Some families consider video games bad. While it is true that screen time should be limited, especially for younger audiences, it doesn’t mean that it should be outright banned either. Doing so does nothing but have them overindulging the second they get the chance.
The best part about video games is there are so many of them that their themes run the gamut. Some are even made to be strictly educational. However, games that can be played together with the entire family, kids included, makes for an excellent bonding experience and also offers the opportunity to slip in some otherwise missed teaching moments. Plus, it makes for much more fun experiences and memories.
10 Among Us Is All About The Clues
Filling the stylistic void leftover from online games like Club Penguin is the recent sensation Among Us. It debuted online in early 2018, with iOS, Android, and Windows versions closely following suit. Since then, the popular deduction game has become so famous that some kids’ and teens’ programs at local libraries host games with the youth in their communities.
The game gave a way for people stuck at home to communicate and enjoy their time with one another in a safe and fun environment. It has become deeply ingrained into children’s lives, gaining a lot of love from their younger crowd. Therefore, it’s an easy game for the whole family to play, trying to find the imposter and leading to some really funny interactions. The best part is the fact it is one of few cross-platform multiplayer games out there, so everyone can play on their favorite system.
9 The LEGO Games Build Bridges Over The Generational Gap
The LEGO games are great to introduce games to kids who are already familiar with the famous building block toy. It opens up the opportunity for parents to geek out with their kids about the same thing in a way that’s appropriate for everyone involved.
There are a wide variety of LEGO games too, from Star Wars to Harry Potter to Lord of the Rings. They also do a great job retelling the stories of their source material, so parents can use this to relive their favorite media franchises, and kids can get involved in the things their parents like too.
8 Mario Kart Is Already The King Of Party Games
Racing games have been the party game favorite for decades and none does it better than Mario Kart. Chances are, parents of the most recent generation of young kids also grew up with a version of the racing giant, so some of the new ones just add an extra layer of nostalgia to the mix.
Depending how competitive the family is, Mario Kart can either bring everyone together in a fun race against the computer, egging each other on to get faster and pull off better tricks, or it can tear them apart into an angry mess when that Blue Shell comes out. Rest assured that tthe former is more likely, so pop in the game and get racing.
7 Minecraft Is Modern LEGO
Minecraft has often been referred to as the modern LEGO. It’s a whole sandbox world made out of blocks, limited only by the player’s imagination. Not to mention, it has surpassed Tetris as the single highest-grossing video game of all time. With a number of different games, tons of merchandise, and a multiplayer function on their base game, it is not hard for families to get involved together.
Multiplayer games can be set up to either be cooperative or competitive, which is extremely helpful in either preventing or causing some familial strife. The best part is that families can appreciate each other’s building and/or fighting skills from their own screen. With Realms, families can even play when they’re apart from each other. Not to mention no game will ever be exactly the same, giving way to tons of replayability.
6 Overcooked Is Cooperative Cooking
Overcooked is a game where everyone ends up taking on various roles in a kitchen. The game starts out simple and builds up to harder and harder orders, necessitating a lot of communication between players. There’s also a competitive mode for families who are more interested in beating each other than helping one another get better, or who just typically have more fun that way.
The best part about Overcooked is the fact it’s a couch co-op, meaning only one copy is needed. It doesn’t even split-screen. It blends seamlessly together, with the only thing more annoying than the timer constantly reminding players to get cracking being the angry customers with no patience.
5 Pokémon Is Always A Good Choice
While the trend is starting to cater towards an older, louder fanbase, Pokémon is still typically considered a franchise for younger audiences. That doesn’t mean someone is going to grow out of it and not play the latest versions with their own kids, helping everyone get those version exclusive monsters and having some ageless fun.
Even if the base games aren’t someone’s cup of tea, there are many different spinoffs with their own flavor and opportunities to trade or explore. Pokémon Go gives families a chance to get outside and go exploring the different parks and places around the community, giving more opportunities to get kids outside and learning about new things, places, and people.
4 Rayman Legends Brings Back An Old Classic Platformer
Rayman is a classic platformer that has always been a fan favorite, and Rayman Legends is a perfect entry point for the newest generation of gamers to jump into. Everything is fantastical and brightly colored with tons of puzzles that parents are likely going to be called upon to help solve anyway.
The best part is that up to four players can play together offline and can jump in and out of the game at any point. It’s also full of timing and rhythm puzzles that are just a lot of fun to jam out to with the family.
3 Rock Out with Rockband Or Other Band Games
Games like Rockband still make for a great time. They are awesome to play with families of all ages due to having various modes, usually able to be set by each individual player to make something cooperative and fun. The best part is that these games are not about fighting, which is what steers many parents away from video games for their kids.
They are rhythm games, often with classic or themed music that require a lot of timing to get down. They also have the added bonus of parents being able to share a little bit of music history and appreciation with their kids, as conversations about music tend to get drawn into.
2 Snipperclips: Cut It Out Together! Is A Switch Family Favorite
Snipperclips is a cute puzzle game for the Nintendo Switch that was released in 2017 and has been a family favorite ever since. The whole point of the game is for Snip and Clip to get through their paper cutout world together, though it can be played with up to four players which makes it perfect for small families.
All of the characters can be rotated and clipped by other players so that they can be reshaped and used to solve puzzles, such as turning Snip into a pointed object to pop a balloon or to make it so Clip can be elevated up to the nearest platform. No matter how you cut it, it makes for a fun little game to play cooperatively with the family.
1 Super Smash Bros. Brings Everyone’s Favorite Characters Together To Brawl
Fighting games like Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter have been popular games to play with friends for ages. Super Smash Bros. is just like that, but drags in characters from all over Nintendo’s various franchises, pitting them together in various worlds. Newer games make it even more complex by not limiting it to one-on-one battles, making room for even more players to get involved.
As long as nobody is going to get all that angry when the good moves are pulled out, it makes for a perfect time to teach the little ones about the faux pas that is button-smashing while setting the stage for feeling a massive sense of pride the first time they manage to beat their own parents in a fair fight.
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