Game Recommendation Challenge

[Savagezion]

Here is a challenge for you guys. My nieces got a computer this Christmas for gaming. Please read all of this as it pertains. They are 8 and 10 years old. They like Minecraft, Skylanders, Mario, Sims Kingdom, and Rollercoaster Tycoon. These aren't the only games they have played, they are just the only games that they have continued to play. As you can tell, the deeper the mechanics or reliance on story, the less interested they are. They aren't against it, but the mechanics must stay simplistic in nature and the gameplay must not break away beyond what Skylanders does or they lose interest within the first 20 mins. They want to play a story, not play along one. Now the challenge. The game must be on Steam.

I have considered Castle Crashers and Terraria but I think Terraria is going to lose out to Minecraft. They both watch a lot of Minecraft videos on YouTube and their little minds will definitely compare them and Terraria will lose out as all their friends play Minecraft. It's had became quite a 'thing' at their school since I showed it to them last spring. So Terraria is out for now, trust me. BTW Skylanders story is really just cheap dialogue to move you from 1 easy puzzle to the next with some mobs thrown in to beat up for reference. Games with simplistic design mostly without too much story emphasis that are on Steam.

Thanks to anyone up for the challenge. I want to try stepping them up a bit if I can, but it needs to be baby steps. Suggesting Psychonauts is a little much ATM. I would love to have them play it, but they struggle with the games already listed which are piss easy. I can romp Skylanders with 1 Skylander. They play sandbox RCT3. I am just looking for some stuff to expand their horizons a bit.

P.S. Limbo is another I was considering.

 

[Smooth Operator]

Well first off do not go anywhere near Skylanders, it is an incredibly cheap game but they charge you out of the arse for it because they know the kids will pester you for more shit until you either massacre the family or just bloody buy it.

Terraria is a good fit, yes they will need more time to get into it but I'm betting they are bored as hell of Minecraft, also pointing them in the right direction (towards bosses) is advisable.
Torchlight 1&2 are a nice cartoony adventure games and if you keep it on easy they will have one heck of a time.

Other then that I would just go on the Steam indie section, you got a billion flavors of silly going on there.

 

[Aeshi]

Spiral Knights sounds like it would fit right in with that list, given how most of what you said about Skylanders could just as easily be applied to SK.

 

[Laluune]

Not a game per say. But Neopets had me enthralled for a good decade http://www.neopets.com/

Does it need to be co-op or can they play single?

 

[RedAce]

i got my sister the kirby's return to dream land thing and she enjoyed it

 

[Bad Jim]

Why doess it have to be on Steam? Mario and Minecraft aren't on Steam.

Anyway, here's a list of Steam games that may be suitable:

Portal 1 & 2
Trine 1 & 2
Sonic generations
Crayon Physics
World of Goo
Orcs Must Die 1 & 2
Evil Genius

 

[Savagezion]

Well first off do not go anywhere near Skylanders, it is an incredibly cheap game but they charge you out of the arse for it because they know the kids will pester you for more shit until you either massacre the family or just bloody buy it.

Terraria is a good fit, yes they will need more time to get into it but I'm betting they are bored as hell of Minecraft, also pointing them in the right direction (towards bosses) is advisable.
Torchlight 1&2 are a nice cartoony adventure games and if you keep it on easy they will have one heck of a time.

Other then that I would just go on the Steam indie section, you got a billion flavors of silly going on there.

I already got them Skylanders and about 8-10 figures for Christmas. XD Don't worry, I knew what a consumer trap it was and warned their parents. It's even more devious than that too. Yesterday I bought them an Earth Skylander because they didn't have one and needed one to get further. (Yeah) I do agree with you on Terraria but they are far from bored of Minecraft. They got PCs for Christmas to stop the fighting, and the PC hounding and hogging. The 8 year old is especially hooked, she even refers to Minecraft parody songs as if they play on the radio and everyone knows about them. Unfortunately, they just aren't ready to give Terraria a fair shake just yet.
Torchlight is an interesting suggestion I hadn't thought of. I may end up trying that out.

Spiral Knights sounds like it would fit right in with that list, given how most of what you said about Skylanders could just as easily be applied to SK.

Awesome, that is Free to boot. I'll have them check it out.

Not a game per say. But Neopets had me enthralled for a good decade http://www.neopets.com/

Does it need to be co-op or can they play single?

I am not sure how much they would play Neopets, I will show them though. I used to play Neopets so am fairly familiar with it and they used to play a game called club penguin. Not sure how similar they are but we'll see.

Thanks for the help guys, it has helped. I have been in the rated M section so long that I have accidentally hit a spot where I am unfamiliar with E and T (lol) rated titles a bit. This actually stumped me. Any more suggestions are welcome. The 8 year old wants a game where you can play as a girl however Torchlight already helps there and curiosity is going to end up having me get them to try it out. Yesterday I got to thinking that when I was their age, I already had a few games under my belt that I had beaten, and I don't think they do. Skylanders might be their first. (Sadly I am hoping it is, I'll pay money to have them expand out and try actually conquering challenges.

 

[Savagezion]

Why doess it have to be on Steam? Mario and Minecraft aren't on Steam.

Anyway, here's a list of Steam games that may be suitable:

Portal 1 & 2
Trine 1 & 2
Sonic generations
Crayon Physics
World of Goo
Orcs Must Die 1 & 2
Evil Genius

I am sticking to steam for now because after the holidays, cash is strapped and the games need to be around 5 bucks. Plus, my brother and sister in law aren't game savvy. (Casual household) I am trying to make it easier on them, plus I can pick up games and gift them to bypass entirely. Steam is very welcoming to someone outside the digital gaming distribution environment. Later, I will show them GoG once they get more comfortable with steam. Wii and PS3 is also an option but I would like to get the girls aware of PC gaming before they get it in their heads that consoles are better at it. I want them to know its a whole additional market.

I had considered portal but as soon as it gets "hard" they'll quit. It isn't a bad suggestion by any means, but it is going to take time to get them there. I think they need to beat a couple simple games to get a taste for conquering a game then it might come easier and easier. I want to have them play Tomb Raider (the original) personally but I know they won't last. Evil Genius is way above their pay grade, but the others seem promising. Thanks for the additions.

 

[Bad Jim]

I had considered portal but as soon as it gets "hard" they'll quit.

Portal 2 has a map editor which is easy to use. If they get stuck in the story they can still mess around in that.

 

[Savagezion]

I mostly want them to try to complete a game. They have LBP2 on PS 3 and they make lvls but it is usually a bunch of bees or mice with nothing else. They don't really know what they are doing in an editor - however they will tinker with it if they are bored with everything else. I know many 8-10 year olds could handle portal. These girls were introduced to gaming by a mom that pretty much only played frogger on play station and is Facebook crazy. Their dad can't make it through Batman Arkham Asylum because he thinks it is too story centric and cutscene heavy. He plays Call of Duty multiplayer, Guitar Hero, and despite swearing he is a Zelda fan, hasn't beat put more than maybe 10-20 hours into one since Link to the Past. He may have crested that with OoT, but not by much. I know he didn't get far beyond when you "grow up". He sandboxes GTA3 and thinks the story missions are dumb and pointless. As you can see the whole family sees games as sandboxes. Which is fine, and the 10 year old will probably follow suit. However, the 8 year old has a gaming spark I would like to help her explore. She watches me play some of my games a lot. She loves Skyrim but gets overwhelmed if she picks up the controller oddly. That is a sandbox RPG but I have shown her that most things I do have a point in it as that is my personal playstyle. She likes watching me play mirrors edge and the batman Arkham games as well. But she if handed the controller she dies constantly even on easy so prefers to watch despite wanting to play. She gets discouraged easy and this leads to ultimately quitting if the game takes its time telling a story too. If I can find a game she can beat the hell out of, I think she will beat the crap out of it many times then get the urge to conquer a new one.

This seeps into other areas, not just gaming. She is easily discouraged period. I think though that I could possibly use gaming (an interest in her) to help her battle that. Sparing you further psychological profile of her, I think she needs a confidence booster and gaming is a place I can help her draw it from. I just need a game that is really interactive to keep her at it, and easy enough so that she can conquer it and feel a sense of achievement. I am liking Torchlight more and more honestly as I can play with her and help her beat it.

The 10 year old is her mothers daughter and will never move beyond this level of play most likely. But that is fine as I am seeking games at this lvl of play currently. I am looking for games for her merely so she can have more reasons to use her computer. But I figure while I am at it, I may as well see what happens if I introduce her to something more linear and focused.

 

[Bad Jim]

P.S. Limbo is another I was considering.

If you won't consider Portal, you probably shouldn't consider Limbo. It's a puzzler like Portal and has a few tricky puzzles. I'd say they are a lot more likely to be stumped by Limbo than Portal.

That said, one thing these puzzle games have in common is that they are short. It took me 30 hours to beat Torchlight (albeit on Very Hard), but about 5 to beat Portal. If they get stuck on a puzzle you can help them, but if they get bored after 20 hours there's not much you can do.

 

[janjotat]

Dungeon defenders seems to fit he bill. Its shortish, but has a lot of replay-ability.
you could try Bastion, its amazing, but more story heavy than they are used to

 

[Bocaj2000]

The might like the Pheonix Wright series. Professor Layton is also a good choice.

 

[ThriKreen]

If there's two of them, how about the Lego series, since it features local coop?

 

[ohnoitsabear]

If there's two of them, how about the Lego series, since it features local coop?

Yes, this. The LEGO series has many advantages for your situation. They're easy to pick up, they have stories that are easy to follow and don't interfere with gameplay (and in many cases, are already familiar), and most importantly, they're fun.

Bastion might be another one to try. It's fun, and relatively easy and forgiving (although some of the challenges can get tricky). It's worth looking at, at any rate.