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While most gamers today play alone or online with friends, family friendly video games are a minority. The market is mostly dominated by violent games as they are perceived to be more entertaining and fun.
Parents always want to spend more time with their children but owing to today’s modern lifestyle, taking them for an outing or simply to the park can become difficult. On the other hand, video games are easy to access and represent an infinite possibility of worlds that can be discovered together.
Each game would impart some value to the child, be it exercising their critical thinking or simply broadening their imagination. As our lives become increasingly virtual, it is no surprise that parent-child interactions would also do so. With that in mind, below are five family friendly video games that will be great for the next virtual hangout.
5 Family Friendly video games to play in 2022
5) Dorfromantik
Loosely translating to “village romanticization,” the family friendly video game literally makes one fall in love with village life. A relaxing tile placement strategy and puzzle game, this award-winning title transports players to an idyllic countryside. Initially, they are given a stack of hexagonal tiles, and the gist of the title is to find out where each one fits perfectly.
The tiles are procedurally generated, and players are rewarded with bonus tiles if they find the right spot for them. Nevertheless, the game continues just as well, even if players choose to build their own landscapes.
The game has no time limit or building constraints, making it an ideal therapeutic meditation game for gamers looking to calm themselves down. There is something charming about pastel-colored houses and farms with a loosely stroked, uneven edge, making Dorfromantik a great family friendly video game.
4) The Last Campfire
The Last Campfire is a visually gorgeous puzzle adventure about the quest for the meaning of life and what defines home. It is very cute and colorful with a dark side always looming at the edge and is a great medium for explaining the duality of our world to children.
The story is about a soul named Ember who is lost and must travel through caves, marshlands, and forests to find their way back home. On the quest, Ember meets fantastical creatures and spirit guides who are at each campfire.
These same spirits guide Ember to the Forlorns, embers that have lost their spark and have given up. Ember must often solve complex puzzles to bring them back to the light and rekindle their hopes. This family friendly video game even has a demo you can try out before getting it.
3) Unpacking
Developed by Witch Beam, a development studio based out of Australia, Unpacking is a Zen-like puzzle game. In reality, shifting is a stress-inducing activity, but the game challenges this with soothing background music and a retro-inspired whimsical art style.
Without actually showing the tenant, the game gives clues about them as it follows their journey across 8 houses, from a single childhood bedroom to larger multi-room spaces. While unpacking their belongings, players follow the story of the character by noticing the items they own and realizing which are left behind once they move.
With minimal hand-holding, it comes across as a delightful and memorable family friendly video game which shows that there are still new ways to tell a story in video games.
2) The Last Friend
It’s not every day that one comes across a game centered around a man’s best friend. The Last Friend, developed by Stonebot Studios, is a lane defense cum brawler which does exactly that.
Gamers control Alpha, the strong silent protagonist who wanders a post-apocalyptic wasteland in a decked-out RV rescuing furry canines. Players must place turrets to defend the RV while going in bare-knuckled to take on hordes of Mad Max-ish thugs who have imprisoned dozens of dogs.
The gameplay is similar to Plants vs. Zombies, and each ‘good boi’ saved is another skill or turret unlocked. Though the gameplay might be a bit challenging for kids, the theme and witty dialogues make The Last Friend a fun, family friendly experience.
1) Townscaper
Townscaper isn't much of a game as it is a virtual toy. It's a kind of Lego set for building picturesque, cobbled villages as sprawling or as cozy as your imagination desires.
The game sticks to the basics without any complex traffic, infrastructure, or power management. Pick a color, plop down the house blocks on the irregular grid and see how Townscaper's underlying algorithm automatically converts those blocks into cute little houses with arches and stairways.
The lack of restrictions is the game's main draw, with a sandbox feel that lets players be as creative as possible. The minimalist gameplay and design adds to the soothing, tranquil vibes and makes Townscaper a great family friendly video game to relax to.
Note: This article is subjective and solely reflects the writer's opinions.
