Multiplayer Game for a kid and adult
June 1, 2009 8:56 AM Subscribe
A multiplayer game an adult and child (with Asperger's) can play together. Must be Mac/PC compatible
Off and on through the summer I'll be babysitting a boy who has Asperger Syndrome and I'd like to find a computer game we could both play that is Mac/PC compatible (I'm on a mac, he's on a PC).
He's 8, he's very intelligent and can pick up on computer games quickly. I love RTS games and have considered picking up Starcraft II when it comes out however I'm not sure if he's ready to handle 2000 things happening at once (but something tells me he can handle it). He fixates on computer games (hence the Asperger's) but can get bored really easily and then starts surfing the web for games which leads to some not so good sites.
He has a Wii, we play it but both get bored pretty quickly. So I was looking for a good long game we could play together over two computers. His mother doesn't want him getting into a mmporg (so no WoW) nor does he want him playing any form of current war games (fantasy war games are fine, but nothing that would reflect our current struggle between the US and Iraq...or any derivative).
So any suggestions for a fun game between us two? Thanks! (browser specific games are fine, too).
ps. I'd read up that the Sims 3 had some form of multiplayer in it? or am I making that up in my head?
Off and on through the summer I'll be babysitting a boy who has Asperger Syndrome and I'd like to find a computer game we could both play that is Mac/PC compatible (I'm on a mac, he's on a PC).
He's 8, he's very intelligent and can pick up on computer games quickly. I love RTS games and have considered picking up Starcraft II when it comes out however I'm not sure if he's ready to handle 2000 things happening at once (but something tells me he can handle it). He fixates on computer games (hence the Asperger's) but can get bored really easily and then starts surfing the web for games which leads to some not so good sites.
He has a Wii, we play it but both get bored pretty quickly. So I was looking for a good long game we could play together over two computers. His mother doesn't want him getting into a mmporg (so no WoW) nor does he want him playing any form of current war games (fantasy war games are fine, but nothing that would reflect our current struggle between the US and Iraq...or any derivative).
So any suggestions for a fun game between us two? Thanks! (browser specific games are fine, too).
ps. I'd read up that the Sims 3 had some form of multiplayer in it? or am I making that up in my head?
Response by poster: oh I do love me some table top Settlers...that's a great idea!
posted by Hands of Manos at 9:08 AM on June 1, 2009
posted by Hands of Manos at 9:08 AM on June 1, 2009
If he likes games, you might introduce him to Braid. It isn't mutiplayer, but there is plenty of joy to be had working out the puzzles together.
If you are concerned about some of the "whomg stimulation" stuff, you could always pick up the old Warcraft/Starcraft battlechest and have a little old school RTS fun.
And from what another old AskMe thread says, it appears that Baldurs Gate 1 and 2 are available for computers. I played them on PS2 and was sufficiently impressed. That said, I think that this question and that older thread highlight a sad sad fact: two player games are just not common enough.
posted by greekphilosophy at 9:46 AM on June 1, 2009
If you are concerned about some of the "whomg stimulation" stuff, you could always pick up the old Warcraft/Starcraft battlechest and have a little old school RTS fun.
And from what another old AskMe thread says, it appears that Baldurs Gate 1 and 2 are available for computers. I played them on PS2 and was sufficiently impressed. That said, I think that this question and that older thread highlight a sad sad fact: two player games are just not common enough.
posted by greekphilosophy at 9:46 AM on June 1, 2009
I'd suggest diablo and the trillions of clones for ease of use over baldurs gate.
I'm sure there are double dragon / TMNT / golden axe clones that will do multi platform multiplayer but I don't know of any specifics.
posted by anti social order at 11:36 AM on June 1, 2009
I'm sure there are double dragon / TMNT / golden axe clones that will do multi platform multiplayer but I don't know of any specifics.
posted by anti social order at 11:36 AM on June 1, 2009
I was about to suggest Diablo II, played locally as Multi-Player instead of on Battle.net. Meets all technical requirements, will run well on most hardware, and not quite an MMO.
posted by GJSchaller at 11:42 AM on June 1, 2009
posted by GJSchaller at 11:42 AM on June 1, 2009
Response by poster: GJSchaller,
But then he'd be a Firewall Sorc and kick my ass from kingdom come playing that...
...not that I played DII or anything...
posted by Hands of Manos at 12:05 PM on June 1, 2009
But then he'd be a Firewall Sorc and kick my ass from kingdom come playing that...
...not that I played DII or anything...
posted by Hands of Manos at 12:05 PM on June 1, 2009
How about two-player arcade emulation through MAME or similar?
You guys could even have a project of building your own controls.
posted by Iteki at 12:46 PM on June 1, 2009
You guys could even have a project of building your own controls.
posted by Iteki at 12:46 PM on June 1, 2009
My son is 8 years old, has Aspergers, and loves playing computer games with me. Based on my own experience I would recommend that you play games together cooperatively rather than competing against each other, and I wouldn't recommend multiplayer. Games that involve building and planning are a hit - we've spent many hours with Sim City, Railroad Tycoon. Probably the one we've played the most is Race into Space - there's a free shareware version available. I just showed him Civilization IV last week and it looks like its going to be a hit although it can take him a while to warm up to new things.
What didn't work was RuneScape - the other kids in the neighborhood introduced him to it and he loved wandering around collecting things but was absolutely traumatized a couple of times when his character died, as in a half hour of hard crying. I've also had no luck trying to interest him in playing sports games head-to-head although he will help me play against the computer. When we play board games (Age of Empires III lately) he usually tries to script the game - he tells me what he wants me to do, so that the game follows a usual pattern. So for example in Age of Empires which is a colonization game (totally different from the computer game) it's very important to him that he gets certain colonies and certain trade goods. Basically with Aspergers he finds it difficult to anticipate what other people are going to do, and finds it more fun if he can make and execute his plans without having to take into account those of other people.
posted by wps98 at 8:44 PM on June 1, 2009
What didn't work was RuneScape - the other kids in the neighborhood introduced him to it and he loved wandering around collecting things but was absolutely traumatized a couple of times when his character died, as in a half hour of hard crying. I've also had no luck trying to interest him in playing sports games head-to-head although he will help me play against the computer. When we play board games (Age of Empires III lately) he usually tries to script the game - he tells me what he wants me to do, so that the game follows a usual pattern. So for example in Age of Empires which is a colonization game (totally different from the computer game) it's very important to him that he gets certain colonies and certain trade goods. Basically with Aspergers he finds it difficult to anticipate what other people are going to do, and finds it more fun if he can make and execute his plans without having to take into account those of other people.
posted by wps98 at 8:44 PM on June 1, 2009
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The Settlers of Catan, various pay versions exist, the most notable being Microsoft's on Live. Try to take out people online together.
posted by teabag at 9:03 AM on June 1, 2009