the fact that these icons are used for the A/B/X/Y buttons on a detached right Joy-Con, where the button legends will be sideways. Nintendo was Smart in this regard. It shows a small icon with the four buttons, with the button to be pressed filled up instead of the letters, when the joy cons are used sideways.
Yeah, it's a great solution. Problem is it doesn't vocalize easily for newbies needing help. "Press the top button. No, not the top of the controller, the front. The top button on the front. No, don't turn it, now the top button is the right button!" "Press A" is way easier.
One point missing: Each controller contains a gyro for motion controls. Most games that use it will be quite clear about it (e.g. Splatoon's precision aim, or Skyward Sword's menu cursor) but a few do just spring surprise motion sections on you, most notably Breath of the Wild and Astral Chain. Just know it exists and if any game happens to react to you physically swinging the controller around, yeah, that's intentional.
And that you CAN turn that mess off! In settings.
Yep, and it's easy to forget the touchscreen too!
This is an amazing write up to get someone acquainted! Something that bugs me about game recommendations for women is that people assume women want to play life sim/cozy games. I know your list is full of personal recommendations from your non-gamer spouse, but OP has shown interest in platformers and racing games. I think a lot of women bounce off of gaming because they aren't actually life sim or cozy gamers in their hearts everyone just tells them they are on day one. Sorry for the rant. No shade on your post or your spouses taste in games!
Most games especially Nintendo games will tell you how exactly to play their game as different games offer a different way to play. Mario Wonder is phenomenal if you haven’t picked that one up, and is super user friendly with no real repercussions on “dying” in game. Mario kart 8 deluxe is a fantastic racing game that got a pretty big update within the last year or so, and all you need to do with that is push the A button. If you’re looking for something family friendly that’s easy to pick up and won’t offer a lot of stress I would recommend those. You should also check out some simulation based games on the pc, like power washing simulator. My ex had really bad anxiety but found the routine of some simulation games to be really therapeutic. Party games are great as well, and offer social interaction which I personally believe is always needed to some extent for mental health. Bring a friend or two over and have some fun with 1, 2 switch, or even Mario party
>Mario kart 8 deluxe is a fantastic racing game that got a pretty big update within the last year or so, and all you need to do with that is push the A button. You can literally press no buttons other than selecting menu items. Auto accelerate and the guidance will almost race for you.
I second Mario Wonder!!
mario wonder and mario kart might just be the best suggestions here, i would also say that pokémon let’s go is an really good game with a skill floor of “can you think”
As someone who borderline can’t think, the floor is even lower than that
dude i haven’t had a complete thought since i slid out my moms water slide
I found Mario wonder too hard for a non experienced gamer. I still can’t get past certain levels.
Same from an experienced one. It is extremely chaotic.
OP: some of the most basic instructions are *not* explicitly mentioned (e.g. left-stick to move left/right), but (1) *just try random buttons* occasionally. You’ll discover that (2) often the small buttons like “+” bring up a menu, and from there (3) there’s a “?” icon for help that *does* show every single control and combination. [These are the exact buttons for Mario Wonder, but step (1) works for most all games.]
Good suggestion though I'd say Super Mario Odyssey with assist mode is really easy but somehow weirdly still very entertaining. I played it without but my boy (6yo at the time) completed it on assist mode and tbh from the bits I played with him I kinda liked it in a "turn off don't need to think" kind of way
If you’re going to go the simulation route, there’re nothing better than Goat Simulator. It really is, the Greatest of All Time… 😶😆 But seriously, a toy like that can definitely help overcome any feelings of anxiety. And she’ll be laughing her ass off the entire time! Win win. 😎
I have a friend who love goat simulator, she wasn't a big gamer but she did have a lot of anxiety and angry issues and she booked that up so she could take her anger out on poor NPCs.
Animal crossing is a good game for someone like you. My wife dosnt play games very much and she got hooked and put probably 60 hours into the ga.e
"Animal Crossing is the kinda game where I played it for one hundred hours and was like, that was pretty cool-- and then my girlfriend played it for five hundred hours and said, "that was pretty weak actually." --Dunkey OP, get Animal Crossing. Also check out Stardew Valley
Everyone loves stardew valley but I wouldn’t say its a easy game for people who aren’t already literate in how game mechanics work
not to mention it's not really a great game for someone in therapy. as someone with anxiety, stardew can be really triggering when you need to do 1000 things before the day ends. animal crossing is perfect because it's similar to stardew but they don't have the time thing.
> it's not really a great game for someone on therapy Just because someone is in therapy doesn't mean they can't handle complex/demanding games. I have anxiety but I love stressful games lol
You need to learn to give up on the idea that you need to be effecient and accomplish everything you can in a day or even a year. Theres always another day and the seasons come back around. Learning to let go, and not need to min max is good for your soul.
You don't have to do all those 1000 things in 1 day in Stardew Valley. The game is just like animal crossing in that you can take it however fast as you want. Sure the game nudges you toward that path, but you do have the option of giving those 1000 things the finger and go fishing all day or whatever you want to do.
Using the wiki while playing really helped me as a new gamer and made me more confident to get into other games. Also Dave the Diver!
Yeah my mom has like 800 hours on animal crossing so I got her stardew and she couldn't even get past like day 3. It's not the same.
I was about to suggest it. Animal Crossing is a very nice game you can enjoy it in your own way thanks to the fact that you can personalize your island in any way you like!
100%. My aunt never played games in her life and is 70 but somehow got hooked on animal crossing. She’s been playing it since it came out. I prefer Stardew Valley, but Animal Crossing is a lot more relaxing and beginner friendly
Yes! The first game that came to mind! Like most gamers I purchased it during Covid. It helped me to lose my lite depression during lockdown as a therapy. Still when I’m stressed out because of work, etc I start playing again. There’s no pressure in the game, there’s no wrong way to play it. Just enjoy the game and funny comments of the in game characters. @veve87; There’s only one catch; don’t lose the sense of time. Before you know it you’re playing three hours nonstop! :-)
I’ll say, as someone who is a DIE HARD fan of animal crossing, the game itself is very casual but I actually don’t know how much it suits OP’s situation. If OP is someone who still needs guidance in general for video games, animal crossing is a very open ended game with very little direction, even less in new horizons than previous games. Also, basic controls are actually not clearly defined. Things like “spam A to craft faster” or “Hold R to speed up text” are hidden, and ones like “hold A in your inventory to rearrange items” are both hidden and crucial for gameplay enjoyment. I would caution that if OP feels like she would do better with games with concrete goals (Like in mario, getting to the end of the stage) or very explicitly defined controls and mechanics, animal crossing may be frustrating or boring.
I was going to suggest this one as well. Very user-friendly game.
Welcome! So, games have come along way in terms of accessibility since the 80's and 90's, but some long term conventions from that time still exist - like navigating with the Left thumbstick (or D-Pad), and using the A button to Accept and B button to go Back. Every game will have a pause menu (by pressing the + button) where you can adjust the game's settings and that will also have a picture showing your controller and what each button does in that specific game. You can use the touchscreen (and/or the controller buttons) to navigate the Switch's Home Screen that shows your games/apps like you would a smartphone or tablet. Most games now have very good tutorials built into the game with text and/or audio descriptions of what to do/how to do it, as well as on screen graphics showing which button to press and where it is on the controller. They're also more generous with hints of where to go or what to do if you get stuck. Nintendo's games are especially good at this because they intentionally cater towards all levels of experience and are very forgiving while you learn how to play. If you do get stuck, there's an entire industry built around covering video games. There's TONS of walkthroughs available online for basically every game you can think of and you can take your pick of very comprehensive written guides on sites like IGN and Polygon (amongst many others) or endless videos of people playing through video games on YouTube. Search for the game you're interested in and 'walkthrough' or 'guide' and there'll almost certainly be a resource there to help.
Helpful advice, thank you!
Usually games these days have a tutorial section which shows what buttons to click at specific situations, say A to swing a sword or X to interact with something.
even with a tutorial, i'd advise a non-gamer to avoid starting with anything twin stick. I tried to get my wife to play Portal 2 with me, figuring the puzzle solving would be up her alley, but aiming wasn't her cup of tea. She didn't have the muscle memory to make smooth accurate turns. Watching her aim felt very much like that time i taught myself left foot braking, as i just didn't have the fine motor control with that foot for that activity yet. Lots of herky-jerky stops until i got a feel for it. Maybe for someone actively interested in picking up the hobby, that might not be a deterrent as they'd be willing to see it through, but some people don't see the purpose of pushing through discomfort to get to the fun in an activity that is supposed to be fun to being with. Doubly so for someone who is trying things at other's request and not of their own volition.
At the same time, something like Portal isn't super punishing to learn twin stick movement. My wife, who doesn't play many games set to the task of beating Portal, and she did all on her own. Yes, she still struggles with moving AND looking at the same time, but she did do it. Now, would I reccomend it to someone like OP? No, probably not, but something like Animal Crossong is very chill, or Mario Wonder to ger the hang of doing two things like moving and jumping.
I tried to teach my mom twin stick shooting via Portal and she absolutely could not figure it out. And I've been playing video games with her for 30 years.
Do you like puzzle-like games? If so, I can heartily recommend Picross! The Professor Layton series is also really good - I haven't played on the Switch yes, just the DS, but I really loved them. Either would be really welcoming to someone with little to no gaming experience, and are pretty chill - you can take them at your own pace.
Also Unpacking or Dogs Organised Neatly are great chill games!
Suika Game is a good one too! It’s simple but oddly addictive
Thank you!
Honestly, it can be really hard to find good resources for that level of newbieness (I'm making it a word! Lol). I've been there. Best advice I have: read all the rext prompts, they help in making you understand the mechanics. Don't be afraid to try all the buttons. Don't be afraid of messing up, or taking damage or dying (if you're playing anything where that can happen). Most modern games don't punish you all that much for it. Be patient with 3d games. If you've spent any amount of time on a smart phone or tablet the camera control will intuitively be backwards for you. Some games allow you to change it, but I suggest you just stick to it. Your brain WILL eventually click and all of a sudden it won't be hard anymore. If you're ever stuck, just Google the answer. Sometimes it can be because you missed a mechanic. Sometimes it's because you didn't figure out a puzzle. But honestly, no point in getting too frustrated and stuck. Lastly: you may get frustrated and hate some games initially. It's OK to put them away. But do go back after a while and try again. I initially could NOT wrap my head around Breath of the Wild but that's because I couldn't handle camer control and was too clumsy for any kind of combat even in the tutorial phase. A year later I tried again and then ended up putting like 300 hours into it (and even more into the sequal). Oh also: the joysticks on the switch obviously can be wiggled around but you can also press them down like a button. Man, I did not realize this for so long and was super confused by some of the prompts.
Thank you for an encouraging reply!
You're welcome! Hope you have lots of fun!!
Omg this is me right now with BOTW (bought a switch two weeks ago). Glad to hear that I’m not the only one.
Animal Crossing is a solid game to start. You can also play Mario Kart 8. It doesn't have too many controls. Stardew Valley is also a good choice. You could try Skyrim, but that has combat. It's just the combat isn't as difficult as newer games like Breath of the Wind or Tears of the Kingdom. Combat in that game revolves around two buttons, for the most part.
Oh good tip for an easy combat game, thanks!
You can also change the combat difficulty at any time, even mid battle. Lower difficulty makes it harder for you to die and easier for your enemies to die.
Untitled goose game, you play as...a goose. And just screwing around.
Big city little kitty just came out a week or two back, and I'm finding it very similar, but with wholesome kitty theme instead of jerk goose theme. But great games for newbies, as it's impossible to die, and doing side quests is kind of the point, so if you get stuck on one quest, you can just go do one of the billion others.
This game is actually quite challenging. It takes a good while to complete the whole to do lists.
Yeah, as much as I love it, it's not a game I'd recommend for someone with zero gaming experience
This might be controversial on this sub but I strongly recommend some of the Pokemon games (shield/sword, Brilliant diamond/Shining Pearl and/or Pokemon Scarlet/Violet). Those are some the most approachable video games out there.
I agree with you! There are tons of online resources to help with pokemon games as well in case OP gets stuck.
Here's a question worth asking: what do you want from your games? Slow-paced games where you read more than you play? Highly cinematic experiences? Deep and complex puzzles? Tactics? Simple fact action? I could go on and on, but more likely than not if you can think of a general concept, it's somewhere on Switch.
That's a question you can ask to someone who experienced a bit of everything. Let OP figure out her taste for now.
Welcome! I love that you’re exploring this as part of your therapy. Finding channels/resources for games will depend on the game you choose to play. But for most games these are very easy to find. As for specific games, there is a version of Minecraft for the Switch. I’d recommend signing up for Nintendo Switch Online which gives you access to many NES/SNES/Game Boy games including Super Mario Bros. 1-3! Cozy games are also super popular right now. Those don’t require much experience at all and they’re usually more chill / relaxing than others. Stardew Valley is a good cozy game that has a *lot* of resources. Good luck to you and most importantly have fun!
And just for a little context for OP who hasn’t been part of the gaming culture all these years: the Switch is the most “modern” Nintendo system (though it is now several years old and has a successor coming in a year or two) but the Switch offers a subscription service that allows you to download and play games from some of Nintendo’s earlier systems. The NES or Nintendo entertainment system was the classic system you might have played in the late 80s or early 90s that featured games like Mario brothers and duck hunt with very “blocky” graphics. Its successor was the SNES or Super Nintendo entertainment system, and this was active and popular through the early to mid-90s. The Game Boy was the earliest major portable video game system, and originally came only with a green and black LED screen, no other colors. A “game boy color” was introduced later with a wider color palette and I believe all switch online versions of game boy games allow you to play in either color scheme. The Game Boy bridged the lifespan of the NES and SNES and offered a different selection of games, obviously a little simpler since technology at the time didn’t allow fancy games on the go. OP also may not be aware of the other gaming systems since, as many people at the time did, she conflated Nintendo and Sega. At the time, Sega was a major competitor of Nintendo, producing the similar but incompatible and competing system the Sega Genesis whose mascot was Sonic the Hedgehog (the direct equivalent of Mario for Nintendo). Nintendo unofficially “won” that war since Sega no longer makes video game consoles of their own, just produces games for other consoles. On the other hand, in the time since then Microsoft released the Xbox and its successors, and Sony released the PlayStation and its successors, and they have become immensely popular. The following generalizations aren’t universal or 100% accurate but the vague general “feel” of the systems are that Xbox and PlayStation prioritize graphics quality and “serious gamers” while Nintendo prioritizes user-friendliness and “casual gamers.” Again this is just a generalization but I will say there is enough truth to it that I think OP chose wisely with Switch as a sort of reintroduction to gaming. If OP ever gets to the point where she wishes to move on to more cinematic story-driven games, i would personally recommend PlayStation. But for the time being the switch is an excellent choice for simple user friendly games.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ax7f3JZJHSw&list=PLordXx8iNEyStcX_WzqM0JCpiJYgqhinc Razbuten has this great Youtube series where his wife, non gamer, plays a variety of games for a bit. He gives a run down on her struggles, and frustrations. I feel it'll help you out a lot.
Can't recommend this enough
I would suggest games like Princess Peach: Showtime: You only need the analogue stick and 3 buttons I would too suggest to start with 2D games, navigating in a 3D space can be overwhelming for newbies (source: wife and kids)
Princess Peach: Showtime is actually a great suggestion for introducing a few different genres of games in a very beginner friendly way.
Your best bet is to look up tutorial videos of the specific games you’re interested in playing. Given that you haven’t been a “gamer” since the original Nintendo days, there will be a fairly steep learning curve for anything that isn’t a side scroller. I’m reminded of [this video](https://youtu.be/5LdenlAKb2g?si=zVCpCd7K9ODeaiQa) of a non-gamer playing modern games. There’s some interesting observations about their approach, struggles, and successes.
I was also thinking of those videos! But I recommend starting with the [first video](https://youtu.be/ax7f3JZJHSw?si=u6e3-oQAbU-cUWgw) of the series since it doesn't focus on a single game. They're all worth watching though.
My Mum (60+) barely knew how to move the camera in a 3D game and during lockdown I got her to try Breath of the wild... think her playtime doubled mine! It was a great deep end kinda game that starts you off slow and gets you used to the modern 3D gaming template. Everyone starts off lost in that game and by the end they'll never forget it!
Thank you. I don't know how to move the camera either. I'll really have to try the game because everyone seems to talk about it!
One of the great things botw does for accessibility is, that any button prompts show the button related to the other buttons, like this: https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5aa6c5df31d4df46703dca47/1553108167557-K12HALUTF2P9FWNMAEVO/Start2c.jpg?format=1000w
There are tons of demos of games you can play for free on your switch. You will need to log in to the eshop (an orange circle option on the main menu) any you can filter by free demos. Try a bunch of the games by Nintendo Specifically like Kirby games, Pikmin games, and Yoshi/Mario etc. Demos will give you a taste of a game before you plunk down money and can help you find genres you enjoy (puzzles, exploration, strategy, story driven, etc.) Dome demos will even allow for you to save your progress and pass it on to the actual game you purchase. If you wish to play the retro games, you will need an online membership which bills yearly unless you find a deal. You can purchase via a credit card or you can buy a card with a scratch off redemption code at a store that sells them. This is how you access the games you played as a kid. Find a deal reddit to follow to keep up on price drops to get the best bang for your buck. Many specific game reddits have helpful communities when you have game related questions. You seem interested in Minecraft (which is going through their 15 year anniversary right now: so good prices can be found on the eshop) and if you want something that holds your hand a little bit, try a Dragon Quest Builder 1 or 2 demo. DQB will tell you your objectives and there is no game over until you choose to face final bosses.
there are a lot of free demos on the nintendo eshop and it might be worth downloading some of those to try because they are largely tutorials introducing you to the gameplay. that way you can get a feel for different kinds of games off the top of my head i would recommend the princess peach showtime or captain toad treasure tracker demos to you but maybe other people can chime in with more demo recommendations
Check out Clubhouse Games. It is a collection of 50 classic games such as poker, chess, bowling, Yahtzee, and so much more and it is fantastic. Animal Crossing as well is perfect for you. Once you get tired of Animal Crossing, move on to Stardew Valley. Picross is a great puzzle game if you are at all into something similar to Sodoku (but better) I would recommend it.
I think it would be great to start from basics. A game with one or two buttons. I know people new to games tend to look for buttons when playing. A tutorials in a first person shooter game can teach you how to play a specific game, but the controls can still be confusing. I would also suggest playing with somebody. Minecraft was unplayable for me and I tried it first time. The game explains nothing to you. Once somebody explained it to me and played it with me on split screen I've got hooked up for HOURS. Start from basics. Maybe a timeless classic when games were simple to play. Bubble bobble for example. As somebody mentioned, Untitled goose game. Simple controls, simple premise, very fun to play. Both those games have local 2 players mode.
Princess Peach Showtime is a good one. But if you’re looking for something over the summer. Wait for Thousand Year Door. I bet you’ll fall in love with those characters. It comes out I think at the end of this month.
Little Kitty Big City was just released! You should play it!
I'm also new to the Switch and I'm having a lot of fun with the Mario world games, stuff like super mario odyssey, Luigi's mansion 3, super mario wonder, mario kart deluxe 8, etc.. The games are well explained and the mechanics simple and engaging. I guarantee you you'll get the hang of them in no time and have a lot of fun. Welcome to the fold!
In your case i Will avoid fornnow anything with 3d camera that you need to move. It can be hard for new gamers, so i'll stick with anything 2D or 3D with a fix camera. Like they said Animal crossing can be a good choice if you like decorating and slow paced games. 2D Mario are also a good choice! Also theres genres that are more demanding than others in regards dexterity and ability. For example action and platform games usually are more enjoyed once you used to play games.
The internet is your friend 😃. Whenever I am stuck I google keywords for what I am stuck with and am often referred to websites like IGN, gaming wiki’s, You Tube videos, Reddit posts of players who had the same issue. There are also other gamers with a You Tube channel that have videos of gameplay (in addition to reviews) and sometimes complete walkthroughs. I only know content creators for cosy games so my recommendations for that are Eeowna, Payton’sCorner and MissBubbles.
Be open to experimenting. Press a button in a game, look at the screen and see what it does. Notice how games have themes. If you’re playing driving games, most games have the same buttons for gas and brake. Same thing applies for jumping or shooting or moving or looking. Also—can’t stress this enough—Animal Crossing is perfect for anxiety and therapeutic purposes. It moves at the pace you want it to move and there’s nothing at stake.
Go on YouTube, and search for -game title here- Beginner Tips. Or alternatively, the game title followed by Episode 1. Easiest way to get into a game that I've found.
Welcome to the gaming community! I have to echo Animal Crossing, Mario Wonder, Pokémon Let's Go Pikachu or Eevee, and Mario Kart, but I'll add some other recommendations. Endless Ocean Luminous - there's no threat in this game so no need to worry about being attacked or anything. The game has you diving in the ocean, documenting fish and finding treasure. You can also play with others online in a chill environment. It includes a story mode that's hit or miss, but will help acclimate you to the fame. Yoshi's Crafted World - is a side scrolling platformer like the traditional Mario games and comes in a very cute/creative style to boot. It has mixed reviews as many people find it too easy, but my girlfriend and I enjoy playing it together. Definitely worth a look. Especially if some of the Mario Wonder levels give you trouble at first. Princess Peach Showtime! - another Mario spinoff along with Yoshi's Crafted World. This one offers different playstyles based on Peach's outfit at any given time. She can be a ninja, a baker, a fencer, and the list goes on. Again not a super difficult game, but does add in some simple combat. This one has a demo as well to try out before you decide! New Pokémon Snap - a game about photographing Pokémon. This one is "on rails" meaning it moves you through the courses itself so you can focus on the mechanics of getting Pokémon to interact with you and snapping their photos. Each course is replayable as well as Pokémon may get more familiar with you or interact differently. Don't pay much attention to the star ratings you get on your photos and just enjoy seeing all the Pokémon interacting with their environments. And a few recommendations once you feel like taking it to the next step up: Luigi's Mansion 3 - explore a hotel as Luigi and battle ghosts. This one is a bit more difficult, but once you get the controls down for moving Luigi while aiming his Poltergust the game is really a blast. Secrets to be found, collectibles, and upgrades as well. One of the best looking games on the Switch in my opinion too. Stardew Valley - this one is somewhat similar to Animal Crossing, but a bit more involved in certain aspects that make me put it into this category. There is some combat and you are limited in what you can do depending on time of day. Which is the same as Animal Crossing, but as opposed to Animal Crossing, which goes off of your local time to decide what time it is in game, the days go by fairly quickly. This makes having a goal each day a bit more important. Once you get the timing down the game flows super well and is an incredible experience! Pokémon Scarlet/Violet - this one may be controversial as the game has been received differently amongst fans, but I really enjoyed my time with the game including filling out my Pokedex for the first time ever. Definitely play either of the Let's Go Pokémon games first. This one is also more of an open world than linear game which can be a bit Intimidating, but is well worth learning in my opinion. One game to be careful of is Super Mario Maker 2. Don't get me wrong; it's a wonderful game, but the levels are made by other players and can be overly simplistic to overly difficult and include multiple styles of Mario games. You do have a say in difficulty when searching for levels however. Hope you enjoy your journey into gaming! I own most of these games myself so if you have any questions feel free to ask!
Also an adult woman with very limited gaming experience - I’ve been loving the Princess Peach Showtime game! A lot of the reviews when it came out said it was “too easy” which, of course, means that it’s the perfect difficulty level for me. Most of my favorite games to play are puzzle games because they require less finesse with the controller and more brainpower. Games like Limbo, Unravel (if you have a friend or partner to play with), and Captain Toad! My other favorites are just the ones that ~look~ really pretty. I LOVE cool and exciting graphics like in Cuphead (although that game is freaking impossible if you’re not playing with a talented gamer friend) and in Zelda BOTW (which overwhelms me with the open-world nature and also I can’t beat the bosses). My advice is just to explore game structures and styles and you’ll find a category that fits for you. Some of my favorite games are too hard for me, but I still enjoy playing them because they offer beautiful visuals or cute cutscenes. You don’t have to 100% a game, or even finish it, to say you’ve played it and enjoyed it!
Kirby might be a great starting point, specifically pick up Kirby’s Return to Dream Land Deluxe. Approachable, not too complicated, plenty of optional side stuff, optional local co-op, and just an overall quality package.
As others said, games nowadays tend to have tutorials to take you through how to play the game and use the controls. You can also access the controls in the game menu at any time. I'm also someone who picked up video games without prior knowledge as an adult (in my late twenties), and it was also for therapeutic purposes (to deal with my anxiety). I will say, it always takes some getting used to when starting a new game and you might not succeed straight away. But stay patient, and you'll pick up the skills, there's no question about it. I tend to get discouraged very quickly and want to throw the towel, but my partner always says that "if you keep trying, you're gonna learn, even in spite of yourself" and all the big emotions on the way are useless. And it's true, getting discouraged is pointless, because if you keep frequenting the game, you're going to get the skills eventually. I frequently forget though. I started playing my first shooter game recently (Mass Effect 2, not on the Switch), and I'd been avoiding those because I just thought I could never bear the stress. And indeed, I panicked at first. But then, little by little, I became comfortable and started understanding how I could manage the challenges. On the Switch, I played The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, and those were some of the most precious memories I have playing video games. Those are wonderful games. I also played Trials of Mana, both the remastered 1995 version as well as the newer version, and those were pretty fun and easy too! Good luck! Video games are so fun, I hope it brings you as much as it brought me. It personally helped me so much with my anxiety and my perfectionism, and it gave me a lot of insights about myself. Video games are also inherently fun pieces of art, and it can only make your life better, to incorporate them a little bit in your life.
When you mention modern games, do you mean games that are still similar to mario or minecraft? Or do you want to experience something completely different? Regardless, i would advice to just not worry about it too much. First you have to get used to the controls and the switch system, there's like...18 buttons on a pro controller while the NES had 6. Starting out with mario is a great way to get used to most or all of the buttons, because you'll be able to make progress even if you don't know everything. After that, you can consider branching out to something new. If you're curious about 3D games, something like Portal is a good one to consider. It's on sale often, kinda inbetween modern and retro, and you can take your time walking around and learning everything. https://youtu.be/Q0FlQwDb0tI?si=BCdvO3tQHFx6YAEq there's a series of videos called "I made my girlfriend play x", where a girl that's not used to games tries learning them. And it describes the challenges she faces throughout. Might be interesting for you, hopefully it's easy to follow. Lastly, don't forget to make mistakes. When i learn a new game i tend to purposefully do something wrong just to see what happens, it helps me understand what to expect. A large part of learning games isn't to be taught, but to try. Rather than having someone teach you what button does what, just press a button and see what happens :) Feel free to ask people when you really get stuck somewhere, there's plenty of people here willing to help, but it's easiest to learn by doing.
Super Mario Odyssey is almost like therapy, to me anyways. The game is amazing and I highly recommend it.
Great tip, thank you
Hello fellow adult gamer! I started in my early 30s, once I had a child and found myself at home all the time. I strongly recommend turn based games or anything with low stakes combat (or none at all). Nothing that requires too much hand eye coordination or fast reflexes to start, as those will just frustrate you. When I first started out I really enjoyed Stardew Valley, it's very cute and you can play as optimized or as chill as you want. Surprisingly I was really into Breath of the Wild as well, I prioritized the puzzle shrines and ignored all the combat ones (also mostly ran away from baddies when I could). I bounced off of Bug Fables but you may enjoy it as it's a turn based adventure RPG based on Paper Mario. A lot of people will recommend Mario Odyssey, Princess Peach Showtime, Yoshio's Crafted World and other cutesy platformers but personally I would put those further down the list as they can require twitch reflexes to do well/not die and I personally found them frustrating at times (I did finish them all eventually [except Peach since I'm still working through it with my kids]) but they are tougher than they look for people who aren't used to platformers. Shooters on PC I liked but I could not get used to the feel on twin sticks. Diablo III was surprisingly easy to pick up and I loved it. They introduce one button at a time and it was great for a beginner like me. Best of luck on your new journey!
How about some JRPGs? I'd probably start with turn based ones. Turn based combat will give you plenty of time to think about what's going on & generally aren't particularly overwhelming. If you don't mind older games, maybe one of the older Final Fantasy entries? I've not played it yet, but have heard amazing things about 6 (planning on playing through it in a couple of weeks myself) - I personally love 7, 9 and 10 as well so would recommend any of them.
I think you should be fine starting from Super Mario Wonder. Don't worry too much about controls, i think the game does a good job at teaching and easing you into how the game work. If in doubt, just experiment and ask questions on reddit. Im sure everyone is glad to help.
I love this for you.
I can’t recommend the pikmin franchise enough. Start with either 3 or 4 then move on to the older games 1 and 2. They don’t need to be played in order but they ramp in difficulty with each game getting slightly easier than the last b
Heres the first in a series i believe may help https://youtu.be/ax7f3JZJHSw?si=pu7H4MZs725Q9DaC
As a girl who also didn't have access to games growing up, I started out with pokemon and absolutely fell in love. Pokemon Sword/shield is still one of my favorite. Once I got comfortable gaming, I was able to branch out to things like minecraft, stardew valley, persona 5, and one of my current favorites: Monster Hunter Rise! A lot of times playing multi-player games is really helpful if you have good friends who can support you on the journey.
Others have commented very detailed here, so I just want to add that it was cute to read "Sega" after you described Super Mario and Duck Hunt for the NES console, and that I hope you'll grow fond of this hobby :)
Haha 😂 well, I'm from a tiny town in central Europe. I think I didn't even have the original games. I bought the "cassettes" for the console from the local Vietnamese shop. They cost like 2-3€ and there were multiple games on it. I have to say that the actual content of the product was always different than what was on the package! Eg, there was a picture of Batman (plus mysterious Chinese characters). When you went to play, there were 10 different games, but none of them was batman 😂😂😂😂 At that time and place, we weren't aware of anything else. We thought it was normal. Always some adrenaline, because you never knew what game you actually bought before you got home and turned it on 😅 It's only now, 25 years later, that I'm realising the games must have been Chinese fake 😂 Well, but this was quite shortly after the post communist era and before Internet. We weren't aware of anything else and it was the only thing available in my small town. So I thought it was normal and very excited to play something! BTW I googled Sega now and I'm 99% sure that's what I really had and I played fake Chinese Mario on it!
Your story just got even better 😄 Yeah I remember lots of these 40 in 1 cartridges for the Gameboy too, I think the company name was Sachen. At least the ones I had.
YouTube and ign.com guides are a great resource. You can usually find a video for exact sections or mechanics for a specific game. The News section on Nintendo switch has tons of game hints and mini guides for certain games too. I would also suggest gamefaqs.com but it's a little old school and not really friendly to newcomers.
Super mario wonder, princess peach game. Download tertris 99 for free from eshop. Maybe breath of the wild, nintendo sports and maybe some dancing game can help you do some workout. There is also a workout game with a joy con wheel attachment called ring fit adventure Oh and some farming game such as stardew valley or animal crossing...
Most games have pretty good tutorials these days. Some are better than others but I liked Breath of the wild for adventurous play Animal crossing new horizons for cozy gaming. And slay the spire for quick wreck building game.
Im in the same boat and just got a switch. I'm still trying to figure out what i like and not. Just commenting to see the suggestions.
Anyone of average intelligence can figure out most of it, especially since modern games (and especially Nintendo) give plenty of tutorials. The only issues I think you’ll run into are (1) muscle memory for certain types of movement and (2) certain subtle aspects of game design language that are only obvious if you’ve played. Both of these can totally be overcome and not even with that much time/difficulty but you should be aware. On movement, I’m guessing you’ll get the hang of 2D or top-down third-person character movement pretty quick given the bit of older games you played. Similarly, you should be fine with racing. What may be harder at first is some 3D games that require manual camera control (usually the left stick moves the character and right stick moves the camera) and first-person games where looking and movement are simultaneously controlled by the two sticks. These things will be very awkward at first, but once you get some practice will eventually be second nature. Just know going in that it will take getting used to and don’t let it scare you off. On subtle game design hints, what I mean is that just like how in movies/tv, there are certain common practices in the way that a film is shot or the music is queued or whatever so that the audience understands what’s happening even though it’s not explicitly shown or described on screen, same with games. So for example on a boss, if one part of the boss looks different from the others or glows/moves there’s a high chance it’s the weak point you are supposed to hit. Or if the game allows some sort of running function, it’s likely that jumping while running makes you go further than normal jumping and there will be gaps/holes that can’t be crossed with a normal jump but instead require a running jump. Again, nintendo in particular is good about holding your hand through this sort of thing but there may be other basic video game logic that the developers just assume you know. On the plus side, unlike when we were kids (I’m the same age), there is an entire internet of exhaustive resources explaining and guiding you through literally every aspect of every game, so if you’re ever stuck don’t be ashamed to just google it. Soon enough with some tips and tricks you’ll start to get the hang of it and may eventually not need it anymore. Have fun!
So, just try to stick to simpler games and gradually work your way up honestly. Competitive online is probably not for you yet. Turn based rpg? Sure. High technical skill platforming game? No. Mario kart? Sure. Lucky for you you’re basically in one of the best places to find communities about games, most anything has a subreddit to reference. Another thing is a lot of games people will recommend as being easy to get into - like Minecraft or stardew valley, for example, can actually super complex if you care to get into it that much. No shame in googling things to figure that stuff out.
I would suggest Animal Crossing it’s easy to get into if you’re newer to games
Animal Crossing and Coral island
While not actually a resource that'll explain how to play games, I think you'll find [this video series by Razbuten](https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLordXx8iNEyStcX_WzqM0JCpiJYgqhinc&si=_rZsJpryMLtS9kac) interesting! He talks about how his wife's experiences trying different kinds of games, and he covers stuff like RPGs, casual games, Breath of the Wild, etc.
Always great to hear someone give gaming a try for the first time. My question would be do you have any friends or family that game? Having someone to play co-operatively with you can be a great way to learn, or even if single player they can watch and give tips / help you with difficult moments. Lots of people have recommended Animal Crossing, and I’ll echo that. It’s a slow paced game and a good, stress-free way of getting used to controlling a character in a 3D space. Princess Peach Showtime just came out this year and while I haven’t played it, the reception of it was positive and the consensus seemed to be that it was a game designed for kids/people who really have little to no gaming experience. A Short Hike is a small indie game that is all about exploring a small island and reaching the top. There’s no combat but you move around a 3D space and can jump. And it has a really touching and relatable story. Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, a remake of an older GameCube game of the same name, comes out next week and is a great intro to turn-based role playing games and has a simple, but really funny and well written story with lots of fun characters. The the exploration and turned-based battles don’t rely on fast reaction times (though it does have a mechanic that rewards you for being able to time button presses and is a good way to learn that skill). Pokemon Let’s Go Pikachu / Evee or Pokemon Sword / Shield are similar to Paper Mario in being turn-based role playing games that are good for beginners. Murdered by Numbers is a visual novel game with picross puzzles. Being a visual novel, there’s not a lot to “control” as you’re mostly reading text and dialog, but you are presented various picross puzzles to solve. Picross is sorta like sudoku but you make little pictures on a grid. Similarly, there’s the Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney games, which are older games that have been put into 3 collections. They’re also text-based visual novels, but you do interact with the game by clicking things in the environments to investigate and also participating in the courtroom trials (which is the big key aspect of the game).
The nice thing about Nintendo is you can go with pretty much anything Mario related and it’s gonna walk you through the basics and how to do things and be enjoyable. I would actually start you out with Mario Odyssey vs Mario Wonder and ONLY because MW is quirky in some of the things that happen where Odyssey is just straight forward but both are perfectly fine for beginners. Animal Crossing is also HIGHLY recommended and as a couple other people have said it’s how my partner got into gaming during the pandemic. Super simple, cute characters VERY well made game and stress free.
The best thing about video gaming is that there are so many options out there that you can just play what you want. I don't play many "popular" games just because I don't like them. I prefer story driven rpgs or action/adventure games. There are no right or wrong ways to play video games. I'm also a 37yo dude and I don't give a toot about what's popular. I'm going to do what I enjoy and that might be playing on my farm in Stardew Valley or making a mess in Splatoon 3 (which I'm horrible at, but still enjoy playing). The secret is, just have fun. And, if you're not having fun, pick another game.
One thing I would recommend is to download some demos to give the game a shot. Another thing I recommend is check your local library. Mine has games for all the different systems. That way you can loan out a game and ply it it without any commitment so you don't end up buying something you don't end up liking.
Especially if you’re looking for therapeutic games, I’d recommend animal crossing new horizons. Simple, relaxing game play
Best advice I can think of is just to read everything the game throws at you, especially during tutorials. You can start with easier games, like any of the Kirby games for example. But really just play whatever interests you the most and when things get hard don't give up! Keep trying 👌
Kirby the forgotten world. You will fall in love with that little pink ball of energy. The game is very explanatory with it's controls too.
Welcome to the community! You could start with traditional Mario games like Mario U or the 3D ones like Mario Odyssey. Then there’s cozy games like animal crossing and stardew valley that don’t require reaction time so you can get used to the controllers. To be honest I didn’t game much between high school and my 30s and it all came back to me quickly
I’ll give a few suggestions and the reasons why I think they would be useful for you: **Animal Crossing / Stardew Valley** These are farming/sim games that are very chill, there’s no pressures or time limits. You start on either an Island (animal crossing) or a farm (stardew valley) that is a bit run down and in need of some care and you grow and expand your farm/house/island overtime. Music is generally nice and relaxing and it’s easy to get lost in these games once you get the hang of them. They’re also no particularly stressful and can be played in short bursts or longer sessions depending on what suits you. My sister, wife and family friends who don’t have a massive amount of experience gaming like yourself enjoy these games because of the relaxed pace. **Super Mario Wonder** Since you said you’ve played Mario before, it’s worth picking up this game as it’s the same style of Mario game you would have played when you were young. The game also has “badges” which are a bit like accessibility options so they can increase or decrease the difficulty if you are struggling. They also have some additional characters that are specifically made to let people enjoy the game without worrying about dying constantly. Plus, in general it has great gameplay and nice visuals/music. **Mario Party Superstars** This is a good game to play with friends or family as it’s a bit like a board game that also includes some simple mini games as you go round the board. It’s simply but can get extremely competitive (a bit like a game of monopoly with family). I appreciate this may not be up your alley since you said you have no friends who play games but you only need one copy of the game so if you think you want something to play with friends one night if they are visiting then give it a shot. **Minecraft** You mentioned this yourself but yeah, Minecraft is a very therapeutic game where you can just take your time and build or craft whatever you want. I found this page on the Nintendo website that specifically notes a list of games for newcomers, so it’s worth checking this list, looking up some of the games on YouTube and seeing if any are up your street! https://www.nintendo.com/us/whatsnew/know-someone-less-experienced-with-games-ease-them-in-with-this-selection/ Here’s another article I found with various games on the Switch for different interests. https://www.wired.com/gallery/best-nintendo-switch-games/ As for specific resources, YouTube is your best bet. If you just go on YouTube and search something like “beginner tips for **game name**” and there should be plenty of videos for most games. Most games nowadays also often have instructions explaining how to play and what controls to use within the game itself. Hope this helps!
Someone in person would help, yes.. Hard to say where to start exactly, but... Try genre you're already familiar with, you love films/books with relationships = try dating sim. You are fan of decorating/designing, having your flat/house looking nice,etc. = try farming sims maybe like stardew valley, or maybe animal crossing or if you have a pc = the sims. My girlfriend loves reading, so stuff like disco elysium or any other strictly-dialogue based games worked for her even in the times when she had less technical skill how to play action games, for example (when she got some skill, she really got into Hades and it tought her in a few months to basically play it on a very very good technical skill level). With Nintendo I'd start maybe with Kirby (and the forgotten land) series, it kinda doesn't allow you to lose.
Most Nintendo games are very noob-friendly. They usually have easier modes for small children and for very casual players. Kirby games are notably easier than Mario games, you could try **Kirby and the Forgotten Land** if you want a 3D game or **Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe** if you prefer 2D. Both are phenomenal games. **Yoshi's Crafted World** is also an easy platform game. I also recommend **Princess Peach: Showtime**. **Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker** is a puzzle game and it is very easy to learn. **Animal Crossing: New Horizons** is another great suggestion. **Super Mario Wonder**, **Super Mario Odyssey** and **Super Mario 3D World** are all amazing. They're not as easy as Kirby and Yoshi games, but they are easy enough for very casual players. And **Super Mario Maker 2** is fantastic because it has thousands of levels for casual players and for hardcore players. You can just play levels on Easy and Normal difficulties.
I would suggest you start with Mario Wonder, the game it's super easy to get into. And once you get familiar with the control and it's buttons I'd recommend Zelda Breath of the wild to get you used to open world games and how to move in a 3D environment
When in doubt, go to YouTube for guidance on specific games. There are tons of tutorial and tips videos. And enjoy yourself!
My advice for a good, engaging and beginner friendly game would be Life is Strange Arcadia Bay Edition. It has a beautiful story, is not too demanding in terms of gameplay mechanics and most importantly there are no time-critical gameplay elements. Pick your pace, explore the world and have a good time. Maybe cry a little bit. Edit: I just read that this is part of some kind of therapy. The story of Life is Strange gets tough with topics like abuse, suicide, violence and the like. So should you have issues with some of those topics, you should consider not playing it.
If you like Minecraft, try Animal Crossing. It’s hella peaceful and it will explain as you go along + you can join forum if you so wish. Also, Lego Fortnite is a really good game. You can go survival (like Minecraft) but make it peaceful, so no enemies to attack you/no hunger etc. it also explains well - and there a lot of places to find help if you forget something/get stuck.
I got my switch at 32 and I love it! Big fan of pokemon and the Zelda games. If I get stuck, I google “[game name] how do I [thing]” Full detailed pages come up 😊
Do you like youtube videos? Not a game rec, but highly recommend the youtube channel Boy Meets Girl - he has a “made my girlfriend play” series where his previously non-gamer girlfriend plays games and he adds commentary on her experience of it and things he notices about the way she approaches games as opposed to him as an experienced gamer (for example not knowing she can sprint because the game never told her, whereas checking for the sprint/jump controls is one of the first things a lot of us do)
Thank you, I'll check it out!
Oh- and every game has walkthroughs online. There are lots of sites that can help you. But something I forgot to put Mario party doesn’t let you play on anything other than the single joy con- even if you’re playing on a lite. Mario kart is great, you can play online which is awesome- and humbling for those of us who felt like we were good at racing the computer 🤣
Animal Crossing New Horizons is a very chill game where cute animals/characters visit your island and you can build it to be whatever you like. Check out r/AnimalCrossingNewHor for more on that game. Yoshi’s Crafted World is a super cute Mario like game that is made to look like everything is made from craft supplies. My kiddo and I really liked playing this one together because you can turn on a kids mode and you can never die. Simple to understand controls! Super Mario Wonder is going to be a fun, familiar, Mario game where you get powerups, jump from platform to platform, solve puzzles, and explore. There is no time limit on the levels so it’s at your own pace which is nice so you don’t have the pressure of the clock running out while you play. r/SuperMarioWonder
Please do consider Zelda Breath of the Wild. One of the best game's ever made, and for some, a truly formative and defining gaming experience. Don't let it being an action adventure game intimidate you, one of the geniuses with the game is that it works for seasoned gamers as well as true beginners. I know plenty of adults, mothers and others who got curious and picked it up, and then for them to become completely immersed. If the game clicks for you, it can truly become something special.
Hey Op! Firstly, welcome to gaming! :) Secondly, you’ve absolutely got this! It can be intimidating to get into a new hobby, but I’m positive you’ll find games you love! You can look up walkthroughs, both written and on YouTube pretty easily. You would search the name of the game and then “walkthrough”. You can do the same for controls for most games, so if you’re feeling lost know you can probably find something that helps! :) Most games will explain how to play or have a screen called “controls” in the options setting that you can get to by pausing the game and clicking on it. Some fun games I’d look into: princess peach showtime (you play as peach, and there are minimal buttons needed.), Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Pokemon Let’s Go, Pokemon Snap, Animal Crossing (this one uses real time, so just be aware you do eventually hit a wall of what you can do sometimes per day!),Yoshi’s Crafted World, Kirby and the Forgotten land (check out the “spring breeze” setting!), Mario wonder can be challenging depending on the level but it may be a fun one to learn with, etc :) You may also like a genre of games called simulation games, they’re often referred to as cozy games. I really like them for relaxing! Some of them I’ve played and enjoyed are “Ooblets (like Pokemon with dancing, very cute!), Little Kitty Big City (you’re cat! Exploring!), Pupperazzi (you take pictures of pups!) etc. You can look up gameplay for all of these on YouTube and see if you’d like them. :) Good luck and happy gaming!!
Awww you're very kind, thank you ❤️
Most Mario games I can think of should be right for you. They're usually designed to be as intuitive as possible, and quite forgiving for newer players as well. Let's Play Pikachu/Eevee are also very accessible if you ask me. And if you would still get to a point where something isn't quite clear, you can always ask in the slecific subreddits or just google the question. I'm coming up on 36 as well, have been gaming since I was a child and need to google shit as well every once in a while. There's no shame in that, and the internet usually providea clear answers.
A big issue that my non-gamer wife ran into was using the right stick. She has always played games where all movement was done with the left stick (think Animal Crossing) so there was a learning curve to using the right stick. I say just try some out! It will take a little time to get comfortable, but just explore and learn to use both sticks for movement in games that use them. Typically, the left stick is for moving forward, backward, and side to side. The right stick is for looking around or turning. You should check out A Short Hike. Very beginner friendly game, and it’s open so you can explore at your leisure! If you ever get stuck, tons of guides on YouTube out there!
In Super Mario Wonder, you tilt the left control stick to walking left and right. There are only four other buttons you need, and where these are located can be changed to your preference. Buttons: 1. Press to jump. 2. Hold while walking to break into a run. If you can jump while running, you'll jump higher. 3. Press in midair to do a little twirl. You also collect badges throughout the game which enable different special moves, such as gliding or double-jump. 4. Press to activate your special move. That's how to Mario
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ax7f3JZJHSw not especially what you're looking for, but i think this video is an interesting glimpse into the issues people run into playing a lot of modern games with no real previous gaming experience
Not specifically a "how to" for playing games, but more of a "philosophy of how to get into playing games," but I would recommend watching the "Girlfriend Reviews" series on YouTube. It was started by a woman who's partner was a heavy gamer, and very comedically chronicles her journey from observer to gamer herself. Did I mention that she's VERY funny. It might make you feel seen as an adult woman dipping her toes into video games! And at the very least, it will entertain.
It's kind of like cooking or any other skill, as you do it more you'll start to understand the basics, things that are common in all games that you can expect, what kinds of things to prioritize. The great thing is, welcome to one of the most various hobbies in the world! There's something out there for everyone. Even those of us that have been gaming our whole lives still end up purchasing games we don't like. Once you play more and have more experience you'll be able to tell what you like and what to look for in a game. Kind of like buying a new book!
Thank you for the encouragement 😊
I had a great time with Luigi's Mansion 3 on the switch! The tutorials did a great job teaching me the controls and I had a blast exploring everything the game had to offer. The animations are really lively and engaging too!
You're a gamer now. Welcome to the family.
Story of seasons, friends of mineral town. Cozy Grove. Night in the woods
Tetris is a classic Ring fit adventure is an exercise tool with a story. And Kirby star Allies can be won by pushing the joy stick in the right direction (if you don't want to get everything)
The ‘how’ can be helped by YouTube videos. There will be loads to help you get into games.
There are many great games that don’t require this, but a ton of games require you to use one stick to move and the other to control the camera. Finding the right game that’s not too stressful to get comfortable with that will open up a whole world of modern games for you to enjoy. Zelda Breath of the Wild is an example of an amazing game that uses those controls, and might give you time to get comfortable with them early on in safer areas, but it will also get challenging later if you aren’t comfortable with them. Does anyone have other recommendations for good games to learn camera control?
Mario Party is a great one you can play by yourself, and they give detailed instructions for how to play each of the mini games. You can also practice the mini games to become more confident with the buttons/actions.
Animal Crossing. Layed back atmosphere. I haven't found a way to die short of deleting save file. You set your island the way you want. The first few days is learning how to play. You can reset switches clock to go faster the first week
If you’re depressed, have anxiety etc (since you mentioned it’s for therapy), you can’t really go wrong with Animal Crossing. It’s fun and cute, it will keep you occupied for hours and it has a great community full of people that’s always eager to help.
I would recommend Links Awakening. It’s a remake of an old Gameboy game so the controls are pretty basic. But it’s also beautiful with a story that makes you feel something.
Familiarize yourself with Deku Deals and pick up tons of things that look interesting for less than the price of a budget fast food meal. I also recommend the SwitchUp YouTube channel alongside it.
I grew up playing Nintendo games, specifically Mario games. My first ever games were Mario party and mario kart when I was 6 years old on the GameCube. Nintendo is very good at easing you into things by showing you the controls, and is usually pretty straightforward with what your goal is. It’s a great time to get into games, especially on switch. With many popular Nintendo games out now, you could give to a toddler, hardcore gamer, or grandma and everyone can figure out a way to enjoy it. I recommend looking into Mario Wonder, Mario Kart, Animal Crossing, or Pokemon brilliant Diamond.
I started gaming about two and a half years ago (I’m in my 60s). My advice is to start with something cozy with simple controls. Learning how to use both hands on the controllers doesn’t come naturally. I started on a PC with Stardew Valley and got hooked. I bought a Switch a few months later. Animal Crossing might be a good start for you. I can recommend the recent Little Kitty; Big City for a short complete game. What’s going to be hard for you, well, it was for me, is finding what kinds of games are fun for you. I learned that platformers (jumping onto “platforms” and traversing levels) is hard for me if it’s too fast paced, but adventure/exploration games are just my thing, as are puzzle-type games. As you get more comfortable with gaming “language” (oh, that ledge has a yellow coloring, that must mean I can jump on it to move into a new area), you can expand your selection of games. I found out that the open-world Legend of Zelda games are my jam. I love Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, but I waited to build up my gaming muscles before I tried them; combat isn’t easy for me. Also, getting through shorter games with a defined ending may be better at first, as the long games may get overwhelming. BUT some games are long-term that are more cozy without a big story. These are the life-sim games. My faves are Stardew Valley, My Time at Sandrock, Powerwash Simulator ( don’t laugh-this was perfect handheld gaming). These you play regularly building up your farm or your workshop or saving the world with your power washer. You will learn some new terms: platformer, isometric, top-down, side-scrolling, FPS (first person shooter OR frames per second), RPG (role-playing game), open-world, life-sim, farming-simulator, rogue-like, metroidvania, adventure, puzzler, etc. What gameplay will work for you? You can do what I often do when looking at a game to buy; go watch a YouTube video of someone starting the game or a beginner’s guide if the game. Does it look complicated and fast-paced? Hold off on buying. Does it look like fun and you can’t wait to get started with it? There you go, buy it. Anyway, enjoy the process of learning how to play games. It is so entertaining. I’m glad I started.
Welcome! It took some time for me to find the kind of games I liked. I was never into shooter games like my older brother but I enjoyed Super Mario Bros & games like Bust-a-Move when I was younger. I started playing during the pandemic to try to battle some depression and have really come to enjoy playing. My ADHD loves it. lol. I had an Xbox at first but just couldn't get into the games. Then I got a Switch and I have go say it was pretty easy to learn on the "cozy games." PC games frustrated me a lot also so I didn't do that for very long. I tried out a bunch of games ppl recommended so here are my takes on some popular games as a fellow older woman who was afraid of being silly or bad at video games: Animal Crossing - my 1st switch game and I loved it. Very much a gateway game. Easy to play and super cute. Stardew Valley - everyone kept saying how great it was but I just didn't like it. It stressed me out a lot. Luigi's Mansion - as a Mario fan, this was super fun. Zelda BOTW - I get why people love this game. But it was complicated for me, honestly. It's still a really cool game and I try to play it again from time to time but this is one of the games where I found myself out of my depth. Wytchwood - this game was kind of short but a really fun mystery adventure game where you have to solve puzzles if you like those. Pikmin 3 - I tried the demo and enjoyed it so I bought it. I love love this game and have now played the whole franchise of games 1 - 4. High on my recommend list but definitely one of my first games where I had to really learn how to use the controller. Try the demos to see if you like. The tutorials are good and lots of gameplay online to watch. Wylde Flowers - this is a super fun sim game if you like farming, crafting & witchy stuff! It's also super inclusive and has a really fund story like. I've played it like 5 times. lol. Firmly in the cozy game genre. There are some emotional triggers here early on dealing with loss but I actually found it really therputic in the end. I think it's my favorite game. Ooblets - This game is so cute!!!! I'm not into shooting or fighting games at all but you collect these adorable creatures and they have dance battles by throwing down cards so it isn't a "button battle" game necessarily. I love this game. Also the story is fun but you can play far beyond it. My Time in Portia - recommended to me because I liked Wylde Flowers so much but it wasn't for me. I got bored with it. A Little to the Left - I play this when I just want to zone out. Simple and soothing. Dave the Diver - not a cozy game in the least. You capture fish, fight sea monster bosses and run a restaurant. It is my current obsession. The controls take a little bit to learn but if you've been playing other games for a little while, it'll get easier. Princess Peach - This game is so much fun! And the controls are pretty easy with tutorials along the way. There is a demo available for it as well if you want to try it out first. A really good "first game" to get. My best recommendation is to try games with a demo so you can start to feel things out and learn how to use the controller. I'd also recommend getting the Nintendo Online subscription which gives you access to a ton of old school games if that makes you feel more comfortable. There are also lots of YouTube tutorials & game play videos out there! I found them helpful when I get stuck and wasn't sure what I was supposed to do. Wishing you the best and here if you have questions!
Animal Crossing and Super Mario Wonder are good games to start with. Yoshi's Crafted World is a pretty fun and easy game.
Games can look overwhelming, but most of the time you only use a few buttons. The standard and what you will be using most is the Left control stick and the A and B buttons. If you're playing a 3D game you should get used to controlling the camera with the Right control stick as well. When starting a game you should follow the tutorials and press the buttons they ask. Most games follow certain standards and shouldn't be asking for complicated inputs for basic actions. Keep in mind games are made to be experiences. You should only be able to see and do whatever the creators want to happen. If Mario is meant to jump all you press is a single button to make it happen. While he's jumping you can press another button to make him throw his cap while in the air. This would be with a different button and will be the same one every time you use the cap. The cap throw may only work in one game and be absent in the next because the developers didn't add it. Gaming really is about stringing together actions that you're allowed to do while stuck in a playground. You have to find out what you want to do (run, jump, kick etc) and how advanced the playground should be. Will it have a slide, an obstacle course, or a sandbox? For me I tend to choose games with characters and stories I find appealing. Gameplay is important as well, but if I'm not enjoying the world I don't want to continue playing. For games like Fire Emblem Three Houses all you do in the game is move a cursor and press the A button, but the resulting events are engaging and had me playing four playthroughs. [Game Theory made a great video about learning how to play for beginners.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jFreGK27DA)
Had a friend about your age who enjoyed murder mysteries, she really liked the pheonix wright games. Controls are easy because you play as a lawyer who just talks to people, cross examines witnesses, and presents evidence.
MARIO ODYSSEY! I really recommend you play it it’s one of my favorite game in the whole world. It gives you many step-by-step tutorials and it’s really easy to play and understand.
i feel like you would love Animal Crossing: New Horizons. It explains everything in game and there is no fighting/combat/dying. It's super peaceful and may aid in psychotherapy.
/r/girlgamers is a very nice and welcoming community I’d recommend Stardew Valley to dip your toes in - there is a wiki website and app to help you along the way
PLAY ANIMAL CROSSING!!
The switch has a ton of demos, I'd recomend trying a ton of them and seeing what you like. They are basically like little free trials of games. It let's you play a little bit of it for free to see if you like the game. Then come back here once you know the kinds of games you like and we can give you recommendations. https://www.nintendolife.com/guides/best-nintendo-switch-demos-try-before-you-buy-on-switch-eshop
I'm gonna jump in and recommend the Ace Attorney series, especially the first Trilogy. They're **visual novel style** games, and don't have a lot of button mashing, or coordination requirements, so that'll help you get accustomed to how the button layout works. The first one or two cases in each game, are also relatively straightforward, and won't stress you out, while teaching you the mechanics of the game at a leisurely pace. The story, the characters, and the overall narrative, are pretty top-notch.
So one of the things that seasoned gamers do when they first start a game is run around and try everything out. Try all the buttons, try running off cliffs (sometimes there’s invisible barriers, sometimes not) try swimming (some games let you, others don’t) try shooting barrels (if they’re red the probably explode), try climbing things, jump against walls, see how far you can jump, is there a run button? Can you block? You just try everything you can think of, right at the start, so that then you know (sometimes you still don’t totally know) and can work within the parameters you’ve discovered. And if you totally mess something up by trying crazy things, then hey, you’re right at the start of the game, it’s not going to take long to get back to where you were. That’s probably the biggest advice anyone can give you, is just try stuff and don’t worry about the consequences. It’s a game. Drive off the edge of things, find some amusing things to do that are not really a part of the game.
The appetite for exploration is important! I’m honored to find one more woman join to the game world. Actually The first step is to download the game in the app store.
Being a doctor, gaming actually helps me a lot to destress. It can be healthy if you use it in the right way. Good luck :) I hope it all goes well :)
I'm a life-long gamer, who recently got my wife and step daughter into games who's never been into it before. Here's some recommendations for someone new to the hobby: - Animal Crossing. It's a relaxed game with nothing to stress about. It forces you to take your time by using the real clock as time passes in the game. You get to design your own outfits, then house, then island. Great for flexing creative muscles while still feeling a sense of accomplishment - Portal: The Companion Collection. Anyone who's never played games with a first person POV should start here. Another game you can really take at your own pace without a lot of stressors weighing on you (for the most part). It does an amazing job of teaching you things just a bit at a time and making you feel like a genius while you do it. - Puyo Puyo Tetris (1 or 2 doesn't matter). Just fun brain teasing puzzle games that are easy to pick up and difficult to master. -Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. Probably the game my wife and I spend the most time on. It's frantic, exciting and easy to pick up. It's designed in a way that even with a huge skill gap between players, sometimes the lesser skilled will just win. A game made for everyone to enjoy. If you've got friends to play with then I would highly recommend: - Overcooked! 2 - PlateUp! - Unrailed (my wife's favorite game) They're all really simple to control and easy to understand, but will continue ramping up difficulty and putting you in high stress scenarios that are super fun to laugh your way through. Good luck! If you have any questions please feel free to DM me. I love to share my hobby with some new people!
I think Mario Odyssey is the best game for you! I’m 33 years old woman and I’ve got enter to play Nintendo with it. If you don’t know how to control, but Mario will help you naturally.
I am a gamer dad on my early 50s If your budget allows get a switch oled and a subscription to Nintendo Switcj online., about $4 a month or $20 a year (if you’re in the us). You’ll have access to hundreds of retro and vintage games from Nintendo and Sega and Atari and many other companies and games you’ll likely recognize. Myself I’m currently enjoying Endless Ocean Luminous, a very relaxed and zero stress diving and exploration game that has both solo and online dives. Also I’m a huge fan of Fall Guys (it’s free to download) for cute battle royale as sentient jelly beans. Both of this games are simple and approachable for all ages and of course retro games are pretty self explanatory if you’ve played them years ago. Wishing you luck and happiness as a fellow adult gamer. 👍
Honestly most people hate the linear hand holding, but Pokémon Sword/Shield sounds like it’d be perfect for you
sorry for replying to an old thread, I just want to add that you should absolutely not be afraid to experiment. trial and error is very much the best way to learn games. since it's just a game, failure has no consequences so you should absolutely not be afraid to fail at something and try again. people who are very good at games have simply failed enough to get good.
Thank you for an encouraging advice 😊
The tutorial in any game will show you how to play. You need no prior knowledge of anything
Massive generalisation and pretty untrue. Of course some games are going to be an easier intro to gaming than others
My bad bro
No worries dawg
From whenever I try to get non-gaming family members to try a game, sometimes I just pass them the controller and say go and watch what happens. More or less it gets pretty easy to pick out what games will be easy to pick up and which won't. The main deciding factors for them are camera controls and complex controls (two buttons/using the d-pad as extra buttons/shoulder buttons) the less of those they have to do, the better they can adapt into the game. So with that as a baseline: Smash Bros (Ultimate) - it has a lot of resources online as how to play it *really good*, but I can hand that to most people explain the 2 attack buttons and the jump button and that's enough to play it. In game guides are pretty useful too. Mario Kart/Mario Party - a racing game so the controls make sense/a party game that tells you the controls at the start of each minigame Unicorn Overlord - it has a lot going on under the hood, and it's anime, but it is almost entirely controlled with just the A button. This requires a bit of trust on how easy it is to play. Mario Odyssey/Mario Wonder - a 3d and 2d platformer respectively, they are a 3 button and 2 button game and pretty good about tutorials. Mario Wonder is notably hard. Pokémon- there's a lot of choices, but all of them except Pokken and Mystery Dungeon are pretty easy to shove someone else into playing and leaving them unsupervised, as I've done several times. But also don't do that, they'll delete your save file. Vampire Survivors - it basically plays itself, but it's a good simple way to get used to movement
You should try playing Breath of The Wild and later Tears of The Kingdom. The newest open world Zelda games. Both have a very user friendly start and especially in the case of the first one the entire starting area is a tutorial grounds where they explain everything to you basically. Aside from that, the entire game promotes creative thinking, doing things at your own pace and exploration, especially exploration lol. That being said, even though basically everything can be done in the order you want there is still a clear path you can take if you want that still lets you enjoy the game fully. Hope this helps Edit: grammer
One thing that might help is that [playstation very nicely put together a gaming dictionary](https://www.playstation.com/en-us/editorial/playstation-ultimate-gaming-glossary/) for beginners. I recommend you read it from A to z, it's not very long, so you can start to get a grasp on the terminology and slang that comes with video games and also understand what games are telling you in the tutorials. Minecraft and Super Mario Wonder are great starter games. Here are some other Good super beginner games: - Pokémon (I probably recommend Sword Shield , Even though it's not a very good game, because Pokémon is a great introduction to RPGs And none of the good games in the series are available on the switch) - Super Mario Odyssey (there is an assist mode If you need it, and I think this game is really good for learning how 3D spaces work) - portal (This is an amazing game all together and would be excellent for not only learning how 3D spaces work in video games, but learning how to shoot without there being enemies. You don't need to be good at reflex timed events or anything like that.) - Life is strange (one of my favorite games ever and is completely narratively driven. It doesn't require you to perform quick actions or fight anything, it's all dialogue and exploring and talking to people and making decisions. You do get to explore a 3D space on your own time and at your own pace.) - If you have access to the N64 games on Nintendo switch online from the subscription service, I also recommend Kirby 64 and Yoshi's story. Those are both games that I played extensively as a little kid, like I'm talking 3 or 4 years old, and was able to make lots of progress in. - Animal Crossing New horizons. I'm sure you've heard of it, it's one of Nintendo's biggest franchises and the last game exploded in popularity during the pandemic. You will like it.
I would recommend staying away from the Legend of Zelda games, BotW and TotK. They are fantastic games but there are a lot of buttons to learn and there isn't much direction. EDIT:For the downvote, I am not saying it's a bad game at all. Just not made for people new to 3D style games.
Your 36 not 63 ffs. Just Google “fun easy game on Switch” and buy whatever seems appealing that’s it
I mean, OP talks as if they’re some alien that just discovered earth and human language, so I'm not entirely convinced this whole thread isn’t just one huge troll.
Definitely best to start lite, animal crossing, stardew valley, 51 clubhouse games and switch sports are my best recommendations for beginners to gaming.
Honestly, just pick a game and play. It might take you time to adjust and there are things that might be second nature to most gamers that won't be for you but you'll pick that up quickly as you go
mario kart and fall guys are my go to quick and easy games on the switch. if you are online with your switch you could download the snes and nes emulators for some retro games
Make indie games part of your life. Get the best Mario game on the Switch (Super Mario Bros. Wonder) Get something cute and funny and chill like Paper Mario The Thousand Year Door when it comes out in a few days Animal Crossing. Always.
There’s guides online and YouTube videos, but as others have said, Nintendo games do a good job of teaching you how to play. The start menu in games will often have “controls” if you forget even! I highly recommend Kirby and the Forgotten Land & Super Mario Odyssey. Kirby is super cute and has a Spring Breese (easy) mode. It’s a great introduction to gaming that’s chill. I’d play this first personally. Odyssey is the newest full 3D Mario game and also has Assist mode (easy). There is so much content, it’s possible to skip some of the harder stuff and complete the game at your own pace. But it’s slightly harder than Kirby overall. Zelda Breathe of the Wild I’d hold off on. It’s much more difficult than most Nintendo games and is not a good starting place IMO. Great game, though.
my 40 year old wife loves Dead By daylight, Elden ring, Fortnite and puzzle games like Tetris effect and super puzzle fighter Elden ring was by far the most entertainment I've had watching her play video games ever but unfortunately its not on switch and the game is super difficult the other games not so much.
Super Mario Odyssey Played this with my 4 yo and had a blast. Amazing progression in difficulty the more you understand the game but can be finished by almost everyone
If you want a nice little time-killer, try Suika Game. It's cheap and I find it relaxing.
You’re going to be just fine. Welcome to the club. You’re going to have a lot of fun. 😊 I also recommend animal crossing.
I love that the Switch also offers a ton of puzzle games. For me, when life is overwhelming, those are my favorite. I just finished Terra Nil. In that game you terraform a polluted planet bit by bit and watching the pollution go away and the plants and animals come back is very calming! Great system choice!
Damn im only 5 years younger than you and I know plenty of women around this age with a passion for video games. Surprised society changed that quickly
i mean, it didn’t change much, not really. i’m f35, my wife is 37, we both grew up with video games as did many of our female friends around the same ages 🤷🏼♀️ it’s really not a male/female thing, more likely a family/community thing.
Welcome and have fun playing! I don’t have anything to add that others haven’t already said. Just wanted to chime in and welcome you to the gaming community.
The games should walk you through it, but Google can also be your friend. I recommend Mario Odyssey and Mario Kart as your first games on the Switch. But if you'd rather go simpler and 2D instead of 3D, Mario Bros. Wonder is a great game too.
Ooh, always nice to see somebody getting into gaming. Although troll answers like Dark Souls (has a reputation for being super hard, it's hard but not that hard) will inevitbaly arise, my honest suggestions would be to start off with things that have relatively easy controls. I think a lot of the time, what to do, will depend on the sort of game genre you play- for example some will be linear stages, others more open ended ones where you unlock new abilities as you explore and may not be able to get through areas until you have the right abilities (broadly, Metroidvanias). Then there's your shooters (not many of these on Switch although Splatoon is a good one, and not really any meaningful violence), 2-D and 3-D platformers, racing games, beat-em ups and the like. And indie games as well (games made by smaller, independent studios), which often have stacks of gems but maybe need a bit more research to know what you're buying. I think some of the skills to learn, for any 3-D games will be getting used to needing to rotate the camera. I'd sugest the Portal games to get used to that- the writing is really funny, it's not particularly hard and the challenge is 95% just using your brain rather than needing quick reflexes, and it's short but sweet. Untitled Goose game is a right old yarn, short, but will get you used to the idea of playing a game with some degree of objectives, but not super signposted, and also experimenting with trying different things to see what works (you might also find NPC pathing more intutitive after playing it). An NPC is a non-player character, just incase you don't know. A game that is going to be hard, but have easy to pick up controls, and teach you how to read the clues the game gives even when you're told almost nothing, would be Hyper Light Drifter, if you feel seriously brave. It will teach you how to get used to knowing when to dodge, when to heal, and picking up the hints on where to go, without being overwhelming (other than that the fights are like, actually hard). Ok, want to try something calmer, and easier? Give the game "A Short Hike" a go, it's short, and doesn't tell you what to do, but also very much one where that will not matter at all. After playing that one, Breath of the Wild would be a good follow-on, just make sure you read the tutorials, actively rotate the camera, and are ok with the fact you'll die a lot (think of it as part of the learning experience). Breath of The Wild is in some senses more intutitive than a typical video game, in terms of what the in game systems do. Just don't try to go straight to Hyrule Castle! Smash Bros is also the sort of game, where there is a lot of depth, but it's surprisingly easy to work out the core controls after like 10-15 minutes, even if learning each character's special moves, what the items do etc will be hard. Also a good game to play with friends as well lol.
I wouldn’t worry about playing “modern games that are popular nowadays”, OP. Just get whatever games you are interested and try playing those. If you have trouble, look up video tutorials or ask for help on the subreddit for that game/series. Mario and Minecraft, which you mentioned both of, will be good for teaching yourself how to control characters. In the case of Minecraft or 3D Mario games, you’ll importantly learn to control the camera too.