Leveling Down

Everyone knows Rock Band is a huge hit, but what else appeals to non-gamers?

Last week I started the conversation about the types of games non-gamers (specifically, wives and girlfriends) could enjoy or at least tolerate. After laying out some general principles and looking at some broad areas of gaming, this week I’ll be narrowing my focus and talking about some specific genres that might appeal to non-gamers. I’ve organized the games from most appealing to least, in general. As always, your mileage may vary, and I’d love to hear others’ ideas as well!

Mario Party put party games onto the map

Party Games
Everybody loves a good party game. Since Mario Party on Nintendo 64 (I’m sure there are other examples from before then), party games have been drawing in non-gamers in droves. There’s something about the competition involved, the inherent fun involved, that keeps people coming back for more. It’s like playing a board game on your television, quite literally sometimes.

In the current generation, the party game has evolved. Now we have music games, where you can get an entire band together, and up to six people can party at once. We have dance games – not only the bestseller Just Dance on the Wii, but upcoming games for Microsoft’s Kinect and tons of more games in the pipeline. Then there are sports games like Wii Sports and Wii Fit or EA Active, which manage to sell game systems to non-gamers.

These party games are the only type of games I can consistently get Mrs. cmfl3x to play. Whether it’s Wii Sports, Rock Band, or the like, these are the ONLY type of games where I can ask Mrs. cmfl3x “Do you want to play?” without getting a drink thrown in my face.

Party Games for Non-gamers
Wii Sports series
Mario Party series
Rock Band series
Guitar Hero series
Dance Dance Revolution Series
Any Karaoke Game

Despite spending most of his time running around with a school aged boy, Professor Layton has found his way into the hearts of many non-gamers.

Casual/Puzzle Games
I lumped casual and puzzle games together because they often go hand in hand. Whether it’s Bejeweled, Sudoku, or brain teasers, puzzle type games generally appeal to the casual audience. The Nintendo DS has practically cornered the market on old people who are trying to keep their brains fresh.

One standout and potential gateway drug game for non-gamers is the Professor Layton series. It has extremely simple gameplay: you just walk around and solve a bunch of brain teasers to ultimately solve a crime. However, it’s super addicting, and it’s also a very low barrier of entry for non-gamers. It’s the type of game that could potentially get somebody addicted to games, no mean feat.

Another game that deserves it’s own paragraph is Peggle. I’m not sure why it’s so darn addicting, but the combination of cute graphics, random but NOT random gameplay, and attainable goals makes it a big hit with non-gamers. Mrs. cmfl3x actually sat down and played Peggle for an hour one day – that is a minor miracle in and of itself. So keep an eye out for puzzle/casual games, and maybe you can find something to enjoy with that non-gamer in your life. But be careful, if the game is on your DS, you might not get it back.

Puzzle/Casual Games for Non-gamers
Peggle Series
Professor Layton Series
Puzzle Quest
Brain Age Series
Big Brain Academy
Crossword Puzzle Games on DS (there are tons out there)

You can never go wrong with pirates. Y’arr!

Adventure Games
Finally, a genre of gaming that combines story elements, graphical elements, and puzzle elements all into one is the adventure series genre which is making a comeback of late. Adventure games are basically story and puzzle games: you progress a narrative by solving various environmentally based puzzles. Adventure games aren’t for everyone, but Mrs. cmfl3x actually prefers when I play these types of games for a couple of reasons.

First of all, the graphics aren’t as edgy in adventure based games. Secondly, the dialogue is generally pretty funny, and thirdly, the stories involved are generally pretty interesting. Whether it’s Monkey Island, Wallace and Grommit, or Sam and Max, adventure games all seem like something more suited for kids. This helps to dispel “video games are too violent” myths and also helps to propel “video games can aid critical thinking” arguments. You may not ever need to use a rubber chicken with a pulley attached to it in real life, but it’s that kind of out of the box thinking that will help you (and your children!) go far in life.

The nice thing about adventure games is that you can play them together with your non-gaming friends. Only one person needs to be actually controlling the character, but both of you can give input on how to solve the environmental puzzles. And when one person gets tired of failing, the controller can always exchange hands. Regular readers of this site know I am a huge fan of adventure games – it also doesn’t hurt that Mrs. cmfl3x has a soft spot for them as well.

Adventure Games for Non-gamers
Monkey Island series
Sam and Max series
Wallace and Grommit series
Zack & Wiki: Quest for Barbaros’ Treasure
Homestar Runner series
Phoenix Wright series
Heavy Rain (mature audiences only)

Final Thoughts
In the end, I think video games are generally pretty hit or miss with non-gamers. It all comes down to personal preference, whether you catch them in the right mood, etc. etc. Hopefully, this little guide can give you some ideas if you’re looking for something to play with that non-gamer in your life. Remember, though – nothing beats REAL quality time. Of course, if you can pull off spending some of that time with controllers in your hands…there’s no harm in that either!

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