What games would you make your children play?

[GrumbleGrump]

So, let's say that you can make your kid play a game all the way through, in order to make them apreciate something that you have apreciated from it.

My choice would be Dark Souls, in order to make them apreciate patience, observation, and working through frustration.

What's is your choice then, escapists?

 

[FakeSympathy]

Kingdom Hearts
With so much colors, FF cameos, and disney characters, I would let my kids play. I also want to see just how far they would go to help their friends after seeing Sora's adventure.

Batman Arkham Asylum, City, and Knight
I will show my kids just how much of an awesome superhero batman is. They would also learn what kind of moral they would need to have to face this world

Any of RTS or Tycoon games
These games will teach them how not to be wasteful with their money/whatever they have and be smart and resourceful. It might honed their management skills if they are majoring in business/management in the future

 

[Bob_McMillan]

The LEGO games. Because they're fun, LEGO is fun, and they're great entries into the gaming world.

 

[Casual Shinji]

Whatever game they want to play that's within their age range. Pretty boring maybe, but I think I'd just stick to what's on the box.

 

[NPC009]

Making them play something just because I happen to like it/think it's important is mean They're kids, they're just trying to have fun and develop their own tastes. Considering the length of the avarage game, making them play through one could cost dozens of hours - time that could be better spend if the kid's not into it.

Of course, I'd make sure they have atleast some great games available to them. Considering Nintendo systems are practically immortal, they have access to a bunch of classics on the Wii U. Of course, Nintendo classics and Minecraft are all the little ones in the family ever want to play, so if I had a kid he/she would probably be pushed in that direction by the others anyway.

 

[Hawki]

Wait, what?

If I had children, why would I MAKE them play games? I mean, don't get me wrong, there's lots of things that you should make a child do (keeping clean, going to sleep, etc.), but as far as recreation goes, I'd be very uneasy about making them do something they don't want to do. Especially games. Books, maybe, but I'd like to think I could do a good job of catering to their desires while also giving them worthwhile, intellectually stimulating and/or morally sound material. Not saying games can't provide either of those things (though let's face it, it's not common), but I think games is something they'd be better off discovering for themselves rather than me forcing it on them.

 

[Imperioratorex Caprae]

Well for one thing, you could make them play a game but there's no way to actually force them to appreciate it. And furthermore, being a parent, trying to force a kid to do something with the intent of ensuring appreciation will have directly opposite effects with major possibility of resentment and likely hatred of said thing, even if its fun. No kid enjoys being made to do something.

Instead one should find creative ways of suggesting games to play, start early in life. If one wants to foster appreciation say of the 8-bit era of games, introduce them to the NES or an emulator and limit their play to that console. Give them a range of games to try and let them find their own appreciation. Then graduate them to 16-bit and such, advancing through the PS1/N64 to Dreamcast/PS2/Xbox.

But really you can't force it.

I'd love for kids to try more classics of all the eras.

 

[Kyrian007]

Oh God, it's a good thing I'm never having kids. My kids would HATE videogames.

"No Son, I won't get you Deus Ex 5 until you get proper appreciation for the series by playing the first one. I got it on GoG, now you retrogame until you earn the right to play the current version."

Naa, I wouldn't be THAT bad. But they'd definitely be sick of me going on and on about how much better games were in my day before all the content got replaced by volumetric lighting, and depth got replaced by godrays and bloom.

 

[Nazulu]

I couldn't force them to play anything, that's just cruel. Boring answer but... naaah, Fuck it! I'll be evil this time.
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqBR8knRM2w

Super Metroid, because if I had an amazing 3 days playing through the stupendous level design, certainly my children will! They'll have to learn the boss patterns and look out for the hidden paths just like me.

Undertale, because it'll fuck with them. I'm sure of it.

And Half Life, because every time I watch someone play that for the first time, it's hilarious! No one can ever predict whats coming next.

 

[aozgolo]

I think a better question is what game do you most want to expose your child to, I'm sure implicit force or coercion isn't so much the point of this thread or the OP's intent so much as it is to find out what games you would give to your own child hoping they develop a similar appreciation for it.

I think the one that sticks out for me would probably be Legend of Mana. I think of most PS1 era games, it's graphics have aged the best, and it has a lot of fun gameplay, really cute interesting stories, and is very accessible while still maintaining some depth to it's systems and lore. You can appreciate it just at surface level as a decent little action RPG with colorful hand-painted style graphics and an interesting way of building up it's story through several smaller seemingly disconnected parts. Yet it can also be enjoyed in a more in depth way, mastering the workshops, monster raising, and map/artifact placement as well as learning new combos and techniques really opens up the game, and there's tons of little hidden touches to the world that really expands the lore and enriches all the stories and characters you meet. I think it's a great entry-point for a young person to be able to enjoy a classic older game without it feeling dated.

 

[Wrex Brogan]

Dead Space, Doom, P.T, Silent Hill, Amnesia: Dark Descent, Darkest Dungeon and Alien: Isolation.

little motherfuckers aren't gonna jump at anything after I'm done with them.

 

[Keoul]

Spec Ops the Line
I don't know about any overarching messages, I just want to see their reaction.

 

[Shymer]

I have kids and introduced them to gaming. They play games I see little value in - but also some that I appreciate.

However I have shown them all sorts of different games - some old - some new - that I've enjoyed - and I bought my eldest Democracy 3, because he keeps asking questions about "why doesn't the government...?" and I wanted him to begin to see how lots of seemingly simple government decisions have ramifications. He played it for a while - then I played it with him - and then he went back to his preferred games. I'm not sure if he'll come back, but it was worth the effort I think.

It's a bit like a music collection. There are times you can subject them to your taste (locked in a car on a long journey), but at some point they will be old enough to subject you to dubstep while you're ferrying them around. Be cautious.

 

[verdant monkai]

Pokemon: Any version my favourite is red purely due to nostalgia but they are all the same.

Tales of Vesperia: I'd argue that tales of would be a better gateway to JRPG's than final fantasy. Remember this hypothetical spawn would be a future child and less likely to play something as old as one of the pre final fantasy X entries, as it would look too basic and old.

Oblivion: or the latest entry in the elder scrolls series give them something to do for the next few years. I'll have no Fallout played in my house.

Dynasty Warriors: It would be fun and would teach them a loose exaggerated outline of Chinese Han Dynasty history.

 

[WhiteFangofWhoa]

I think most kids would resent it if you forced them to play a game and got mad when they insulted your favourite games for being old and having poor graphics by the standards of 20XX (saw a Let's Play of Final Fantasy VI the other day I had to stop watching due to this). It's too much like 'required reading' in school. Maybe Super Mario Galaxy or whatever the newest 3D Mario is if it's good?

More likely I'd go at it from the other end- I forbid my kids to play whatever the latest Call of Duty/Medal of Honor/Battlefield game is, or any T or M rated game until they're the proper age. I know standards have escalated since I was in elementary school, but still don't think they should be exposed to online chat until at least 14 years.

 

[Saelune]

Old games. Like Super Mario Bros, Sonic, Kirby's Dreamland. Id want them to appreciate older games so they can also appreciate whatever games are around then. Ones that also are easy to play, since ya know, they are kids.

 

[Objectable]

Whatever the fuck they wanted. Cause they have their own minds, damnit.

 

[fenrizz]

I have 2 kids, and I've never made them play anything.
Making them play a certain game is a surefire way to make them hate it, I'd mych rather they play the games they find fun and interesting.

But I'm happy to report that they appreciate my old games collection, and occasionally spend some time playing the old games.
This weekend we played a bit of Super Mario 3, Super Smash TV and Street Figther 2 (I crushed them both).

 

[remnant_phoenix]

I'll replace "would" with "did."

My son is four. I introduced him to video games with the likes of LittleBigPlanet and LEGO Lord of the Rings. His favorite games are Kirby's Epic Yarn, Rayman Legends, and Super Mario 3D World. I've found that games with a fixed camera and few action buttons (i.e. Mario only has "hold to run/tap for fireball or other power-up based attack" and "jump") are the best for kids. It's no coincidence that the NES caught on so well with young children and it only has the two buttons. He also likes games like Disney Infinity, but it's a bit beyond him. Because of the full 3D movement and free camera control, he gets turned around a lot. Because of the many different action buttons (which can change effects if the character is in the air) he often forgets which buttons do what. For characters that can fly (like Iron Man), both problems come into effect at once.

EDIT: As far as the 2D platformers go, he's much, MUCH better at video games at 4 than I was even at 7 or 8. It's crazy to think how good he'll be when he's older.