Good games to play with young children

[dacencora]

Duck Tales is a great game for kids. The remastered version is pretty nice too.

 

[The Decline]

Since the classic Sonic games were already recommended. I suggest this fangame:

That's how I imagine the 3D Sega Saturn Sonic game would have been like; the classic style, but in 3D environments. Instead we got Sonic Adventure and it's abominable spawn.

 

[Zed Duke of Banville]

Got any recommendations for (preferably PC) games that are suitable to be played with kids? Mine are fairly young, so let's put the age limit at 8 years or so.

I'm not particularly interested in explicit kids' games - meaning the Paw Patrols and whatnot of the world - but sure, you can put a word in for those too if they're genuinely good to play.

The games should have:
* Minimal English communication
* Not too much text
* No graphical violence
* No horror elements
* Simple controls

Lemmings contains graphical violence, but it's the sort of cartoonish violence enjoyed by kids since it involves the lemmings dying in various amusing ways:

 

[DJOGamer PT]

Sonic especially

As long as you don't let them play too much sonic. The sonic fanbase is always a reminder of what can happens.

Furries are first and foremost the result of bad parenting (chiefly absentee parents) - and secondly a dysfunctional teenagehood
Otherwise, if kids being regularly exposed to anthropomorphic characters was the most significant factor in the creation of furries, then half of the kids born in the 90's would be furries

As well as all posters here that played a significant amount of time of Elders Scrolls games before they were 16...

 

[Viata]

3D Sega Saturn Sonic game

Tbh, we almost got it:

 

[ELEXmakesMeHard]

 

[Sjukob]

Got any recommendations for (preferably PC) games that are suitable to be played with kids? Mine are fairly young, so let's put the age limit at 8 years or so.

Why not let the kids play some beat'em'ups and shoot'em'ups? These were the kind of games I was playing when I was about their age.

 

[Glop_dweller]

https://boredhumans.com/falling_sand.php

Or...

gog.com/en/game/super_3d_noahs_ark

 

[Clockwork Knight]

Maybe House of Da Vinci and the sequel. Didn't play but from what I've seen it looks like they fit in with some of the games mentioned in the op

https://store.steampowered.com/app/522470/The_House_of_Da_Vinci/

There is a hidden jumpscare/easter egg I know of but it's hard to find without trying to (for the achievement). Depends on the kids' tolerance for shaking JPGs of a skeleton but if they're intentionally seeking cheevos they probably don't care.

This achievement is MISSABLE. To unlock it, you need to go at the back of the scriptorium (in the Sacra Di San Michele chapter) and wait 60 seconds. The ghost will appear eventually for a short time and thus, unlocking the achievement.

 

[Jonathan "Zee Nekomimi]

lego series of games
Grim Fandango
Fez
Cat Quest 1 and 2
Kath Rain (maybe)
Moving Out
Rogue Heroes: Ruins of Talos
Scribblenauts unlimited
Bug Fables
Forwand to the sky

 

[Generic-Giant-Spider]

MATH BLASTER.



LEARNING IS FUN, MOM.

 

[Riskbreaker]

Colourful, polished, visually very distinct levels, overworld to explore & with light puzzles to solve, some space for experimentation via the potions that alter the way the platforming levels play.


Otherwise, you really can't go wrong with some MAME or SNES emulation.

 

[Konjad]

Cruelty Squad
Soldier of Fortune
Carmageddon
Postal 2

 

[<3sRichardSimmons]

OP: “Low on text”

This thread: “Scribblenauts”

 

[Silverfish]

Lumines, nigga.

 

[GreyViper]

Seconded on Lemmings, I suppose LEGO games can be fun, again depends on fancy, if possible play normal chess with your children.

 

[Daemongar]

With my daughter - we both really enjoyed playing "Beyond Good and Evil" which never got too violent or such. And it had a lot of fun moments. A combination adventure, racing, and combat type game - with stealth thrown in as well as item collecting. There is a bit of communication, but there are a few languages to choose from.

With my son, we played "A Boy and his Blob" on the Wii but they seem to have a more colorful version available for PC now. Nice puzzle game that gets more progressively complex as you go along. Very little communication, and not required to advance the story.

 

[Young_Hollow]

And for those that like Pokemon; https://play.pokemonshowdown.com

 

[Fedora Master]

Viva Pinata

W O B B L E D O G S

 

[El Pollo Diablo]

Some games my son enjoys or enjoyed before

- Lego games, especially the Marvel Superheroes ones. Also has local multiplayer.
- Minecraft (you can put it in creative/peaceful mode if you don't want any violence)
- Chuchel
- Untitled Goose Game

And of course various Nintendo games on the Switch. Super Mario Odyssey is fine.

Recently (he's 8) he started playing some more challenging ones such as
- Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair
- Crash Bandicoot 4 Its About Time
- Baba is You

 

[udm]

more steam games

gog games

https://af.gog.com/en/game/revolt?as=1649904300
https://af.gog.com/en/game/star_wars_episode_i_racer?as=1649904300
https://af.gog.com/en/game/pajama_sam_vol_1?as=1649904300
https://af.gog.com/en/game/lego_star_wars_the_complete_saga?as=1649904300
https://af.gog.com/en/game/vvvvvv?as=1649904300
https://af.gog.com/game/slipstream_5000?as=1649904300

Strongly recommend Anna's Quest. It's definitely a kids' game without being too much in "Paw Patrol" territory (unlike Humongous Games' titles). However, I don't know if that will meet your "minimal English communication" criterion, as it is an adventure game after all.

 

[udm]

Three more Steam recommendations (because of the 5-media item limit)

 

[ADL]

It's one of the last Ubisoft games to release on Steam too.

 

[gerey]

It's one of the last Ubisoft games to release on Steam too.

Just FYI, don't let the kids play the original Rayman, not unless you enjoy watching them suffer. The game is brutally difficult.

As others have said, LEGO games are a pretty safe bet, they're engaging enough without getting too difficult, and if they spark an interest in playing with real LEGO sets then all the better.

Nintendo games are another safe bet, most of the Mario games are fun to play, but especially stuff like Mario Galaxy or Odyssey if you don't think the children are ready for too much retro stuff. If they are, there's all the older Mario games for the SNES, N64, Gamecube, Wii etc. Also, maybe look into PS2 platformers like Ratchet and Clank, Jax and Daxter or Sly Cooper - they all focus on different aspects, shooting, platforming and sneaking respectively. I think all of them have remasters for the PS3/PS4.

For puzzle games there's stuff like Incredible Machine and the various spinoffs and clones, also very fun just to mess around with. Maybe Lemmings? Pikmin is another fun one, though I don't know how much of a language barrier it may be.

If we're talking something more complex, why not go with Advanced Wars? You'd still need to explain to them what each unit does, but if they can master HoMM3 then this series shouldn't be an issue.

 

[Conan]

Where on earth is Carmen sandiego

 

[Ippolit]

Goof Troop on an emulator (or maybe a real SNES?) should be a lot of fun, especially in two-player mode.