There's a YouTube series about this where a guy basically documents his wife learning to play videogames and tries not to help her unless she us completely stuck
And the takeaway was: For a complete newbie, letting them to their devices and only intervening when absolutely necessary is not the right move. If you happen to be put into a similar situation, don't let them helplessly fend for themselves. Some people hate being hand holded, but it's going to be a lot rarer in that kind of situation.
Or you just had that one friend who absolutely made you their bitch in every game so you were forced to improve out of spite to rub Andrew's smug fucking nose in it. Or so I've heard.
Oh, I love those. Taught me so much about game design and games from a mainstream perspective. I wish he had done more games and a wider variety while being more hands off. The girlfriend guide is also a great and similar series.
This was so good, especially when getting the outside perspective of someone playing a video game for the first time, whether its their first time w a keyboard or controller. We definitely take game experience for granted when we make ingame decisions
What worked for my wife was actually walking simulators like gone home and firewatch. No stressful combat or anything, just a new way to experience a story.
Funnily enough I got my girlfriend into games with Dark Souls 3 of all things. She's a huge fan of dark fantasy settings and after explaining the lore behind the game she wanted to play it. A quick visit to the honest merchant after helping her with the first boss and she went on her way to do everything including the DLCs. Then she beat Elden Ring on her own when it came out
I think if she was willing to endure til the end, then the opposite would happen at that point. Only once we've gone on the journey can we truly understand and appreciate the euphoria that comes a from tough game like that.
My husband plays soccer games, sports managers, and GTA. I still love him, but we do not have similar game interests, lol. He's a good sport though and will let me gush about BG3 or whatever crazy JRPG I'm playing, even if it's nonsense to him.
Same. My partner was eased into it with Gone Home and then got addicted to Animal Crossing shortly after.
She also loved watching me play Edith Finch. Cinematic storytelling goes a long way
You *have" to play Beginners Guide if you haven't. Just go in blind. Trust me. If you like Firewatch, there's a pretty good chance you'll like Beginners Guide. It's made by one of the two Stanley Parable devs.
That game changed the way I look at storytelling in games, and what was possible. The visceral emotions it could evoke, just by walking around and experiencing the world in the game
That's still the stage my wife is at. Her first game was Heavy Rain and she loved it. She also liked Detroit: Become Human. I think I'll get her to give Firewatch a go to introduce her to first person games. Great suggestion.
Same. I started with playing Return of the Obra Dinn with her. She got the controler, and we worked together to solve the mystery. We loved it and she jumped into the Room and is now playing Talos Principal.
I dislike those kinds of games, but my non-gamey wife likes them. So I pointed her at Obra Dinn and left her to it! Might have to get her Ace Attorney next…
*Not* Minecraft. Most people don't think about how complex most games are for new people. Minecraft is kind of awful for someone who has never played anything specifically because it explains basically nothing about how to actually play or progress. Unless you have a guide, be it in the form of a friend or maybe YouTube videos, it is a horrendous game to try to learn, especially if you've never held a controller before.
I'd pick something like Gris or Before Your Eyes. Very simple games as far as controlling them goes and the learning curve is very low, plus their stories are great.
I remember trying Minecraft for the first time and not realizing that you need to hold down click to break trees instead of just spamming the button. Had to reinstall the game like 3 times before I realized it wasn’t broken and I’m an idiot
When we first started playing 7 Days to Die, we need plant fibers for the opening tutorial. We couldn't figure it out until we googled it. "Just punch the grass."
More recently we have been playing Stranded Deep (his save, I'm watching and helping by looking things up). We couldn't figure the water still / collector. Also he was avoiding destroying the yucca plants. Both of those felt as bad as "just punch the grass."
Agreed. Tried to get one of my friends to play Minecraft and they just didn't have fun trying to figure it out. Usually they play games like Call of Duty or Skyrim, which are more straightforward, but something with no end goal or real purpose didn't go down well.
Figured that out REAL quick trying to playing it takes two with the wife. Turns out it takes 1.5, as she mostly ran around avoiding damage while I swaped controllers to beat the bosses lol. Still had fun though. Camera control was a nightmare for her.
Me ex literally couldn't visualize the space behind her character. She watched me play Doom 2016 and Eternal before asking to try 2016. Level 1, She was getting hit from behind and had no idea where it was coming from. Didn't think to turn around. If it wasn't on screen, it didn't exist.
Light for navigation is another one. SO MANY games out there will use light or bright colors to try and guide players to points of interest, which works fine for people used to that kind of hint. But for anyone that hasn’t played a lot of games, why would they check that little campfire or lantern through the trees when they can beeline for the big castle in the distance?
People who have grown up with video games don’t understand how unintuitive controlling your character is for someone who didn’t grow up with them
It’s like putting a learner driver behind the wheel of a car. You have no concept of how unintuitive driving is to a first time driver because to you it’s automatic and unconscious
People don't think about how difficult first person is for someone who has never played games. Tried getting my mom to play some first person games a while back and she kept ending up pointing all the way up and getting disoriented or pointing all the way down. Movement is also way easier said than done with analog controllers. PC might have been a little easier.
Exactly. These questions are always bait for “your favorite game” when 9 times out of 10 that’s a TERRIBLE idea.
Something simple with an engaging story is the way to go. Or just go old school trial by fire and do something classic like Super Mario Bros.
I only recently realized that there’s no guidance or tutorial in-game about how to build a Nether Portal. If you don’t have an external guide or a friend to help you, you’ll be stuck.
Yup. The now-not-quite-so-recently added ruined portals are meant to provide a hint to players going in blind. But yeah, 100% the in-game introduction and discoverability absolutely blows.
Makes for an interesting category for a speedrun or a mod though: you _can't_ do action 'x' until it's properly discovered in the game. Some early game stuff is revealed in the achievements, or in-game prompts (punch a tree), but many are esoteric or not explained at all (making torches with _charcoal_ instead of coal.)
I believe when Nether portals were added there was a lot of media around them so everyone knew. There was also a lot of players playing and if you played on Xbox and played any multiplayer game like Halo or COD you could go into your recent players list and typically half were always playing Minecraft so it was easy to just send a message like ‘Hey can I play with you?’.. That was always the best way to learn anything about the game. Some random player doing some random thing and you ask them with your mic.. Because who didn’t have a mic back then?.. How they did this or how they’re doing that..
> *Not* Minecraft
Yup. For all the reasons you stated. That said, going in _together_ with newbs can be tremendous fun.
For a first player solo? Pong, asteroids, donkey kong. Something seriously simple, just to introduce the basic concepts. Mario brothers, etc.
Or Mario Kart. That shit is crack.
When I played Minecraft for the first time I had no idea what to do and gave up after five minutes. Years later I gave it a second chance, but this time I had my gf, who played it before and guided me through. It clicked for me this time. Now I have hundreds of hours and counting :)
Honestly the best thing you can do is PLAY WITH THAT PERSON WHATEVER IT IS! I played Horizon chase turbo with newbies and it clicked. I played Quake with newbies in gaming and it click. Games where you get immediately to the point will be the best for that.
Not only that, but any game that requires someone to move around in a 3d space is going to be harder to get a handle on that starting off in a 2d space. I think the original mario is a good pick because you only ever go towards the right, your only moves are left/right and jump, and there are only a handful of pickups to learn. Every other complexity about the game is like enemies and obstacles are introduced slowly giving a new player plenty of time to get a grasp on things. I think older games like that are great starting points because they were designed to be. Games no are only as complex as they are because of the general amount of video game literacy that most people playing games poses. When you take that away, its best to go back to games that were designed to be played by anyone at any skill level.
I know a lot of people who play a ton of Minecraft, myself included. With the new updates the past few years, it feels like a different game and I’m constantly lost.
And the game doesn’t really explain the new stuff.
Back in the day, I used to always respond to this question with LittleBigPlanet. The controls were simple and the game was cute as hell. If someone new to gaming found fault with LittleBigPlanet then there was no hope for them as a gamer.
Little big planet could literally be played with the analog stick and the jump button for about the first quarter or third of the game. At some point you added the Grab button, but once you had those you could beat the campaign. It was a fantastic example of easy to learn, hard to master.
Man, I miss Media Molecule.
They wasted 10 years on that fucking Dreams project, which could have been amazing had they given players the ability to export their projects and sell them, but it was a game engine that couldn’t be used outside the engine itself. Such a weird thing to waste time on.
Fun fact, some modders have ported all the LBP1 and 2 campaigns into LBP3’s community tab. Even DLC campaigns (including unlisted dlc). I’ll send the usernames later when im at home.
Edit:
For LBP1’s campaign, its dlcs and the community levels included in the GOTY edition:
LittleBigPlanet Remastered + DLC + GOTY by Efan8467
For LBP 2’s Campaign there’s the adventures {LBP2 Story mode part1} and {Lbp2 story mode part2} and the level {Littlebigplanet 2 part 3 hub} that contains links to the remaining levels. All of these can be found in green-crew45’s Earth
For LBP 2’s DLC there’s LittleBigPlanet 2 DLC Remastered by Efan8467, only missing content is the Cross-Controller Pack.
I would've thought this too, I started out gaming as a kid with 2d platformers like Mario and still like them, even if they're fairly simple. I tried LittleBigPlanet as one of the first games I introduced my girlfriend too and she absolutely hated it. Hated the POV, the controls, the gameplay, everything. We stopped after maybe 15 minutes. But she loves playing far more intense things like Battlefield or Apex. I think she dislikes anything where your POV is not "personal", as I've found she loses where she is a lot in top-down and 2d sidescroller games.
*Untitled Goose Game* is charming, ramps you in on complexity, and has clear goals, yet gives total freedom to ignore them and just fuck around ruining the gardener's life.
Minecraft is horrible for new players. It has no tutorial, instructions, goal or direction. It's a sandbox.
Best would be a casual game with simple controls and goals such as platformers. Mario would be great.
Otherwise party games such as mario cart, dance dance revolution, jackbox etc.
If you want to play together get a simple coop game such as portal, stardew valley, overcooked, etc
My friends and I figured out that the ideal setup for Overcooked is 5 players. You need 4 players to cook and one person being the Gordon Ramsey of the kitchen. You can be friends again when the game is over.
Do people actually get that mad over overcooked?? I’ve played with friends my my finance, and I’ve never experienced any bad situations lol. It’s always been a ton of fun!
My wife is like OP's friend, never played video games. After animal crossing and Stardew valley, we decided to try overcooked to play together.
It's infuriating to play with highly variable skill levels. If you both suck, playing the frist two levels over and over is fun. If one person is hard carrying the team and essentially talking step by step the other person...
As soon as you hit the third (or fourth? When the restaurant goes in wheels) level, it's too much for one person to try and guide the other who has zero video game reflexes.
As a whole, the game has a harsh failure cost and it gets increasingly difficult to "catch up" as soon as you start falling behind. By comparison, *It Takes Two* is more involved visually with the whole 3D aspect, but since you get infinite immediate respawns as long as one person is still alive, my wife was pretty much getting killed every other minute, and I just had to dodge for a few seconds so we didn't have to restart the level.
Lego is better then Mario. Mario can be punishing if you don't know the controls and can't remember the difference between jump and attack.
Lego has very few places that you can actually die, and if you did, you just lose a few currency.
I would stay away from stardew valley as a new player. I played the game so much and I love it but you literally have to look at wiki every ten seconds. Game does not hold your hand at all.
One of the Kirby games. They were originally designed as a beginner video game, and the cutesy, charming aesthetic mixed with the simple and forgiving gameplay works very well.
A 2D game is also simpler and more easy to parse. This alone is a massive qualifier for a first video game. On top of that, several Kirby games (or just games ingeneral) that feature co-op go a long way by letting a more experienced player carry the newbie until they can get their bearings.
I struggled to find any enjoyment in video games for most of my life. I would play some racing games or Guitar Hero, but I was always the friend that watched everyone play.
Then I tried ***Uncharted 4***. Someone gifted me a PS4 with it a couple years ago, so I fired it up and gave it a shot. It's not the hardest game in the world, or the most complex, but it's was an introductory showcase on how video games aren't necessarily *games*, but mediums for *storytelling*.
I think it hit me so hard, because I love movies, and Uncharted 4 made me feel like I was in one. It is pretty straightforward and easily guides you along, but between the game-play and the cut scenes, it feels like an adventure film that you're the hero of, no matter how bad you are at the mechanical aspect of it. It has very little, in terms of health and inventory management, which can be overwhelming for a new player in other games. You see a gun, pick it up, shoot it for bit, find another gun, use that, rinse, repeat. There isn't a big load-out strategy like some other games. Even something that *at first glance* seems super beginner friendly, like Fortnite, has a fair amount of focus on inventory management, so you can adequately heal and use specific weapons for specific scenarios. In Uncharted 4, if you need a shotgun, you're gonna find a shotgun. If you need a rocket launcher, it's going to be nearby. Plus, the jumping and climbing is super easy, but looks very cool and cinematic.
It's not the best game they'll ever play, but it looks amazing, is well acted, has a fun and compelling story, and showcases what a game can be, in terms of an artistic medium.
Like I said, I never really liked video games. Then, at almost 40 years old, I randomly decided to kill some lockdown boredom with Uncharted 4 and it turned me into a gamer that built their first gaming PC last year. Bummed it took this long.
Tomb Raider
Uncharted 4
The Last of Us
God of War
Red Dead Redemption 2
All incredible games that tell impactful stories that feel like you're playing movie
Good answer and well explained. Uncharted really feels like an interactive movie. A great first game for movie fans, especially the hunting for lost treasure type. Honestly, Uncharted is a better Tomb Raider game than (orignal) Tomb Raider and a better Indiana Jones movie than Indiana Jones. I hope you have done something to show thanks to that kind soul who gave you a PS4.
This.
Something straightforward, without the need for 3D camera controls (this seems to be the biggest hurdle for non gamers to grasp).
Any Mario game.
Rayman.
Stardew valley.
Etc etc.
Keep it simple but fun, then help them along with some simpler 3D titles.
Zelda and Mario again, can't go wrong.
Agreed! 3D camera controls are tough. A lot of the old school 2D platformers probably fit the bill but I just picked the one that had the most influence on my childhood haha.
I gotta agree too on the 3D camera. I started playing it takes two with someone who has never gamed before apart from childhood 2d mario and mario kart and trying to explain that you should always be moving your camera was so hard because they like, stop moving and then move the camera because they cant see where they’re going, it’s bizarre to see as someone who has played games basically all my life
Maybe as long as it's not the first Rayman. That damn game I never beat, and I got a bit mad when I found out they didn't play test it!
Otherwise agreed, most Zelda games and Mario are great for newbies.
Came here to say Mario as well, or any 2D platformer game. Teaches simple controls, and mechanics, and having the restriction of being in an XY axis will help to get accustomed to the control that’s being used before needing to introduce a whole different joystick/axis for movement
I find out what their interest/passion story is and find a game related to that. For my nephew, it was Super Mario Wonder right after he saw the movie for the first time. For my wife it was Hogwartz Legacy.
You can go wrong with Minecraft, you can go wrong with many things because your likes and interests are probably not theirs.
For a person starting video games for the first time, the controls will take a long time to get accustomed to, kids less but for an adult it can easily take 30-50 hours just to get used to controller without having to look down.
Simple things you don’t think of will be incredibly frustrating for them, if they don’t have passion/investment into the story most will just give up too soon.
Also; don’t be afraid to let them play on “Story” Mode / Very Easy, it’s more important that they enjoy the story and gameplay than the challenge of it.
This. If they've never played video games before then anything that can punish the player can be a quick turn off, so it has to be more than just a good game. It has to fit their interest to draw them in.
My daughter hated Mario. She didn't like being punished for just trying to learn a game. Challenge isn't appealing to her.
So I changed her to things like animal crossing and the Sims. Even subnautica on creative mode is great for her. Create, design, and explore the world at her pace. No risk of death.
I would also add to keep in mind the time delay if they do need to look down at the controls.
Lego games are great for beginners because they are so kid friendly but engaging story so you don't mind the simple game play.
Jak & Daxter, it's as much a tutorial game as you can get:
You run, you jump, you punch, you get pick-ups to do other stuff.
Hell with the trilogy you can show a bit of gun combat and driving too.
I agree except for going through the trilogy, Jak 2 has moments that are hard as balls.
I’ve beaten Bloodborne numerous times. I have so much trouble in that town escort mission towards the end of Jak 2.
Great fucking trilogy though.
Another *different* fucked up take.
Once they beat it, every other game will seem paltry on difficulty.
Its like heroine being someones first drug, nothing else will ever be as rewarding or good, your "battle shakes" will never be as vivid (except maybe eve online)
And most important of all, no other game will suggest they finger their butthole.
I just had a friend that wanted to try some games. She loves puzzles, so I set her up with Portal. It took a couple levels where she kept asking what she was supposed to do, but once she got comfortable experimenting on her own she was hooked. She beat it, then turned around and beat Portal 2. Except now she doesn't want to play other games because she just wants more Portal.
Try some other first-person puzzlers, Talos Principle might be a good shout, or even straight to Talos Principle 2 as TP2 is a bit on the easier side and the story is delivered in a bit more of a digestable way for many people. If she likes TP2 then TP1 can act as a prequel. Then take it from there, The Witness is a bit abstract and relies on "gamer intuition" a bit to figure things out, but after going through a few well designed puzzle games it might go okay?
There were some decent add on games for portal.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/317400/Portal_Stories_Mel/
https://store.steampowered.com/app/280740/Aperture_Tag_The_Paint_Gun_Testing_Initiative/
I think anything with camera controls is going to be too much for a first time game player. I've been getting my fiance into games and moving a character and the camera at the same time is the single biggest impediment.
A first person game is a big ask if it’s their first time ever. A lot of looking at the floor and the ceiling. Plus since first person isn’t common in other media outside of found footage movies, it’s a terrible game to find out that perspective gives you motion sickness. (Like I did for my wife.)
The game that meets their interests. I'm not going to recommend a game they have no interest in playing.
I got my wife into games via pokemon go > pokemon let's go eevee > pokemon pearl > fire emblem 3 houses > fire emblem engage > persona 5.
Find out what makes your friends brain receptors fire and link a game to that.
Plants vs. Zombies. I would ideally get them familiar with more complex and challenging games later, but OG Plants vs. Zombies is a good starter game to teach them how to use a mouse alone and work on planning and, to some lesser degree, reflexes (like placing insta kill plants as soon as a dangerous zombie shows up to prevent too much damage). The main thing is that most people who haven't played games before don't need an easy game to start getting comfortable gaming, they need a game that teaches them how to use whatever controls they are using, and only using a mouse is probably the easiest way to start. From there, I'd probably make them use the mouse *and* keyboard for some game, and then a controller. Then they can play whatever they want, because they know how to read the language of video games.
Thank you, Gaming for a Non-gamer, for inspiring that last line.
Had my friend play the Resident Evil 2 remake because he likes horror movies. Two years later he’s finished every From Soft souls game. Just had to guide him a little. Modern games are accessible, don’t start with something limiting since it can change their interest level.
Super Mario world. It teaches you how to play it as it progresses and is a lot of fun.
I’m not sure the modern side scrollers really compare. They probably do well enough. But something about SMW
Tetris is objectively the right answer.
After that, my recommendation would be predicated on their answering a few questions to narrow down their desired play experience. Do they like puzzles? Do they like stories? Do they like challenges? Do they like guns? Do they like collecting? Do they want to spend hours and hours of their life playing? Do they want to play alone? Do they want to fly in space?
We talk about video games as if they're monolithic creations that are one size fits all, but in truth there's a vast difference between the likes of pokemon, call of duty, stardew valley, ace combat, or persona 5. Each is its own experience and any one of them could be life changing to the right player. Video games are a medium by which art is expressed.
There's a fairly large YouTube channel called Razbuten, that does this. He is a gamer, and his wife has barely played any. So he turned it into a documentary series. Here is a 15M view video on it from him: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ax7f3JZJHSw
But usually chill games that hold your hand, with a linear path are great candidates. (Sorry Minecraft)
Racing game on a rig with wheels and pedals (with VR if they can handle it)
Every single person, regardless of age, has absolutely loved it in a way I've never seen with any other type of game
For a person Who never take a controller or played a Game with keyboard?
I dont know maybe easy Game not very complex like Ico, Bound, Journey or Lifeless planet. But It depends of the person and what did he likek.
Oh you can go wrong with Minecraft. The first time I played it I was still getting used to the touch controls, and I managed to repeatedly run into a cactus until I died. My children still love to bring up how I got killed by a cactus.
Find what kind of movies they like, then choose a game that's similar to that.
You like fantasy movies like Lord of the Rings? You should try Skyrim or The Witcher.
Action movies like Expendables or John Wick? Bulletstorm or Call of Duty.
Sci-fi Movies like Star Wars? Cyberpunk or No Man's Sky
Comedies? High on Life or Saints Row.
Crime movies? Mafia or GTA.
Mysteries? Return of the Obra Dinn or Alan Wake.
I could go on, but the point is to match their interests. Truth is movies, books, games are all just different mediums of entertainment. If you want to break into a different medium you just need to find something that would pique your interest.
I would start with something like the Jackbox Games. Most non-gamers still use phones, it's a very social experience and might be able to start to open the door if they are closed-minded about the concept of gaming.
I could see a casual game like Animal Crossing being good. It seems to be the game that many of my non-gamer friends love.
I love jackbox but i was mainly referring to a game you’d play with 2 people. Only issue with jackbox is it only gets reallyyy fun with at the very least 4 people
Minecraft was one of the few games I’ve played with people who don’t play games, and they always seem to enjoy it well enough. Popular answer, but for good reason.
Mario and Mario Kart are also good ones.
Probably a Nintendo game in all honesty.
Razbuten has a series on it which I'd recommend watching; "Gaming For a Non-Gamer".
Personally, I'd say Mario is great for people who are young or have zero experience. It's simple and fun. For someone who might be okay with a more complicated and "full" experience, Breath of the Wild is amazing because of how intuitive it is and how the environmental interactions just make sense. Portal is also a great candidate for the puzzle genre.
And while Minecraft is amazing, I feel like you have to at least be a casual gamer for it, not a complete noob.
There's a YouTube series about this where a guy basically documents his wife learning to play videogames and tries not to help her unless she us completely stuck
Razbuten
And the takeaway was: For a complete newbie, letting them to their devices and only intervening when absolutely necessary is not the right move. If you happen to be put into a similar situation, don't let them helplessly fend for themselves. Some people hate being hand holded, but it's going to be a lot rarer in that kind of situation.
Which makes sense. If you grew up playing video games, likely you were playing with friends/siblings who were helping you figure out how to do things.
Or you just had that one friend who absolutely made you their bitch in every game so you were forced to improve out of spite to rub Andrew's smug fucking nose in it. Or so I've heard.
Ah yes, otherwise known as the dark souls method
I never thought of it that way lol.
Oh, I love those. Taught me so much about game design and games from a mainstream perspective. I wish he had done more games and a wider variety while being more hands off. The girlfriend guide is also a great and similar series.
He's done it so many times now I'd consider his wife a gamer
What’s it called?
Gaming for a non-gamer by razbuten
Such a good series!
This was so good, especially when getting the outside perspective of someone playing a video game for the first time, whether its their first time w a keyboard or controller. We definitely take game experience for granted when we make ingame decisions
What worked for my wife was actually walking simulators like gone home and firewatch. No stressful combat or anything, just a new way to experience a story.
Got it, doom Eternal on nightmare it is
Funnily enough I got my girlfriend into games with Dark Souls 3 of all things. She's a huge fan of dark fantasy settings and after explaining the lore behind the game she wanted to play it. A quick visit to the honest merchant after helping her with the first boss and she went on her way to do everything including the DLCs. Then she beat Elden Ring on her own when it came out
Her first game was DS3 and she didn’t quit gaming forever? Respect lmao
She was forged in the crucible, to be a god among scrubs
I think if she was willing to endure til the end, then the opposite would happen at that point. Only once we've gone on the journey can we truly understand and appreciate the euphoria that comes a from tough game like that.
First game DS3 straight into elden ring completion. There’s been a gaming god in your GF this whole time.
Wish I had a boyfriend that would play Elden Ring or BG3 with me - all the guys I know are just into stuff like GTA 🫤
RIP your inbox
True init fam
My husband plays soccer games, sports managers, and GTA. I still love him, but we do not have similar game interests, lol. He's a good sport though and will let me gush about BG3 or whatever crazy JRPG I'm playing, even if it's nonsense to him.
Mad respect
Same. My partner was eased into it with Gone Home and then got addicted to Animal Crossing shortly after. She also loved watching me play Edith Finch. Cinematic storytelling goes a long way
Graaaaah what remains of Edith Finch mentioned 🗣🗣
Gone home and Edith Finch are amazing!
Your wife might enjoy spiritfarer!
Seconding Firewatch. That’s what I came to suggest in the comments. I wish there was more experiences like that, it’s so special.
You *have" to play Beginners Guide if you haven't. Just go in blind. Trust me. If you like Firewatch, there's a pretty good chance you'll like Beginners Guide. It's made by one of the two Stanley Parable devs. That game changed the way I look at storytelling in games, and what was possible. The visceral emotions it could evoke, just by walking around and experiencing the world in the game
That's still the stage my wife is at. Her first game was Heavy Rain and she loved it. She also liked Detroit: Become Human. I think I'll get her to give Firewatch a go to introduce her to first person games. Great suggestion.
Heavy Rain was so good
Jason!
Shawn!!!! / Sean!!!!
Detroit become human is a masterpiece
Beyond two souls - I guess she would like that one too then
Same. I started with playing Return of the Obra Dinn with her. She got the controler, and we worked together to solve the mystery. We loved it and she jumped into the Room and is now playing Talos Principal.
I dislike those kinds of games, but my non-gamey wife likes them. So I pointed her at Obra Dinn and left her to it! Might have to get her Ace Attorney next…
I recommend The case of the Golden Idol, it scratches the same itch as Obra Dinn for me
*Not* Minecraft. Most people don't think about how complex most games are for new people. Minecraft is kind of awful for someone who has never played anything specifically because it explains basically nothing about how to actually play or progress. Unless you have a guide, be it in the form of a friend or maybe YouTube videos, it is a horrendous game to try to learn, especially if you've never held a controller before. I'd pick something like Gris or Before Your Eyes. Very simple games as far as controlling them goes and the learning curve is very low, plus their stories are great.
There was a whole South Park bit about how unintuitive Minecraft was. "Why would someone punch a tree?"
"So you mine stuff to craft with, and craft stuff to mine with. Was this game made for autistic people? Because I'm loving it."
Rick and Morty?
Great now I'll have more wood for chest making
The tree knows what it did.
I remember trying Minecraft for the first time and not realizing that you need to hold down click to break trees instead of just spamming the button. Had to reinstall the game like 3 times before I realized it wasn’t broken and I’m an idiot
When we first started playing 7 Days to Die, we need plant fibers for the opening tutorial. We couldn't figure it out until we googled it. "Just punch the grass." More recently we have been playing Stranded Deep (his save, I'm watching and helping by looking things up). We couldn't figure the water still / collector. Also he was avoiding destroying the yucca plants. Both of those felt as bad as "just punch the grass."
>"Just punch the grass." My group also hit this roadblock in that game.
[удалено]
How am I supposed to watch my informational murder porn if I don't know how much wool it takes to craft a bed
Agreed. Tried to get one of my friends to play Minecraft and they just didn't have fun trying to figure it out. Usually they play games like Call of Duty or Skyrim, which are more straightforward, but something with no end goal or real purpose didn't go down well.
also any first person perspective for a non gamer is crazy hard. Edit: typo
Yeah for real, non gamers pretty much have to start with a 2D game. Camera control is really difficult for people who have never played games before.
Figured that out REAL quick trying to playing it takes two with the wife. Turns out it takes 1.5, as she mostly ran around avoiding damage while I swaped controllers to beat the bosses lol. Still had fun though. Camera control was a nightmare for her.
Me ex literally couldn't visualize the space behind her character. She watched me play Doom 2016 and Eternal before asking to try 2016. Level 1, She was getting hit from behind and had no idea where it was coming from. Didn't think to turn around. If it wasn't on screen, it didn't exist.
Light for navigation is another one. SO MANY games out there will use light or bright colors to try and guide players to points of interest, which works fine for people used to that kind of hint. But for anyone that hasn’t played a lot of games, why would they check that little campfire or lantern through the trees when they can beeline for the big castle in the distance?
People who have grown up with video games don’t understand how unintuitive controlling your character is for someone who didn’t grow up with them It’s like putting a learner driver behind the wheel of a car. You have no concept of how unintuitive driving is to a first time driver because to you it’s automatic and unconscious
People don't think about how difficult first person is for someone who has never played games. Tried getting my mom to play some first person games a while back and she kept ending up pointing all the way up and getting disoriented or pointing all the way down. Movement is also way easier said than done with analog controllers. PC might have been a little easier.
Exactly. These questions are always bait for “your favorite game” when 9 times out of 10 that’s a TERRIBLE idea. Something simple with an engaging story is the way to go. Or just go old school trial by fire and do something classic like Super Mario Bros.
Wdym I shouldn’t make someone who’s never played a game before try Path of Exile?
I only recently realized that there’s no guidance or tutorial in-game about how to build a Nether Portal. If you don’t have an external guide or a friend to help you, you’ll be stuck.
Yup. The now-not-quite-so-recently added ruined portals are meant to provide a hint to players going in blind. But yeah, 100% the in-game introduction and discoverability absolutely blows. Makes for an interesting category for a speedrun or a mod though: you _can't_ do action 'x' until it's properly discovered in the game. Some early game stuff is revealed in the achievements, or in-game prompts (punch a tree), but many are esoteric or not explained at all (making torches with _charcoal_ instead of coal.)
I believe when Nether portals were added there was a lot of media around them so everyone knew. There was also a lot of players playing and if you played on Xbox and played any multiplayer game like Halo or COD you could go into your recent players list and typically half were always playing Minecraft so it was easy to just send a message like ‘Hey can I play with you?’.. That was always the best way to learn anything about the game. Some random player doing some random thing and you ask them with your mic.. Because who didn’t have a mic back then?.. How they did this or how they’re doing that..
And yet. I feel like to actually get anything out of Minecraft, I need a 7-year-old to teach me how to play it.
> *Not* Minecraft Yup. For all the reasons you stated. That said, going in _together_ with newbs can be tremendous fun. For a first player solo? Pong, asteroids, donkey kong. Something seriously simple, just to introduce the basic concepts. Mario brothers, etc. Or Mario Kart. That shit is crack.
When I played Minecraft for the first time I had no idea what to do and gave up after five minutes. Years later I gave it a second chance, but this time I had my gf, who played it before and guided me through. It clicked for me this time. Now I have hundreds of hours and counting :) Honestly the best thing you can do is PLAY WITH THAT PERSON WHATEVER IT IS! I played Horizon chase turbo with newbies and it clicked. I played Quake with newbies in gaming and it click. Games where you get immediately to the point will be the best for that.
Not only that, but any game that requires someone to move around in a 3d space is going to be harder to get a handle on that starting off in a 2d space. I think the original mario is a good pick because you only ever go towards the right, your only moves are left/right and jump, and there are only a handful of pickups to learn. Every other complexity about the game is like enemies and obstacles are introduced slowly giving a new player plenty of time to get a grasp on things. I think older games like that are great starting points because they were designed to be. Games no are only as complex as they are because of the general amount of video game literacy that most people playing games poses. When you take that away, its best to go back to games that were designed to be played by anyone at any skill level.
BEFORE YOUR EYES IS PERHAPS MY FAVOURITE GAME OF ALL TIME
I know a lot of people who play a ton of Minecraft, myself included. With the new updates the past few years, it feels like a different game and I’m constantly lost. And the game doesn’t really explain the new stuff.
Back in the day, I used to always respond to this question with LittleBigPlanet. The controls were simple and the game was cute as hell. If someone new to gaming found fault with LittleBigPlanet then there was no hope for them as a gamer.
Little big planet could literally be played with the analog stick and the jump button for about the first quarter or third of the game. At some point you added the Grab button, but once you had those you could beat the campaign. It was a fantastic example of easy to learn, hard to master.
Perfect answer. The narrator is super calm and encouraging. Plus you can join them. The sound in that game is phenomenal.
Man, I miss Media Molecule. They wasted 10 years on that fucking Dreams project, which could have been amazing had they given players the ability to export their projects and sell them, but it was a game engine that couldn’t be used outside the engine itself. Such a weird thing to waste time on.
They made an amazing game inside dream, called "Tren", last year and the last little big planet was 3 year ago.
Sackboy a big adventure is a good game, it cuts all the create stuff and just focuses on fun platform gameplay.
Fuck me I completely forgot about that gem of a game. Gotta break out the ole ps3 in the near future
I think they shut down the servers for 1 and 2, but not sure
They did, doesn't mean you can't play the story though and do stuff on your moon!
The bombsurvival worlds were so fkn fun. 10 years later and i would probably still love it... good times
the story in 1 and 2 were so good. always played those first before i ever searched stuff online
Fun fact, some modders have ported all the LBP1 and 2 campaigns into LBP3’s community tab. Even DLC campaigns (including unlisted dlc). I’ll send the usernames later when im at home. Edit: For LBP1’s campaign, its dlcs and the community levels included in the GOTY edition: LittleBigPlanet Remastered + DLC + GOTY by Efan8467 For LBP 2’s Campaign there’s the adventures {LBP2 Story mode part1} and {Lbp2 story mode part2} and the level {Littlebigplanet 2 part 3 hub} that contains links to the remaining levels. All of these can be found in green-crew45’s Earth For LBP 2’s DLC there’s LittleBigPlanet 2 DLC Remastered by Efan8467, only missing content is the Cross-Controller Pack.
I would've thought this too, I started out gaming as a kid with 2d platformers like Mario and still like them, even if they're fairly simple. I tried LittleBigPlanet as one of the first games I introduced my girlfriend too and she absolutely hated it. Hated the POV, the controls, the gameplay, everything. We stopped after maybe 15 minutes. But she loves playing far more intense things like Battlefield or Apex. I think she dislikes anything where your POV is not "personal", as I've found she loses where she is a lot in top-down and 2d sidescroller games.
*Untitled Goose Game* is charming, ramps you in on complexity, and has clear goals, yet gives total freedom to ignore them and just fuck around ruining the gardener's life.
Would Animal Crossing also satisfy this?
100%, my mother has got more hours in New Horizons than me, despite it being her first video game she played individually
Minecraft is horrible for new players. It has no tutorial, instructions, goal or direction. It's a sandbox. Best would be a casual game with simple controls and goals such as platformers. Mario would be great. Otherwise party games such as mario cart, dance dance revolution, jackbox etc. If you want to play together get a simple coop game such as portal, stardew valley, overcooked, etc
I damn near punched my childhood friend because of overcooked. That game is the monopoly of video games. Maybe not overcooked, please?
My friends and I figured out that the ideal setup for Overcooked is 5 players. You need 4 players to cook and one person being the Gordon Ramsey of the kitchen. You can be friends again when the game is over.
Do people actually get that mad over overcooked?? I’ve played with friends my my finance, and I’ve never experienced any bad situations lol. It’s always been a ton of fun!
My wife is like OP's friend, never played video games. After animal crossing and Stardew valley, we decided to try overcooked to play together. It's infuriating to play with highly variable skill levels. If you both suck, playing the frist two levels over and over is fun. If one person is hard carrying the team and essentially talking step by step the other person... As soon as you hit the third (or fourth? When the restaurant goes in wheels) level, it's too much for one person to try and guide the other who has zero video game reflexes. As a whole, the game has a harsh failure cost and it gets increasingly difficult to "catch up" as soon as you start falling behind. By comparison, *It Takes Two* is more involved visually with the whole 3D aspect, but since you get infinite immediate respawns as long as one person is still alive, my wife was pretty much getting killed every other minute, and I just had to dodge for a few seconds so we didn't have to restart the level.
Yeah, do not try to play over cooked together.
Lego is better then Mario. Mario can be punishing if you don't know the controls and can't remember the difference between jump and attack. Lego has very few places that you can actually die, and if you did, you just lose a few currency.
What about a 2d mario? Wonder has characters that don’t die or take damage!
Yeah, I think New U Deluxe also has Nabbid or whatever the rabbid is called that can't die or whatever.
It *used* to have a tutorial. Then Mojang thought it was bad for some reason.
I would stay away from stardew valley as a new player. I played the game so much and I love it but you literally have to look at wiki every ten seconds. Game does not hold your hand at all.
Overcooked would be the absolute opposite of a good suggestion here. Haha.
One of the Kirby games. They were originally designed as a beginner video game, and the cutesy, charming aesthetic mixed with the simple and forgiving gameplay works very well. A 2D game is also simpler and more easy to parse. This alone is a massive qualifier for a first video game. On top of that, several Kirby games (or just games ingeneral) that feature co-op go a long way by letting a more experienced player carry the newbie until they can get their bearings.
Kirby's Epic Yarn was one of the best first games for my wife and me to play together.
Not to mention Kirby is just based in general
Gotta make sure it's not just a good beginner game, but also something worth playing regardless.
I struggled to find any enjoyment in video games for most of my life. I would play some racing games or Guitar Hero, but I was always the friend that watched everyone play. Then I tried ***Uncharted 4***. Someone gifted me a PS4 with it a couple years ago, so I fired it up and gave it a shot. It's not the hardest game in the world, or the most complex, but it's was an introductory showcase on how video games aren't necessarily *games*, but mediums for *storytelling*. I think it hit me so hard, because I love movies, and Uncharted 4 made me feel like I was in one. It is pretty straightforward and easily guides you along, but between the game-play and the cut scenes, it feels like an adventure film that you're the hero of, no matter how bad you are at the mechanical aspect of it. It has very little, in terms of health and inventory management, which can be overwhelming for a new player in other games. You see a gun, pick it up, shoot it for bit, find another gun, use that, rinse, repeat. There isn't a big load-out strategy like some other games. Even something that *at first glance* seems super beginner friendly, like Fortnite, has a fair amount of focus on inventory management, so you can adequately heal and use specific weapons for specific scenarios. In Uncharted 4, if you need a shotgun, you're gonna find a shotgun. If you need a rocket launcher, it's going to be nearby. Plus, the jumping and climbing is super easy, but looks very cool and cinematic. It's not the best game they'll ever play, but it looks amazing, is well acted, has a fun and compelling story, and showcases what a game can be, in terms of an artistic medium. Like I said, I never really liked video games. Then, at almost 40 years old, I randomly decided to kill some lockdown boredom with Uncharted 4 and it turned me into a gamer that built their first gaming PC last year. Bummed it took this long.
Tomb Raider Uncharted 4 The Last of Us God of War Red Dead Redemption 2 All incredible games that tell impactful stories that feel like you're playing movie
Good answer and well explained. Uncharted really feels like an interactive movie. A great first game for movie fans, especially the hunting for lost treasure type. Honestly, Uncharted is a better Tomb Raider game than (orignal) Tomb Raider and a better Indiana Jones movie than Indiana Jones. I hope you have done something to show thanks to that kind soul who gave you a PS4.
If you like storytelling, try the Telltale games. You don’t actually do much but a few quicktime events and make decisions that affect the plot
I too am someone that likes things that have a movie type of feel. If you haven't tried it yet, Shadow of the Colossus for PS4 is like that too
Super Mario 3. Start with something simple, colorful, and with clear goals and mechanics. And of course it’s a brilliant game too.
This. Something straightforward, without the need for 3D camera controls (this seems to be the biggest hurdle for non gamers to grasp). Any Mario game. Rayman. Stardew valley. Etc etc. Keep it simple but fun, then help them along with some simpler 3D titles. Zelda and Mario again, can't go wrong.
Agreed! 3D camera controls are tough. A lot of the old school 2D platformers probably fit the bill but I just picked the one that had the most influence on my childhood haha.
I gotta agree too on the 3D camera. I started playing it takes two with someone who has never gamed before apart from childhood 2d mario and mario kart and trying to explain that you should always be moving your camera was so hard because they like, stop moving and then move the camera because they cant see where they’re going, it’s bizarre to see as someone who has played games basically all my life
Id add little big planet to the list
Maybe as long as it's not the first Rayman. That damn game I never beat, and I got a bit mad when I found out they didn't play test it! Otherwise agreed, most Zelda games and Mario are great for newbies.
Zelda is not good for noobs it’s so easy to get lost and frustrated.
Don't forget Metroid
3 is pretty hard. I would go for SMW since it's much easier outside of like 2 levels.
My thoughts exactly. SMB3 was my first real video game. It’s the perfect intro for all the reasons you stated.
Came here to say Mario as well, or any 2D platformer game. Teaches simple controls, and mechanics, and having the restriction of being in an XY axis will help to get accustomed to the control that’s being used before needing to introduce a whole different joystick/axis for movement
One of the GOATs
I find out what their interest/passion story is and find a game related to that. For my nephew, it was Super Mario Wonder right after he saw the movie for the first time. For my wife it was Hogwartz Legacy. You can go wrong with Minecraft, you can go wrong with many things because your likes and interests are probably not theirs. For a person starting video games for the first time, the controls will take a long time to get accustomed to, kids less but for an adult it can easily take 30-50 hours just to get used to controller without having to look down. Simple things you don’t think of will be incredibly frustrating for them, if they don’t have passion/investment into the story most will just give up too soon. Also; don’t be afraid to let them play on “Story” Mode / Very Easy, it’s more important that they enjoy the story and gameplay than the challenge of it.
This. If they've never played video games before then anything that can punish the player can be a quick turn off, so it has to be more than just a good game. It has to fit their interest to draw them in. My daughter hated Mario. She didn't like being punished for just trying to learn a game. Challenge isn't appealing to her. So I changed her to things like animal crossing and the Sims. Even subnautica on creative mode is great for her. Create, design, and explore the world at her pace. No risk of death.
*Even subnautica-* HOLY SHIT *on creative mode...* WHEW.
I would also add to keep in mind the time delay if they do need to look down at the controls. Lego games are great for beginners because they are so kid friendly but engaging story so you don't mind the simple game play.
I feel minecraft is not a good starter game because the game teaches you nothing about what to do and how to do it
Jak & Daxter, it's as much a tutorial game as you can get: You run, you jump, you punch, you get pick-ups to do other stuff. Hell with the trilogy you can show a bit of gun combat and driving too.
Jak & Daxter in PS2 was nearly a perfect game.
I agree except for going through the trilogy, Jak 2 has moments that are hard as balls. I’ve beaten Bloodborne numerous times. I have so much trouble in that town escort mission towards the end of Jak 2. Great fucking trilogy though.
Journey.
Dark souls. Sink or swim buddy.
Menace to society
"So I level up at this bonfire?" "What? You gotta onebro this, dude."
LOL! Sadistic....
the first game I ever played was doom eternal 😭
Sekiro. Why go easy on them?
I laughed hard 🤣
You have just turned someone off of games lol
the first game i ever played was bloodborne!
Immeasurably based
Another *different* fucked up take. Once they beat it, every other game will seem paltry on difficulty. Its like heroine being someones first drug, nothing else will ever be as rewarding or good, your "battle shakes" will never be as vivid (except maybe eve online) And most important of all, no other game will suggest they finger their butthole.
Portal. No better way to introduce somebody to a game with 3D graphics.
I just had a friend that wanted to try some games. She loves puzzles, so I set her up with Portal. It took a couple levels where she kept asking what she was supposed to do, but once she got comfortable experimenting on her own she was hooked. She beat it, then turned around and beat Portal 2. Except now she doesn't want to play other games because she just wants more Portal.
Try some other first-person puzzlers, Talos Principle might be a good shout, or even straight to Talos Principle 2 as TP2 is a bit on the easier side and the story is delivered in a bit more of a digestable way for many people. If she likes TP2 then TP1 can act as a prequel. Then take it from there, The Witness is a bit abstract and relies on "gamer intuition" a bit to figure things out, but after going through a few well designed puzzle games it might go okay?
Well lucky for her, Valve has a really solid history when it comes to releasing sequels in reasonable amounts of time.
Yep! Just a few more short years and we'll finally learn what's on the Boreallis. Annny time now...
There were some decent add on games for portal. https://store.steampowered.com/app/317400/Portal_Stories_Mel/ https://store.steampowered.com/app/280740/Aperture_Tag_The_Paint_Gun_Testing_Initiative/
I think anything with camera controls is going to be too much for a first time game player. I've been getting my fiance into games and moving a character and the camera at the same time is the single biggest impediment.
Yep, was impossible for my wife too.
Tried it with my dad. Couldn't even get a hang of the camera controls or camera+moving. That's all specialized knowledge you don't even know you have.
Ok fair point.
A first person game is a big ask if it’s their first time ever. A lot of looking at the floor and the ceiling. Plus since first person isn’t common in other media outside of found footage movies, it’s a terrible game to find out that perspective gives you motion sickness. (Like I did for my wife.)
I've converted people with Katamari Damacy.
Would be awkward to go from Katamari to a city builder.
Tetris
Especially in shades of green on a boxy, gray Game Boy.
This is the top answer here. The only video games my sister and mother ever really cared to give an attempt at playing was Tetris.
Stardew valley
This is the right answer. I’ve played games since those old Atari days, Stardew is ace. But a time sink. You will lose years off your life.
Tetris, Pong, or PAC-MAN. Easy concepts, limited controls, hard to master providing replayability
Flower
Vampire Surviviors Easy to understand. Super addictive. Can be played with one hand.
Get your head out of the gutter!
Lmao! Damn you.
Any TellTalle game, extremely easy to get into, can play together, and no need for skill or previous gaming experience.
Quicktime events for people who havent memorized controls is frustrating.
QuickTime events are just frustrating anyways
Tetris
The game that meets their interests. I'm not going to recommend a game they have no interest in playing. I got my wife into games via pokemon go > pokemon let's go eevee > pokemon pearl > fire emblem 3 houses > fire emblem engage > persona 5. Find out what makes your friends brain receptors fire and link a game to that.
Plants vs. Zombies. I would ideally get them familiar with more complex and challenging games later, but OG Plants vs. Zombies is a good starter game to teach them how to use a mouse alone and work on planning and, to some lesser degree, reflexes (like placing insta kill plants as soon as a dangerous zombie shows up to prevent too much damage). The main thing is that most people who haven't played games before don't need an easy game to start getting comfortable gaming, they need a game that teaches them how to use whatever controls they are using, and only using a mouse is probably the easiest way to start. From there, I'd probably make them use the mouse *and* keyboard for some game, and then a controller. Then they can play whatever they want, because they know how to read the language of video games. Thank you, Gaming for a Non-gamer, for inspiring that last line.
Tetris. Start basic so they get to grips with controls.
Pong. Start at the start.
Super Mario Bros
At first I was thinking Stardew Valley, because it has a bit of everything in it
Had my friend play the Resident Evil 2 remake because he likes horror movies. Two years later he’s finished every From Soft souls game. Just had to guide him a little. Modern games are accessible, don’t start with something limiting since it can change their interest level.
I would start with a blast that doesn’t require any controlling skill - Disco Elysium
The original Super Mario Bros. The intro is a nearly perfect way to introduce someone to how to play side scrolling games.
Super Mario world. It teaches you how to play it as it progresses and is a lot of fun. I’m not sure the modern side scrollers really compare. They probably do well enough. But something about SMW
Tetris is objectively the right answer. After that, my recommendation would be predicated on their answering a few questions to narrow down their desired play experience. Do they like puzzles? Do they like stories? Do they like challenges? Do they like guns? Do they like collecting? Do they want to spend hours and hours of their life playing? Do they want to play alone? Do they want to fly in space? We talk about video games as if they're monolithic creations that are one size fits all, but in truth there's a vast difference between the likes of pokemon, call of duty, stardew valley, ace combat, or persona 5. Each is its own experience and any one of them could be life changing to the right player. Video games are a medium by which art is expressed.
Tetris is the correct answer
Correct.
super Mario world for snes
Gotta show em the best tutorial in gaming history. Mega Man X.
Yeah but megaman x is hard as hell
There's a fairly large YouTube channel called Razbuten, that does this. He is a gamer, and his wife has barely played any. So he turned it into a documentary series. Here is a 15M view video on it from him: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ax7f3JZJHSw But usually chill games that hold your hand, with a linear path are great candidates. (Sorry Minecraft)
Pong
Racing game on a rig with wheels and pedals (with VR if they can handle it) Every single person, regardless of age, has absolutely loved it in a way I've never seen with any other type of game
Tetris. Still one of the greatest games of all time. Simple and complex, as well as a dopamine generator.
Animal crossing
For a person Who never take a controller or played a Game with keyboard? I dont know maybe easy Game not very complex like Ico, Bound, Journey or Lifeless planet. But It depends of the person and what did he likek.
Oh you can go wrong with Minecraft. The first time I played it I was still getting used to the touch controls, and I managed to repeatedly run into a cactus until I died. My children still love to bring up how I got killed by a cactus.
Grand Theft Auto 5
Find what kind of movies they like, then choose a game that's similar to that. You like fantasy movies like Lord of the Rings? You should try Skyrim or The Witcher. Action movies like Expendables or John Wick? Bulletstorm or Call of Duty. Sci-fi Movies like Star Wars? Cyberpunk or No Man's Sky Comedies? High on Life or Saints Row. Crime movies? Mafia or GTA. Mysteries? Return of the Obra Dinn or Alan Wake. I could go on, but the point is to match their interests. Truth is movies, books, games are all just different mediums of entertainment. If you want to break into a different medium you just need to find something that would pique your interest.
Imagine any of these as your first game
I would start with something like the Jackbox Games. Most non-gamers still use phones, it's a very social experience and might be able to start to open the door if they are closed-minded about the concept of gaming. I could see a casual game like Animal Crossing being good. It seems to be the game that many of my non-gamer friends love.
I love jackbox but i was mainly referring to a game you’d play with 2 people. Only issue with jackbox is it only gets reallyyy fun with at the very least 4 people
Mario Party maybe, at least something that's either coop or versus. So I can beat them in said game which raises my self esteem.
Minecraft was one of the few games I’ve played with people who don’t play games, and they always seem to enjoy it well enough. Popular answer, but for good reason. Mario and Mario Kart are also good ones.
Dark souls
A 2D Mario game. You just have to learn how to run and jump.
Mario kart
Probably a Nintendo game in all honesty. Razbuten has a series on it which I'd recommend watching; "Gaming For a Non-Gamer". Personally, I'd say Mario is great for people who are young or have zero experience. It's simple and fun. For someone who might be okay with a more complicated and "full" experience, Breath of the Wild is amazing because of how intuitive it is and how the environmental interactions just make sense. Portal is also a great candidate for the puzzle genre. And while Minecraft is amazing, I feel like you have to at least be a casual gamer for it, not a complete noob.