Forums > Game Talk > Puzzle games for my mom, any recommendation?
MichaelPalin (1414) on 12/3/2017 12:08 PM · Permalink · Report
Hi there gaming elders!
I'm coming to you with one of this "what games do you recommend for someone who does not play games" queries. My mother plays a lot of Sudoku in her old laptop and, since I'm going to buy her a new one, I want to take the opportunity to make her try something a bit more sophisticated. The idea is to install a bunch of easy to grasp, hard to master puzzle games for her to try. Two games that can be used as reference would be Snakebird and Cosmic Express. You know, puzzle games with an easy concept that can get surprisingly deep, with a simple presentation and control scheme for non-gamers. Extra points if they run natively on Ubuntu Linux. (I was going to mention that it needs to work on Intel Graphics 620, but, apparently, integrated graphics are quite powerful already).
Thanks in advance!
Pseudo_Intellectual (66423) on 12/3/2017 4:50 PM · Permalink · Report
I was going to suggest anything from the Popcap back catalogue until you hit the Ubuntu requirement.
Rola (8483) on 12/3/2017 7:19 PM · Permalink · Report
Is that laptop connected to the all-knowing Internet? As there are dozens of browser puzzle games, like Colourshift, Isoball, Doodle God, Colourshift, Hexiom, Talesworth Adventure: The Lost Artifacts, Unstable
Does she like nonograms? http://www.mobygames.com/game-group/nonograms-picross-games
MichaelPalin (1414) on 12/5/2017 10:31 AM · Permalink · Report
Nah!, I don't like browser games. They are in fact dozens of them, but they are also generally of lower quality. I prefer to buy and install in my computer a few polished games so my mother also has a better experience with gaming. She knows nearly nothing about video games and dropping her on Kongregate could not be the best entry point to the medium.
Rwolf (22837) on 12/5/2017 4:45 PM · edited · Permalink · Report
I've not been able to introduce any of my favourite games to any non-gamers - I think some people don't have time or interest in general to sit at a computer, and so never gets hooked.
I tried some CSI games with one who liked to watch the TV series, but it failed; the effort of solving (albeit relatively easy and guided) mysteries themselves, did not appeal.
The only games acceptable to them was variations of short solitaire card or mahjongg games, easy to grasp as they had real-world counterparts, and easy to break off at a moments notice. The only request I recall was to find new tiles for the mahjongg games.
So, I guess if she likes sudoku, locate something like that that might give some variation; I tried some computer crossword puzzles, but I find they are very localized in their form & content and it may also be easier to find more suitable ones in papers.
Other sudoku-like things you may also have found yourself by searching, if math is what she likes:
MichaelPalin (1414) on 12/5/2017 10:25 PM · Permalink · Report
Thanks, I'll check those links if my strategy does not work. She likes to play sudoku at the end of the day and can get very hook on it. My idea is that maybe it can work with some easy-concept puzzle games too. You know, the type with a single screen per puzzle, simple controls (four-ways movement and little more) and some cartoonish graphics to seal the deal. I think there is a chance she could get hooked on one of those too. She also got a mahjongg phase, by the way.
MichaelPalin (1414) on 12/16/2017 11:16 PM · Permalink · Report
Hmm, maybe, but it still looks a bit too much action. I prefer games in which there is no enemies for starters, but it could be an option further on. Thanks!
Pseudo_Intellectual (66423) on 12/15/2017 4:48 AM · Permalink · Report
Could this be a case for the DROD puzzle games?
Rwolf (22837) on 12/22/2017 2:56 PM · edited · Permalink · Report
Maybe some illusion puzzles could interest her, like 'The Bridge'? (there is a group for them)
http://www.mobygames.com/game-group/genre-optical-illusion-perspective-puzzles
MichaelPalin (1414) on 12/13/2017 4:30 PM · Permalink · Report
Hmmm, I don't think she would enjoy action, no.
Pseudo_Intellectual (66423) on 12/14/2017 11:00 PM · Permalink · Report
How about text adventures?
MichaelPalin (1414) on 12/16/2017 11:11 PM · Permalink · Report
You mean like Zork? I don't know. She does read novels... I don't know, that would mean trying also maybe interactive fiction or even graphic adventures, but we are getting into genres I have no idea about.
Joni Gudhel on 3/1/2018 10:43 AM · edited · Permalink · Report
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