Recommend Me Games!
January 26, 2018 8:31 AM Subscribe
Looking for a new game to play on my crappy laptop. Must be available on steam or good old games. I played stardew valley and thimbleweed park, they were ideal - not too demanding on the computer or my brain. I also enjoyed Game Dev Tycoon. I'm open to most genres of game, I just want to unwind with a little undemanding fun.
I used to love RPGs - Dragon Age was my favorite but it wont run on my laptop and wouldn't play well with only a glidepad and keyboard either. I also don't have the time or energy to invest in something of that scale. I'm looking for something I can dip into a couple of nights a week or for half an hour at lunch time
My computer specs are :
Intel(R) Core(TM) i3-5005U CPU @ 2.00GHz
Intel(R) HD Graphics 5500
8GB RAM
Windows 10
I used to love RPGs - Dragon Age was my favorite but it wont run on my laptop and wouldn't play well with only a glidepad and keyboard either. I also don't have the time or energy to invest in something of that scale. I'm looking for something I can dip into a couple of nights a week or for half an hour at lunch time
My computer specs are :
Intel(R) Core(TM) i3-5005U CPU @ 2.00GHz
Intel(R) HD Graphics 5500
8GB RAM
Windows 10
I *highly* recommend the Monkey Island series - made by the same guy who did Thimbleweed Park and they are available on Steam.
posted by Twicketface at 8:59 AM on January 26, 2018
posted by Twicketface at 8:59 AM on January 26, 2018
OneShot is a really fun, short, undemanding indie game if you liked top-down RPGs from the 16-bit era. (It's not really an RPG, though—there are no battles. It's more like a cross between those RPGs and a point-and-click adventure where you find items and use them in lateral-thinky ways.)
posted by Polycarp at 9:36 AM on January 26, 2018
posted by Polycarp at 9:36 AM on January 26, 2018
If you didn't play them back in the day (or even if you did) Baldur's Gate, Baldur's Gate 2, Icewind Dale and Planescape: Torment are available in enhanced editions (i.e. adjusted for modern display sizes both in graphics and UI). Neverwinter Nights Enhanced Edition is due out this year.
On the management sim front Motorsport Manager has a 2D mode for lower end machines, or perhaps you would like RimWorld.
For something a little different consider The Talos Principle. Although it is a game which is quite large in scope most of the gameplay revolves around solving self-contained puzzles which would fit in nicely with a 'dip in' approach.
Next Steam sale starts February 15th in case you're not looking for something to play right away.
posted by robertc at 9:46 AM on January 26, 2018 [1 favorite]
On the management sim front Motorsport Manager has a 2D mode for lower end machines, or perhaps you would like RimWorld.
For something a little different consider The Talos Principle. Although it is a game which is quite large in scope most of the gameplay revolves around solving self-contained puzzles which would fit in nicely with a 'dip in' approach.
Next Steam sale starts February 15th in case you're not looking for something to play right away.
posted by robertc at 9:46 AM on January 26, 2018 [1 favorite]
Night in The Woods and Kentucky Route Zero shouldn't be too demanding on your laptop. They lean a bit more towards 'adventure' than 'RPG', but they are great!
posted by destructive cactus at 9:58 AM on January 26, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by destructive cactus at 9:58 AM on January 26, 2018 [2 favorites]
Try Undertale!!! I bought it in a steam sale last year and whipped through it, and Stardew Valley is my favorite game ever (not that it's like Stardew Valley at all...).
posted by good day merlock at 10:09 AM on January 26, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by good day merlock at 10:09 AM on January 26, 2018 [1 favorite]
Master of Orion 2 is about 20 years old, but good fun for a space 4x game.
Arcanum is a great steampunk/fantasty RPG similarly old.
posted by Shutter at 10:21 AM on January 26, 2018 [1 favorite]
Arcanum is a great steampunk/fantasty RPG similarly old.
posted by Shutter at 10:21 AM on January 26, 2018 [1 favorite]
All of the games below have fairly decent...defined session points, though either levels or other means, and I think they should run okay on your hardware.
Road Not Taken: " Road Not Taken is a roguelike puzzle game about surviving life’s surprises. You play as a ranger adventuring through a vast, unforgiving forest in the aftermath of a brutal winter storm, rescuing children who have lost their way. "
Don't Starve: "Don’t Starve is an uncompromising wilderness survival game full of science and magic. Enter a strange and unexplored world full of strange creatures, dangers, and surprises. Gather resources to craft items and structures that match your survival style. " In this one sessions can last long enough if you get good enough to go beyond a session easily, but you can still use the night/day cycle to time when you save and quit.
Rogue Legacy: "Rogue Legacy is a genealogical rogue-"LITE" where anyone can be a hero. Each time you die, your child will succeed you. Every child is unique. One child might be colorblind, another might have vertigo-- they could even be a dwarf. That's OK, because no one is perfect, and you don't have to be perfect to win this game. " I found this enjoyable and I'm not some amazing game player, but if you don't like to be very on top of your button press timing, it won't be for you.
Mini Metro: " Mini Metro is a strategy simulation game about designing a subway map for a growing city. Draw lines between stations and start your trains running. Keep your lines efficient by redrawing them as new stations open. Decide where to use your limited resources. How long can you keep the city moving?"
Cook, Serve, Delicious: " One of the few hardcore restaurant sims in existence, Cook, Serve, Delicious! is a deceptively easy game to learn but incredibly challenging to master as you progress through your career from owning a terrible zero star cafe into a five star world famous restaurant. " This game can also involve a lot of frantic timing, in case you'd want to avoid that.
Osmos: "Enter the ambient world of Osmos: elegant, physics-based gameplay, dreamlike visuals, and a minimalist, electronic soundtrack. Your objective is to grow by absorbing other motes. Propel yourself by ejecting matter behind you. But be wise: ejecting matter also shrinks you. Relax - good things come to those who wait. "
World of Goo: " World of Goo is a multiple award winning physics based puzzle / construction game made entirely by two guys. "
posted by foxfirefey at 10:25 AM on January 26, 2018 [1 favorite]
Road Not Taken: " Road Not Taken is a roguelike puzzle game about surviving life’s surprises. You play as a ranger adventuring through a vast, unforgiving forest in the aftermath of a brutal winter storm, rescuing children who have lost their way. "
Don't Starve: "Don’t Starve is an uncompromising wilderness survival game full of science and magic. Enter a strange and unexplored world full of strange creatures, dangers, and surprises. Gather resources to craft items and structures that match your survival style. " In this one sessions can last long enough if you get good enough to go beyond a session easily, but you can still use the night/day cycle to time when you save and quit.
Rogue Legacy: "Rogue Legacy is a genealogical rogue-"LITE" where anyone can be a hero. Each time you die, your child will succeed you. Every child is unique. One child might be colorblind, another might have vertigo-- they could even be a dwarf. That's OK, because no one is perfect, and you don't have to be perfect to win this game. " I found this enjoyable and I'm not some amazing game player, but if you don't like to be very on top of your button press timing, it won't be for you.
Mini Metro: " Mini Metro is a strategy simulation game about designing a subway map for a growing city. Draw lines between stations and start your trains running. Keep your lines efficient by redrawing them as new stations open. Decide where to use your limited resources. How long can you keep the city moving?"
Cook, Serve, Delicious: " One of the few hardcore restaurant sims in existence, Cook, Serve, Delicious! is a deceptively easy game to learn but incredibly challenging to master as you progress through your career from owning a terrible zero star cafe into a five star world famous restaurant. " This game can also involve a lot of frantic timing, in case you'd want to avoid that.
Osmos: "Enter the ambient world of Osmos: elegant, physics-based gameplay, dreamlike visuals, and a minimalist, electronic soundtrack. Your objective is to grow by absorbing other motes. Propel yourself by ejecting matter behind you. But be wise: ejecting matter also shrinks you. Relax - good things come to those who wait. "
World of Goo: " World of Goo is a multiple award winning physics based puzzle / construction game made entirely by two guys. "
posted by foxfirefey at 10:25 AM on January 26, 2018 [1 favorite]
Roguelike option: I downloaded Dungeons of Dredmore on Steam in 2012 after this post, and got a lot of joy out of it. Still appears to be there.
posted by solotoro at 11:17 AM on January 26, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by solotoro at 11:17 AM on January 26, 2018 [2 favorites]
FTL: Faster Than Light. It’s a lightweight space ship management rouge lite type game with RPG elements. I’ve put more than 100 hours in it. I would highly recommend checking it out. If it looks like something you would be interested in let me know! I have a spare code you’re welcome to. :)
posted by The Reverend at 11:32 AM on January 26, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by The Reverend at 11:32 AM on January 26, 2018 [1 favorite]
Can You Run It? for checking what might work.
/r/patientgamers and /r/lowendgaming for ideas.
Older games I've enjoyed:
Legend of Grimrock for an old-school dungeon crawl with puzzles. (Unsure if the second one will be laptop friendly)
Portal if you somehow never played it.
Spelunky isn't exactly relaxing, but if you don't care about winning, it's a very well done rougelike platformer.
SpaceChem and TIS-100 are logic puzzle games from the same developer. Very niche, but very good.
Papers Please Glory to Arstotzka.
Torchlight and Torchlight II are RPGs in the vein of Diablo, but much lighter.
A little newer, but probably laptop friendly:
80 Days Choose Your Own Adventure meets Jules Verne. Also, check out any of the Telltale series of games and old gamebooks like the Sorcery series, King of Dragon Pass, etc.
Braid Platformer, but with a time manipulation mechanic.
Overcooked is good, but better couch co-op with a friend.
Mentioned before: FTL is excellent, but turns into a time-sink for me. :)
From GOG, anything pre-2010, but I've liked (probably also on Steam):
Point and click adventures like Monkey Island, Police Quest, Space Quest, Day of the Tentacle, Grim Fandango, Machinarium, etc.
DEFCON basically Global Thermonuclear War from WarGames.
Frozen Synapse tactical game where you plan turn-based, but execute real time.
Limbo - light platformer.
Spycraft: The Great Game Cold War spy FMV puzzle game thing
And then there are much older games / retro games / emulators...
posted by hankscorpio83 at 10:13 PM on January 26, 2018
/r/patientgamers and /r/lowendgaming for ideas.
Older games I've enjoyed:
Legend of Grimrock for an old-school dungeon crawl with puzzles. (Unsure if the second one will be laptop friendly)
Portal if you somehow never played it.
Spelunky isn't exactly relaxing, but if you don't care about winning, it's a very well done rougelike platformer.
SpaceChem and TIS-100 are logic puzzle games from the same developer. Very niche, but very good.
Papers Please Glory to Arstotzka.
Torchlight and Torchlight II are RPGs in the vein of Diablo, but much lighter.
A little newer, but probably laptop friendly:
80 Days Choose Your Own Adventure meets Jules Verne. Also, check out any of the Telltale series of games and old gamebooks like the Sorcery series, King of Dragon Pass, etc.
Braid Platformer, but with a time manipulation mechanic.
Overcooked is good, but better couch co-op with a friend.
Mentioned before: FTL is excellent, but turns into a time-sink for me. :)
From GOG, anything pre-2010, but I've liked (probably also on Steam):
Point and click adventures like Monkey Island, Police Quest, Space Quest, Day of the Tentacle, Grim Fandango, Machinarium, etc.
DEFCON basically Global Thermonuclear War from WarGames.
Frozen Synapse tactical game where you plan turn-based, but execute real time.
Limbo - light platformer.
Spycraft: The Great Game Cold War spy FMV puzzle game thing
And then there are much older games / retro games / emulators...
posted by hankscorpio83 at 10:13 PM on January 26, 2018
This thread is closed to new comments.
i've been playing it for over four years now. make sure you're playing on a server with active players (which will likely be radius). you'll probably want to watch the two minute video either before you play or after a game or two.
posted by noloveforned at 8:40 AM on January 26, 2018