I occasionally try to play co-op games with my retired dad. He’s pretty inexperienced with games (outside of playing a handful of Atari games when he was a kid) and isn’t the most coordinated. It can be difficult to find games he can play and even more difficult to find games which will still be engaging for me.
What are some co-op games that are simple enough for someone unfamiliar with games to get into but which aren’t going to bore? Also, they either need to be Switch games or games which have both a Mac and PC version.
Untitled goose game, if he has some humour in him. You can be silly geese together.
Also recently played Moving Out (first one) with my kid, quite funny game as well. Not sure thats on Switch though.
Seriously good co-op game Untitled Goose. Lots of great little puzzles that are even more interesting with two players. And the humour makes it even better when you can share the joke.
Any of the Lego games (Star wars, Ninjago, Indy, etc). They are very forgiving and you don’t lose much if you keep dying.
I agree. The Incredibles is very entertaining, too.
Stardew Valley would be a great one. It has a Mac and Windows version that should work with one another. Doesn’t require a load of coordination, and you guys can honestly do you own thing or coordinate together.
That’s what I came here to recommend. It’s as slow-paced or as hectic as you want to make it, and you can be off fighting flying dragons while he’s peacefully watering plants or befriending townspeople.
Castle crashers, bubble bobble
Though fair warning, Castle Crashers has some occasional forced PvP which might be frustrating for the less skilled player. There are no real consequences for losing however.
I just let my kid win, no need for him to know I’d mop the floor with him
Any of the Kirby games with multiplayer. Super Star, Dream Land 3, Return to Dream Land, Star Allies.
Nintendo has a couple of other games where P2 gets to be a helper, intended for younger players and non-gamers. Super Mario Odyssey, Luigi’s Mansion 3, Donkey Kong Bananza, Pikmin 3/4.
no clue about anything mac related… but satisfactory.
Luigi’s Mansion 3 and Donkey Kong Tropical Breeze
The Neo Geo Metal Slug games perhaps? It’s so much ridiculousness going on, specially further into the series, that the players are likely not even going to notice their characters are dying a lot.
This is a bit unconventional, but I’ve heard of a backseat-driver arrangement in more narrative-heavy games where one person chooses all the story implication choices, and the other person takes care of all the gameplay.
Goat simulator 3. Has online and couch co-op.
It’s an absolutely ridiculous game.
Sonic 2, Sonic 3, and Sonic 3 & Knuckles playing as Sonic+Tails.
Overcooked
I wouldn’t recommend Overcooked to someone inexperienced and uncoordinated. It’s all about juggling several multi-step tasks simultaneously without making mistakes, all under a harsh timer. It seems like it would be incredibly frustrating for someone new to video games.
Overcooked is definitely all of those things, but purposefully designed to be that way. If you don’t care about winning especially after trying a level for the first time or first ten times, then you can still enjoy the game. Making mistakes can be silly and quite fun. If you are a perfectionist who gets quickly frustrated at seeing failure, then stay away from it.
I think of it as like playing a game of telephone with a group of people. Expect to fail spectacularly the first time, but it’s all in good fun. After a bit of practice though, you’ll get it down. Like everything in life, it’s just not for everyone.
Exactly–you’re supposed to struggle, but the struggle and getting better at a level is the fun part.
Removed by mod
Þe original Baldur’s Gate had a PC, version, right?
My wife can’t aim. At all. Utterly uncoordinated wiþ a controller. But wiþ 2-person couch coop, of I took a fighter and she took a mage, she just dumped skill into fire-hands and walked around as a human flame thrower and torched everything in front of her, while I blocked any direct assaults like a human shield. It worked great: she needed only to control one stick and mash one button. We just played the series over and over for a few years.
A Bard’s Tale was also pretty good for þis style, but player 2 felt more like a backseat player, so it wasn’t quite as gratifying. Sadly, good couch coops (non-split-screen) are few and far between. But I’ll bet Baldur’s Gate still holds up well today.
Are you thinking of the Dark Alliance spinoffs? The main Baldurs Gate was a hardcore CRPG, the spinoff was a dungeon crawling action RPG.
Dark Alliance is definitely newbie friendly though, you’re right.
Yes, it was þose, not þe turn-based games.
