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If you have a PC download steam and get half life 2 for free.
We all have our type of game. Try out a ton of new genres. Maybe you don't like shooters and you like simulators. Or maybe you like roguelikes. Or just platformers or building games. Don't stop trying new things till you find the genre that is right for you, then ask people for recommendations within that genre.
I had a comment earlier that had a bunch of.free games, I will try to post links later.
Start with Dark Souls.
Something else to consider is that it's a wonderful social window if you have friends that you don't get to hang out with very often due to geography and life.
I have a couple of good friends who are too far away after I moved to another area. We play games online and have a nice social hangout for a few hours each Saturday. Voice chatting works great.
It's fantastic to be able to regularly spend time with them.
I got my 75 year old father into video games.
With him, I started by getting him an xbox and an xbox live account (which allows playing multiplayer games online).
We play World of Tanks now together quite a bit.
Yes. Start with Stardew Valley or Animal Crossing. From there, post threads asking for suggestions based on what you liked.
Just avoid games that cost a lot or have lots of micro transactions. Its like smoking cigarettes, better to not start.
If you're unsure, buy a nice used ps4 with some games for dirt cheap to see if you like it. If you do, I suggest eventually moving forward with the PC route. Either a steam deck or a laptop and an Xbox controller. If you know you're liking gaming you could go all out on a gaming desktop PC.
Consoles are nice, but a PC game library is compatible for decades of games, and you can buy them for a lot less $ most of the time.
There is a concern about accesability and hidden gamer slang.
First person 3d games can make you motion sick.
There you would need to learn to control a camera.
Red is health, Blue is mana, Yellow is for climbing.
There will be countless stuff that are build upon years of gaming culture.
Try to start with co-op so someone can guide you.
Make a post it note on the monitor with button mappings especially if you play on gamepad.
Yes games are fun. I made friends, had so many memorable adventures with complete strangers, managed to keep in touch with family and close ones no matter the distances.
Honestly its about how you want to game, do you like something chill? Or something more like adventurous? How long do you see yourself playin? Something that is played on a desk or a couch? Do you like "gamey games", or do you like realism in your games?
First, you need a system if you dont have one. A system is needed to run a game.
If you are a comeplete beginner the switch by nintendo is in my experience a great onboarding experience, but that might be a bit expensive in the long run once you accumulate games. The system is a bit underpowered, but delivers such great experiences through their exclusive nintendo game titles. Great on the go, light, great for couch co-op, has online play.
Playstation and xbox are very easy to manage, and deliver more on the realism side of games while still having great gamplay first experiences. Its honestly a great balance, old ones are just as great since the old games are cheap and usually have great classics. (Warning about compatibility though). Couch gaming, has online gaming and couch+online coop.
The PC is extreme: its kinda hard to build the right machine for your needs, it can deliver whatever experience you want (it can basically "cheat" and pretend to be a playstation or switch gameboys etc through emulation, a process that is not very beginner friendly), has ALL the games (except the latest nintendo ones, except through the mentioned emulation) but can be pretty expensive if you want a high quality graphical performance to the point where you can see a cyborg sweat running down his firm and physics enhanced abs. You use launchers to go to an online store to buy games that you have to find on the internet and download, like Steam (my fav) Epic (they give a free non freemium game each week I believe!) Gog (very privacy, and consumer oriented ) and many others. Some miscreants will tell you that you can (gasp!) Pirate (arr) games, so a good system could potentially cost less in the long run! Its more of a gaming on desk unless you dont mind having a big PC next to your tv. Couch co op games are rare, but the online experience is really good.
My two cents, get minecraft if you like legos. You can also make it prettier on PC. It runs well on even old laptops. Its a great entry for anyone. If its not what you are looking for, you can look up what youd like!
Also please newcomer, do not EVER pay for the microtransactions, for they plague us all. Games should be about fun, not a tool for extracting wealth from people who just want to go on cool adventures, explore strange worlds, meet interesting characters or experience lives never lived.
I wanted to make this shorter but I get excited about theses things. Gl hf!
How about the steamdeck-like, for.PC gamas. The Pros and Cons.
I actually own a steam deck! Its a great system, that runs on Linux, so there is a little bit of tinkering and buyers awareness to get through as not all games on steam run on it easily.
The catalogue compatible with just one tap/click is still growing, but you still have to use the proton tool before launching a game that is windows based. Some online games are also protected with some anti cheat software that may or not stop you from playing your favorite online games. Its also a handheld, so unless you plan on connecting the steam deck to a screen and bringing out a keyboard for your keyboard based game, you are going to have a bad time. (Note, there is a virtual keyboard thay pops up if need to enter some text occasionally).
The thing that attracted me to the deck, is the fact that you can actually launch the steam deck in desktop mode, that gives you access to a fully functioning linux system. There, you can also download your games from other launchers/stores and link them to your steam game library and access them through the non desktop mode.
This means that with some more tinkering (kinda alot actually, i wont lie), you can turn the steam deck into the ultimate emulator for any switch/some ps3 games and lower (as in raw processing power, so gameboy, gamecube, ps1, ps2, xbox etc) on the go. You also get a rather powerful computer for an amazing price point,at the cost of an hdmi/usb/ethernet dongle or dock. Since its a computer in the shape of a hanheld console, you can dualboot windows if you wanted.
The other very cool thing, is that you can use steam to stream your games from your gaming pc right to your tv by using your steam deck as a streaming game console, which is amazing and in the end extends your desk PC capacity to offer the best couch gaming experience with no drawbacks if it wasnt for the whole ensemble price. Also the trackpads are a very cool addition to the gamepad layout, amd it has extra buttons on the back! Since it has bluetooth, you can also just get a controller and let it chill next to your tv.
You can configure it the way you want, you can apply cool mods, change components within pretty easily (some ppl buy the cheapest version then upgrade the hardware to save money!) And since its a steam hardware product that has successfully proven itself to enough ppl, the support its gonna be getting is very exciting.
To me the problem of the Steam deck is the time and tinkering that it requires to setup this perfect machine, but its a new system, and emulation is in a gray zone legally in many countries so it will probably always require some amount of tinkering. (There are vids online that take you through it, its absolutely doable but can be a barrier for some newcomers) You can manage well the battery, but it drains rather fast. If you dont like steam, idk if this product is right for you, but you can install windows or another linux distro if youd like. (Level 3 tinkering right there)
I love my steam deck, and actually do work on it occasionally, which got me more comfy with the linux ecosystem (but this is about just using linux as an operating system so im gonna stop here). Its the best for the indie games on steam as long as they have gamepad support and are compatible with or without the proton tool.
Now for the other handheld PCs, I cant speak. I heard that some are very powerful, more than the steam deck by quite alot, however imo they are held back by being run on windows, an Operating System that is not made for such a device, but will absolutely get you through the anti cheat headaches that a steam deck might have.
They also have a 1080 p screen for the fancy ones, but this impacts battery.
You can install chimera OS or Bazzite if you want the linux experience, and the Steam Os (on the steam deck) is coming soon (its gonna be a while though).
So yeah im gonna stop there cuz i cant stop talking about this thing.
very informative. thx.
There are lots of different kinds of games out there. If you're new to games and like puzzles, here are a few I can recommend.
Portal is humorous and has fun puzzles, pretty easy to get into. Viewfinder is another similar type of game, also The Stanley Parable
Baba Is You is a creative puzzle game.
Planet of Lana, and Limbo, and Somerville are neat puzzle/platformer games.
Torchlight us a good example of an action RPG genre, Children of Morta is another.
FTL is a neat roguelike game.
Faeria is a card deck building game.
Turn based tactics games can be pretty fun, and are easy to get into. Triangle Strategy is a good one to try.
I also find narrative driven games really fun. For example, The Wolf Among Us is really excellent. Afterparty is pretty entertaining.
All of these should be fairly easy to get into if you're just starting gaming.
A place to start might be a friend or family member who is into video games.
Gaming hardware can be a little costly, so you may want to visit with someone and play a selection of games before deciding which direction you'd like to start in. I'll also point out that video games are often the very most fun when shared with friends.
If my 30 year old woman friend came up to me one day and said "Hey I've never really played video games before and I'd like to give them a try, but don't know where to start," I think we'd talk awhile first to see if I can find what games are interesting to you. I see a lot of people in this comment section recommending Stardew Valley, which is a game I deeply like and respect though I have seen people bounce right off it, including someone recently here on Lemmy. So while I would recommend giving it a look, if you do bounce off it, don't just go "video games aren't for me," maybe cozy games aren't for you.
Some questions I might ask are:
Are you looking for a more relaxing or more exciting experience?
Would you like your play sessions to be challenging, contemplative, creative, or competitive?
Are you more interested in story, or gameplay?
How important are flashy fancy graphics to you?
Where will your gameplay sessions fit into your life? Do you want something to do during your daily train ride? Will this replace your daily television hour? Is it what you're going to do all Saturday afternoon?
Do you see yourself playing games on your couch, at a desk, or on the go?
Do you want to enjoy games alone, or with friends? Will you gather in one place to play together, or play across the internet?
Do you have a genre of fiction you like? Are you into historical drama, sci-fi, fantasy, slapstick comedy?
How do you feel about horror? Both the psychological Lovecraftian existential crisis type, and the "oh god a 10 foot monster with 50 mouths for a mouth just jumped out behind a tree and roared" type?
Yes. It's a scalable hobby, and can run from virtually no cost to why-are-you-burning-money. But you can do a lot in gaming with little monetary investment.
There are lots of budget indie games that are lots of fun, and if you find out you like gaming and want to try more fancy titles, you can always upgrade hardware.
Minimal entry: your current pc. Install steam, and buy/try what you like, returning it if it's too slow/doesn't work.
Light entry: get familiar with your pc's ram size, hd/ssd size, cpu speed/type, and graphics card. Use that to ensure your pc can handle the game by looking at the game's minimum requirements.
Medium-heavy entry: Upgrade things.
Yes, it is worth getting into video games. Mental quickness, friends, and less Alzheimers are some benefits.
People in this post are making excellent recommendations for quality commercial games.
I can recommend starting out in videogames, by getting into Free Software (Libre) games.
Libre Games cost nothing, have no spyware, and usually have positive, helpful, DIY focused communities.
Here is a post I made that lists a few of my favourite free games on desktop and mobile.
https://lemmy.world/post/20786563
If any on this list are too difficult or hard to set up, just skip.
--//--
Historical note
The Fool's Errand game, from 1987, sold very well with women gamers. Over 50% IIRC.
It is a tricky puzzle game with Tarot Card theming and an excellent sense of humour.
Fool's Errand is not Free Software though, and way out of print. It could probably be emulated on a device that you have, PC or phone.
Start with stardew valley and thank me later.
This. My ex loved this game
One more day... just one more day... need to those gold star crops... got to go fish... shit need bait, got to go to the mine... one more day... just one more day...
This is a good entry but may feel daunting to someone whos never played video games.
If you do play stardew valley, you may want to watch introduction videos on YouTube
Steam would be a great place to start. Tons of games, many of them free. If you're willing to buy some hardware, getting a Switch would be a good bet. Lots of excellent games, many of them are beginner-friendly.
As much as I hate Nintendo and how they've changed, their ganes are super approchable for new players.
They can tell wonderful stories if you pick the right ones. Personally I find Disco Elysium to be particularly good at this.
If you have a continuous online connection, download Steam. Also look at GoG if you dont want to deal with valves drm
If you want to start playing video games, you should try easy games like celeste
By "easy" i mean extremely hard, if you play the game you will die thousands of times
Considering you're already into card games, give Balatro a try. It's got it's basis in poker, but puts some extra spice on it that might interest you.
Chants of Sennar is also a strong recommend. It's a puzzle game based around intuitive language translation, but also has a really strong story that keeps it interesting.
Get a Quest 3! If you're brand new to gaming I think VR is more intuitive than picking up a traditional controller for the first time.
Or don't give Meta any money. Idk, I just don't want something made by Meta that has cameras and an internet connection inside my home.
I don't blame you. Personally I use a Pico 4 and don't touch Quest. I've got two PCVR gaming rigs, full body tracking with lighthouses etc etc. But we're not taking about me, or you, or an experienced gamer. We're talking about a 30-something whose never touched a controller.
For someone that's new and wants to see what VR is about a Quest is undeniably the easiest way to try things. Then they can decide to upgrade from there if they so choose.
That's fair.
Right, then play the one or two games on it that don't suck and never touch the thing again.
Your personal experience isn't everyone's experience. VRChat alone is worth spending some time in (assuming you escape the kids). I know some people that Only play Walkabout Mini Golf, and there's nothing wrong with that. For someone completely new to gaming I think it's a good start. Wish there's been a shitload of new VR games this year.
Casual gamer me would tell you there are amazing short narrative games these days.
Stardew Valley
If you want to try an FPS, the original Half-Life is amazing (if visually dated), and was designed to ease the player into the experience as opposed to something like Doom or Dusk that throws you into the action without any tutorials. I'm biased though, Half-Life is my favorite FPS of all time lol.
It goes on sale for around $2 regularly, which is a nice bonus. I second the Portal and Stardew recommendations of others too.
Half-life is good -- I played it recently -- but I think it relies on having a bit of skill already, it's not a great choice for a beginner in my opinion. I would suggest Minecraft (if you're creative) or Portal (if you like puzzles) instead, to learn the ropes of how to control a game in first-person perspective.
In general, it's worth getting to video games. I would caution against trying corporate-created games, mainly because they are a money sink (for you) first and worthwhile entertainment second. There are a lot of "indie" games out there typically created by people truly passionate on their craft... you can take a look at them and see if it interests you.
I quit playing video games in my mid 30's. Pretty much went cold turkey. Why would you want to start now? Plenty of healthier things to do with your time
ok boomer
Sure! Are there any that interest you? There are many genres and types.
Video Games are a broad medium, akin to reading. Asking "should I get into books?" would be similarly difficult to answer.
Also, be mindful of sturgeon's law. 90% of everything is crap. For every "Taylor Swift" that was widely popular and successful, there's 9 meh bands no one remembers.
All of that said, it's a wide and deep medium with a lot of experiences.
If you like card games, there're related genres. Deck builders are popular. Slay the Spire is popular. Cobalt Core is fun and not as hard. Monster Train is pretty good.
Those are all also "rogue lites", so you could make the leap from there to something like FTL.
Lots of options.
Probably don't spend a lot of money up front. Stuff goes on sale on Steam pretty often.
Probably avoid "gacha" games that are free to play or have "loot box" stuff. Those tend to be exploitive and bad.
I'd recommend Portal and its (much better) sequel Portal 2. Excellent puzzle games, good writing, fun characters and short. It should take you abojt 3-5 hours if you have never played a 3D video game before.
Oh and btw the website linked is Steam, the most beloved PC game buying plateform. Be aware that you shouldn't buy the games at full price on stem, check websites like instant gaming, humble bundle or fanatical to get better deals (-80% sometimes!) On these alternative websites you will get a code that has to be activated in the steam app (downloaded on your computer). Search "activate steam game code" on YouTube for explanations on how to do that.
Portal should cost about ~3$ now (it's a 2007 game so it can run on basically anything)
Of course portal and portal 2 are fantastic games but I would never recommend them to someone who has never played a game before. One of the reasons it's so good is because it subverts the tropes and even mechanics of other games.
Yes.
If you see a game you think you'd enjoy, go for it.
Personally I find that I'm not super into video games as an adult just because I don't have the time, and I don't find them very fun in short bursts. And when I do have the time I always think to myself I'd be better off spending it on a "productive" hobby like programming. That's an entirely personal thing for me, but it may be something you want to consider, ie if you want to learn a hobby that's also considered a real world skill so to speak, and one that could give you products of your hobby you can actually use and enjoy (eg programming, crochet, cooking, woodworking, etcโso creative hobbies).
Also, feel free to pirate a game if you don't know if it's worth the investment, especially since you won't have a reference point of games you do enjoy. I have no ethical quandary with pirating any game, but if you do, you can just buy the game if you like it, and that way you won't waste money on a game you only get 5% of the way through before getting bored.