Video Game? to Play on One Screen as a Family
September 7, 2019 5:42 AM Subscribe
Looking for a fun family activity for tonight.
Looking for a fun family activity for tonight so short time to research. I was thinking some simple short RPG tabletop game but was not able to find one that would work. Now I'm wondering if there is some current or old video game we can project onto the tv and play together. Here are some thoughts:
- I loved the old adventure games from the 80s and 90s, the save-the-princess type
- not too much fighting and technical battles
- focus on story, not too much puzzle-solving (like game story stops while you spend 1/2 hour figuring out a code)
- maybe something like an escape room but on the screen (we did some paper escape rooms before and it was fun)
- maybe could be completed in one night? not a dealbreaker
- maybe there is a paper game that would work
- maybe another activity entirely?
We are a family of 4, two teens (old enough to handle mature themes but still a family activity). Any ideas welcome!
Looking for a fun family activity for tonight so short time to research. I was thinking some simple short RPG tabletop game but was not able to find one that would work. Now I'm wondering if there is some current or old video game we can project onto the tv and play together. Here are some thoughts:
- I loved the old adventure games from the 80s and 90s, the save-the-princess type
- not too much fighting and technical battles
- focus on story, not too much puzzle-solving (like game story stops while you spend 1/2 hour figuring out a code)
- maybe something like an escape room but on the screen (we did some paper escape rooms before and it was fun)
- maybe could be completed in one night? not a dealbreaker
- maybe there is a paper game that would work
- maybe another activity entirely?
We are a family of 4, two teens (old enough to handle mature themes but still a family activity). Any ideas welcome!
Best answer: What Remains of Edith Finch is a short story-driven exploration game made up of a series of mini game/stories. As a group activity, each player could hand off the controller after each story. There are roughly 12 stories averaging 10-15 minutes each.
posted by justkevin at 6:38 AM on September 7, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by justkevin at 6:38 AM on September 7, 2019 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Not really a story game, but Overcooked 2 is a fun game that requires lots of team coordination and working together. Great for family time.
posted by Neekee at 9:34 AM on September 7, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by Neekee at 9:34 AM on September 7, 2019 [2 favorites]
Best answer: - maybe another activity entirely?
This is entirely left-field from the other items on your list, but the Jackbox series of party games are designed for this kind of thing and are a lot of fun (especially Quiplash -- watch the linked video to see how it works).
posted by rollick at 12:06 PM on September 7, 2019 [4 favorites]
This is entirely left-field from the other items on your list, but the Jackbox series of party games are designed for this kind of thing and are a lot of fun (especially Quiplash -- watch the linked video to see how it works).
posted by rollick at 12:06 PM on September 7, 2019 [4 favorites]
Best answer: A second vote for checking out the Jackbox Party Packs on Steam, they are cheap for games and have some great variety, they are meant exactly for the situation you are describing. The videos on the site will give you the gist of the games. When we visit family I bring the hdmi adaptor for my laptop, plug it in and we're good to go. One thing to note, each player needs a phone or tablet. Also I suggest everyone is on the wifi so people don't get left behind by lag.
posted by BurnMage at 12:56 PM on September 7, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by BurnMage at 12:56 PM on September 7, 2019 [1 favorite]
Best answer: As far as easy one off rpgs go, have you seen Fiasco!? Basically, you roll a bunch of 6-sided dice to create characters from lists of attributes, then have a series of two-player scenes to move the story forward. Scenarios can be found for free online, although some of them will probably have more mature content than you want.
posted by momus_window at 6:47 PM on September 7, 2019
posted by momus_window at 6:47 PM on September 7, 2019
Thirding Jackbox games.
posted by DrAstroZoom at 8:26 AM on September 13, 2019
posted by DrAstroZoom at 8:26 AM on September 13, 2019
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Mizu at 5:58 AM on September 7, 2019 [1 favorite]