What PS4 games would a kindergarten-aged kid like to watch?
October 2, 2017 9:33 AM Subscribe
I'm looking for recommendations for PS4 games that a kindergarten-aged kid would like to watch being played.
My daughter June, who turns five later this month, loves watching me play video games.* This has been a super-fun way for the two of us to hang out, but it also means that we've run through pretty much every bit of my meager games collection that would actually be appropriate for her to view.
So far, she really loves:
- The extremely fanciful "Special Race Series" races of GTAV Online;
- The "climbing around, solving puzzles, and knocking out bad guys" aspects of Dishonored 2 (I've had to be really careful to only expose her to certain levels in that game, for obvious reasons);
- Anything involving flying
What I'd like to avoid is:
- Scariness in general;
- Violence beyond the "put a bad guy to sleep" kind in Dishonored;
- Anything were you're likely to die/blow up and have to start over repeatedly (if this happens enough in a given GTA race she gets stressed out).
- Anything that would commit us to really long intervals of gameplay/anything that couldn't be enjoyed in less than 20-minute bursts
I should also mention that her video game spectating typically leads to weeks-long imagination games in which we role-play the two of us competing in the games, along with various of her school friends, so games that would offer new and compelling avenues of play in that realm would also be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!
*So far she doesn't really have much interest in playing the games themselves, despite my trying to get her more involved. But having said that, if you have recommendations for games that a kid her age could actually play, I'm all ears.
My daughter June, who turns five later this month, loves watching me play video games.* This has been a super-fun way for the two of us to hang out, but it also means that we've run through pretty much every bit of my meager games collection that would actually be appropriate for her to view.
So far, she really loves:
- The extremely fanciful "Special Race Series" races of GTAV Online;
- The "climbing around, solving puzzles, and knocking out bad guys" aspects of Dishonored 2 (I've had to be really careful to only expose her to certain levels in that game, for obvious reasons);
- Anything involving flying
What I'd like to avoid is:
- Scariness in general;
- Violence beyond the "put a bad guy to sleep" kind in Dishonored;
- Anything were you're likely to die/blow up and have to start over repeatedly (if this happens enough in a given GTA race she gets stressed out).
- Anything that would commit us to really long intervals of gameplay/anything that couldn't be enjoyed in less than 20-minute bursts
I should also mention that her video game spectating typically leads to weeks-long imagination games in which we role-play the two of us competing in the games, along with various of her school friends, so games that would offer new and compelling avenues of play in that realm would also be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!
*So far she doesn't really have much interest in playing the games themselves, despite my trying to get her more involved. But having said that, if you have recommendations for games that a kid her age could actually play, I'm all ears.
I would also suggest any of the Lego games that correspond to a franchise she is interested in.
posted by tofu_crouton at 9:37 AM on October 2, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by tofu_crouton at 9:37 AM on October 2, 2017 [2 favorites]
My kid has started to enjoy watching certain parts of No Man's Sky (but it is a little slow, and thus they tire of it relatively quickly)
posted by furnace.heart at 9:41 AM on October 2, 2017
posted by furnace.heart at 9:41 AM on October 2, 2017
Best answer: Unravel. There is some repeats until you figure out how to move your little yarn guy, but the concept of a cute yarn figure using his own yarn to get around a level is cute and fun and really great to watch. My fiancee really likes watching me play this one. Although probably only the early levels- I haven't finished it, but according to wikipedia it gets sad as the game goes on (the last level is in a cemetery).
posted by Hactar at 9:46 AM on October 2, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by Hactar at 9:46 AM on October 2, 2017 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Seconding Little Big Planet and any of the Lego games!
Two more I'd recommend:
Unravel is a cute little platformer where you navigate a little guy made out of yarn, and that yarn is also what allows you to move around the game.
Katamari Damacy - Great music, fun idea, very addictive even just to watch.
posted by warble at 9:48 AM on October 2, 2017 [5 favorites]
Two more I'd recommend:
Unravel is a cute little platformer where you navigate a little guy made out of yarn, and that yarn is also what allows you to move around the game.
Katamari Damacy - Great music, fun idea, very addictive even just to watch.
posted by warble at 9:48 AM on October 2, 2017 [5 favorites]
Best answer: Yeah, you can do a lot better than Dishonored!
These are all games that I love myself (I am 38), that also happen to be some mix of visually striking, non violent (or some cartoony low-fi violence), and generally kid friendly. (Also lego games are ok, but after you've played one you've played them all)
Odin Sphere (Fairy tale action)
Child of Light (very pretty, features a light princess)
Costume Quest (Kids go trick-or-treat)
Journey (pretty and surreal desert wander, can fly a bit- may be best bet, combines puzzle, fly, race, climb, also a crowd-pleasing award winning recent classic, available fairly cheap)
Spelunky (Just awesome and fun, everyone should try it)
Unraveled (beautiful nature, climbing and swinging little yarn dude, story might make you cry)
Thumper ( cool shiny tunnel racer)
Never Alone (Indigenous girl and her white fox)
I am Setsuna (maybe a little slow but a pretty and fun roots Final Fantasy vibe)
If you pick up a cheap Wii (same cost as a flagship PS4 game, gets you a world of Nintendo classics for $5-$20):
Any Zelda, Wind Waker or earlier (because they get so bloated and obnoxious after that)
Super Mario 3 or World (Tanuki/Racoon flying, or cape)
Anything Kirby (Kirby can almost always fly, super cute and fun)
posted by SaltySalticid at 9:50 AM on October 2, 2017
These are all games that I love myself (I am 38), that also happen to be some mix of visually striking, non violent (or some cartoony low-fi violence), and generally kid friendly. (Also lego games are ok, but after you've played one you've played them all)
Odin Sphere (Fairy tale action)
Child of Light (very pretty, features a light princess)
Costume Quest (Kids go trick-or-treat)
Journey (pretty and surreal desert wander, can fly a bit- may be best bet, combines puzzle, fly, race, climb, also a crowd-pleasing award winning recent classic, available fairly cheap)
Spelunky (Just awesome and fun, everyone should try it)
Unraveled (beautiful nature, climbing and swinging little yarn dude, story might make you cry)
Thumper ( cool shiny tunnel racer)
Never Alone (Indigenous girl and her white fox)
I am Setsuna (maybe a little slow but a pretty and fun roots Final Fantasy vibe)
If you pick up a cheap Wii (same cost as a flagship PS4 game, gets you a world of Nintendo classics for $5-$20):
Any Zelda, Wind Waker or earlier (because they get so bloated and obnoxious after that)
Super Mario 3 or World (Tanuki/Racoon flying, or cape)
Anything Kirby (Kirby can almost always fly, super cute and fun)
posted by SaltySalticid at 9:50 AM on October 2, 2017
Best answer: Tearaway Unfolded is by the same developers as LittleBigPlanet. My kids love watching me play it, and they also get to participate by drawing pictures with the PS4 companion app and having them show up in the game.
posted by zsazsa at 9:55 AM on October 2, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by zsazsa at 9:55 AM on October 2, 2017 [1 favorite]
I'm not a gamer, but my 5 (almost 6)-year old daughter loves playing Stardew Valley with her dad.
posted by barnoley at 10:07 AM on October 2, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by barnoley at 10:07 AM on October 2, 2017 [1 favorite]
Plants Vs Zombies, both 1 and 2, are what my 4yo really enjoys watching us play and helping to play, too.
posted by jillithd at 10:32 AM on October 2, 2017
posted by jillithd at 10:32 AM on October 2, 2017
Best answer: Second Tearaway Unfolded. My 5yo and I take turns playing. Visuals are brilliant, you get to draw and design stuff that's used in game, and the violence is very cartoony. For the most part it's not particularly difficult with only occasionally hard combat or platforming.
posted by EndsOfInvention at 10:47 AM on October 2, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by EndsOfInvention at 10:47 AM on October 2, 2017 [1 favorite]
Best answer: YES UNRAVEL it is the goddamn cutest thing I have ever seen. also Journey which I think someone already mentioned above.
maybe the last guardian altho gameplay can be frustrating and idk about the ending.
posted by poffin boffin at 10:54 AM on October 2, 2017
maybe the last guardian altho gameplay can be frustrating and idk about the ending.
posted by poffin boffin at 10:54 AM on October 2, 2017
Seconding Stardew Valley, my niece LOVED LOVED LOVED play/watching that with me. It's just a cutesy little farming pixel graphic game that you can play in short bursts (though the temptation of "one...more...day" always looms).
posted by foxfirefey at 11:57 AM on October 2, 2017
posted by foxfirefey at 11:57 AM on October 2, 2017
I loved boy and blob. It's a puzzle game with no fast confusing action and despite playing as a single player all the kids chipped into figure out the next moves. Really sweet.
posted by beccaj at 12:59 PM on October 2, 2017
posted by beccaj at 12:59 PM on October 2, 2017
My five-year old loves playing and watching Rocket League. He likes customizing the cars just as much as playing. We mostly play offline in "exhibition" mode.
posted by Otis at 1:01 PM on October 2, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by Otis at 1:01 PM on October 2, 2017 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Great suggestions so far, thanks folks. A couple of things to mention:
She's seen me play Katamari on the PS3 and was sort of lukewarm on it. Too much to see, and too little in the way of a story she could invent around it, I think.
She HATED Little Big Planet. I thought it would be a homerun but I hit a section where I kept getting killed by spikes and she ran out of the room crying, and refuses to revisit it.
I've got Stardew Valley on my desktop and she loves it so much.
posted by saladin at 1:19 PM on October 2, 2017
She's seen me play Katamari on the PS3 and was sort of lukewarm on it. Too much to see, and too little in the way of a story she could invent around it, I think.
She HATED Little Big Planet. I thought it would be a homerun but I hit a section where I kept getting killed by spikes and she ran out of the room crying, and refuses to revisit it.
I've got Stardew Valley on my desktop and she loves it so much.
posted by saladin at 1:19 PM on October 2, 2017
Have you looked at Child of Light?
posted by Nimmie Amee at 1:54 PM on October 2, 2017
posted by Nimmie Amee at 1:54 PM on October 2, 2017
PS4's new Everybody's Golf (formerly Hot Shots Golf in the U.S.) is a charmer.
posted by DrAstroZoom at 2:17 PM on October 2, 2017
posted by DrAstroZoom at 2:17 PM on October 2, 2017
Best answer: Rayman Legends is just 100% squee, and a blast to play as well.
posted by obiwanwasabi at 7:06 PM on October 2, 2017
posted by obiwanwasabi at 7:06 PM on October 2, 2017
Best answer: Hohokum! It's trippy and weird, and charming and fun, and adorable to watch. Totally suits 20 minute bursts of play.
posted by Joh at 8:19 PM on October 2, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by Joh at 8:19 PM on October 2, 2017 [2 favorites]
Deadly Tower of Monsters (download only) is hi-larious and fun with lots of story (it's a game that's pretending to be the DVD release of a truly garbage 50s scifi B movie, complete with director commentary, stop-motion dinosaurs, low-paid extras in gorilla suits, and...the Robot)
WipeOut omega collection is a great racing game, and will be good for when she's ready for 2 player (it's basically mario kart with all of its bombs and missiles and traps, but with hovercars in the future...and the soundtrack is awesome)
Fez.
posted by sexyrobot at 5:42 AM on October 3, 2017
WipeOut omega collection is a great racing game, and will be good for when she's ready for 2 player (it's basically mario kart with all of its bombs and missiles and traps, but with hovercars in the future...and the soundtrack is awesome)
Fez.
posted by sexyrobot at 5:42 AM on October 3, 2017
Best answer: Second Hohokum! Can't believe I didn't mention it earlier! My kids loved watching me play it so much they drew their own levels.
posted by zsazsa at 11:24 AM on October 3, 2017
posted by zsazsa at 11:24 AM on October 3, 2017
If it weren't for the explosions aversion I would have said Rocket League and Goat Simulator. What about some exploration/walking simulator games like Submerged, Rime or Beyond Eyes?
posted by robertc at 10:45 AM on October 4, 2017
posted by robertc at 10:45 AM on October 4, 2017
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posted by tofu_crouton at 9:37 AM on October 2, 2017 [3 favorites]