Recommend a non-violent videogame

[Thaius]

I hope you have a DS, as it has some of the medium's best in this field. That is to say, the Phoenix Wright games, the Professor Layton games, Hotel Dusk: Room 215, and freaking Elite Beat Agents. All amazing games.

I also recommend Heavy Rain; though it has plenty of violence, it's not all centered around it and the gameplay is in no way built around it. It's also one of the best story-based games out there (and yes, it's a game; anyone who says it's too much like a movie has apparently seen a movie where their choices dictate the ending).

Does Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords count? You are fighting things, but the battle system is a Bejeweled-esque puzzle game. And it's freaking awesome.

EDIT: Also, Clannad. But it's tough to get a hold of; ask any visual novel fans here on the site. But it will make you cry, absolutely guaranteed. Clannad makes everyone cry. Clannad makes rocks cry. Clannad made me cry (and I never cried in shows or movies before then) then continued to gloat about how much it broke me by making me cry at everything since; seriously, I cry in everything now because of that show. Though admittedly, it's easier to get a hold of the anime than the original game. Maybe just go with that, but know it's based on a game.

 

[GenericPCUser]

... Portal...

 

[unicron44]

If you are a sports fan at all, go with any of the MLB: The Show games if you have PS2 or PS3.

Tony Hawk is always a good choice as well.

 

[cainx10a]

Took advantage of the Sony's welcome prog and grabbed Little Big Planet. Game brought a few tears to my eyes on how cutesy it is.

 

[rutcommapat]

Mortal Kombat. They all just want a hug.

 

[trooper6]

I haven't played it yet myself, but Rebecca Mayes said in her song review of Batman: Arkham Asylum that you don't have to kill anyone to complete the game.

I played Splinter Cell and Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow without killing anyone--it isn't completely possible...but I was able to do many of the levels using only non violent means.

Silent Hill 2 I mostly ran away from monsters.

I believe you can do all of Mirror's Edge without killing anyone. I haven't killed anyone so far...but I'm also stuck on a dumb wall run-sideways jump onto a platform sequence.

All the racing games.
All the sports games.
Frogger
Pac-Man
Pong
That one game I had for my handspring where you were a drug dealer...and the one where you were a space trader...those were both basically economics Sims. Very Fun.

I haven't played Beyond Good and Evil yet...but I hear that qualifies.

Luxor!
Myst
Marble Madness

The Path
Flower

You can play EVE online completely non-violently (other people aren't though---but I wasn't really interested in fighting so I did bunches of trading and mining and crafting)

Does Minecraft have violence in it?

Still Life is about tracking down a serial killer, but you don't engage in violence much yourself, since you are the investigator...that's an Adventure game...and I'd say most of that genre would be pretty light on the violence, heavy on the puzzles--thought there is a lot of blood and gore...but it isn't glorified. It is shown as bad.

Feist
Kudos
Dangerous High School Girls in Trouble

That Wii game where you were a surgeon.

Is there any violence in the Ace Pheonix games?

I can't imagine there is any violence in Barbie Horse Adventures or Cooking Mama.

Hm...I could probably think of more...but I think I've given enough examples.

 

[jacobythehedgehog]

Portal is a good one, Trace Memory, Myst. Little Big Planet

 

[CRAVE CASE 55]

Gears of War...

All kidding aside I like Forza Motorsports games

 

[starwarsgeek]

Guitar Hero.

Ummm...and Rock Band?

Portal...well, you blow up robots. I guess destruction of property would also be considered violent.

Minecraft...on peaceful mode.

Yeah, that's I've got. I need to get more non-violent games...

 

[NellNell]

Dead Space! Oh wait wrong thread...

Try Pokemon or maybe Portal... wait that has turrets.. yeah I got nothing.

 

[Chaos James]

Harvest Moon (though not an Action game) is a non-violent game and a fun one at that.

Pong
F-Zero X
SNES Test Program
Dizzy the Adventurer
Excite Bike

About all I can come up with off the top of my head.

I think you could throw in Dead or Alive: Xtreme Beach Volleyball 2*

*Unless death by boredom is a possibility.

 

[inFAMOUSCowZ]

Animal Crossing or viva Pinata are great choices.

 

[Jewrean]

Transport Tycoon Open Source
http://www.openttd.org/en/
I've spent many many hours creating the perfect system of airports and train stations in this game. A bit tricky to learn at first, but it is very rewarding once you decide to build massive projects (ie: a railway system that spans the entire length of the world with 100s of trains on the same track). Free. For a similar experience and a more up to date one then go for the Roller Coaster Tycoon series. A much more interesting topic for most and a much more updated game by the same people. Not free though.

AudioSurf
Most people know of this game already. It generates a track based on your song selection. Then based on the rules you either have to collect all of the coloured blocks in a certain order or avoid them entirely! Very addictive and on Steam now. Not Free. If you are looking for something old school and much much harder then I recommend the DOS game Skyroads which AudioSurf is very similar to.

Monty Python - Quest for the Holy Grail
For any people that prefer to just click around and have a good laugh then this is what I recommend. Unfortunately I haven't been able to get this game working on newer PCs due to compatibility issues. Still good for a laugh. Not sure where you would buy this. I suppose this is violent but in a stupid goofy sort of way based on the movie.

Another similar thread:
http://au.gamespot.com/forums/topic/25458879

 

[Epicspoon]

I noticed recently that the vast majority of my games (over 80%) could be easily classified as violent--they are mostly based around killing things with guns, swords, lead pipes &c. My library of books, films, and television has a completely different ratio (almost the opposite). This is an embarrassing result, either for me or for gaming in general.

Thus I want to know if there are any good non-violent games. Let violent games be defined as games that (a) require or encourage the elimination of enemies by physical means (guns, swords, jumping on their heads (that's right, I am classifying the Mario games as violent! Hope you like a challenge) &c.), or (b) involve considerable amounts of blood and gore.

For additional points, recommend a non-violent action game. Let action games be defined as games that (a) give players a large degree of control over a single character, (b) use a first- or third-person camera, and (c) place a large emphasis on movement.

So far, this is what I have come up with:
Machinarium, and other point-and-click games.
TheBIT.TRIP games.
Various platformers, e.g. Canabalt and VVVVVV.

Action games would include:
AaAaAA!!!- A Reckless Disregard for Gravity.
Portal and Portal 2.
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater and its sequels.

So, any other good non-violent games that I and others should be aware of?

Katamari. any of them. there I win.

 

[The87Italians]

Fortress Craft on the xbox live arcade. Essentially Mine Craft with no chance of anything being violent at all. Seriously, all you do is build stuff out of an infinite supply of blocks that can't move.

 

[Chibz]

Bubble Bobble. Instead of killing enemies you trap them in bubbles.

Spoiler

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[EHKOS]

The Bible game for ps2

/thread

 

[Epicspoon]

Gears of War...

All kidding aside I like Forza Motorsports games

remember that part in gears of war when you get to use the sunshine gun to turn all your enemies into friendly kittens and the proceed to adopt them out to homeless children who just need a friend?

 

[infohippie]

Theme Park World, Sim Hospital, SimCity, The Sims... I'm getting real tired of typing the word "Sim" so I'll say... umm... Hello Kitty Online?

...

...

What? You didn't say they had to be fun, did you?

 

[Hemlet]

Oolite and Minecraft can both be played completely non-violently, although you have to be a bit more careful and loads more patient in Oolite to be able to do that.

Animal Crossing is obvious, unless you want to get really technical with it about how fishing and bug catching could be construed as animal cruelty.

Various puzzle games come to mind.

I WOULD say Penumbra if not for those certain scenes...

The Sims comes to mind, although to be honest there are some things that are worse than violence. Like the unbelievable amounts of psychological torment you can put a single Sim through, let alone a town's worth of them.

Music games are also viable options

Harvest Moon is a game about farming. Not much to say about that.

Simulation games would also fit this category.

It's possible to play Morrowind non-violently, since it's the only Elder Scrolls game so far that doesn't run you through a training dungeon. You'll be bored as all get out and won't have much to do, but you COULD play it non-violently.

Educational games meet this criteria as well.

There's a fun little freeware title called Tag: The Power of Paint that's completely non-violent. It's on the short side, but pretty fun. I think it was made before Portal 2, but if I were to describe it it would be the game where you just mess around with Portal 2's gels. Including the one that lets you walk around on walls and ceilings that was cut because it caused motion sickness.

It's possible to play some MMOs non-violently. You'll probably die a lot but it's possible.