A Video Game Starter Guide for Total Newbs

If tower defence games sound at all interesting there are several written for flash that you can try for free. Many of them suck, but there are also some awesome ones like the Bloons Tower Defence games from Ninja Kiwi. (This series has a special spot in my heart since BTD3 was my introduction to tower defence games.)

The first place to go is always the internet. Lots of games that cost money on the PC have demos or other teasers online. Plants versus Zombies is a tower defense game with a rather obvious premise; you can play the first two levels with a quick google search, or many other tower defense games. I’d also recommend going to a website, such as kongregate, newgrounds, or armor games. These three have games of all the types listed above for free; jumping from ‘I really enjoyed X, but the controls were awkward’ to buying a game compared to it, where you can customize the controls, makes things easier.

I know a lot of people who can’t really be considered “gamers” but they enjoy stuff like FarmVille and hidden object games. Newbie gamers might want to check out casual games by Zynga and Big Fish as a starting point.

I’m a big fan of fantasy and adventure games–also, I prefer my games easy and not too long (because I usually only game on the weekend for a few hours). My favorite games are Fable (each subsequent game has been easier to play with a shorter investment of time), Super Mario Bros. and Legend of Zelda. 

I tried to play the first volume of Assassin’s Creed and could not get into it (although I loved riding the horse around). I tend to be a button-masher (I don’t really pay attention to timing or which buttons I push–I AM AN AWFUL GAMER), so I completely got stuck early in the game because I couldn’t get past one teeny-tiny part. I’ve heard the later editions are a little less tedious, so they might be worth checking out. The game itself was beautiful, the mechanics were awesome, and I liked the story. 

Don’t forget the MOBA genre – battle arenas, where you and 2-5 other people compete versus 3-5 other people for field supremacy. League of Legends, Heroes of Newerth, DotA2 (currently in beta), Bloodline Legends, all examples of the genre. IMO, LoL is the better starting point, HoN can have a pretty bad community. DotA (the one that started it all) has a very dedicated playerbase, they all believe themselves pros, and not really for the starting player. 

Also, Dungeon Defenders (in the tower defense type) has a lot of RPG elements. 

If you want to find some good free games, and really good indie games, pick up Steam. Valve software is a great company, and their digital distribution platform is one of the best. And the sales…. You will want to set aside money around Xmas/New Years’ just for those sales. 

I’m not so much of a veteran gamer, but I did recently face the conundrum of what to play after I finished Portal 2, and World of Goo was a good one. It’s another puzzle game — totally different sort of world, but it’s fun to explore, and you use the same sort of problem solving as in Portal. Plus, it’s short, and when you’re new, that helps. 

Newbs might like Dragon Age: Origins a role-playing game (RPG).  It has romance!  Alistair will help you get your feet wet ( ;   I liked playing it on easy because I was mostly in it for the story, but even so my sons sometimes had to help me with the boss fights.  But if you get stuck make sure to utilize walkthrough guides found free on the internet, strategy guides (actually books you have to pay for), or find a mentor!  Even if you’re not playing the same game together, it’s still fun to game with someone.

I really enjoyed the Myst series, and haven’t really found anything else to compare (I prefer puzzles with no danger) but still enjoy playing them. I would also recommend the Civ series, and DEFINATELY recommend Portal 1 and 2. They’re absolutely amazing games with so much character, a good mix of danger and puzzles, and are fairly easy to pick up. I’d never played any of the Elder Scrolls and recently picked up Skyrim, and found that I kept hitting things with swords when I meant to blast them with a spell…

I love pretty much every game but survival horror, but I have a quandry. As couple of years ago, I developed severe vertigo, and now anything with decent-quality grafics that moves faster than a snail makes me violently ill. Including Super Mario Galaxy. Suggestions?

i dig the katamari damacy games.  the controls are easy and the music is awesome.  and in the end, you get to roll the universe into a giant star.  whats not to like?

I’ll be showing this article to my boyfriend — he’s not a gamer and I am and it’s occasionally difficult. (And will be more so when Mass Effect 3 comes out and I focus all my energy on saving the galaxy.) I’m grateful for an article about how to get into games that isn’t focused on how to trick your girlfriend into being okay with your playing WoW for 80 hours a week.

I think one of the more important aspects of starting to play games is choosing something that someone can easily teach you, if you are anything like me, and have a hard time motivating yourself to practice.

For that reason, I think cooperative games are good. I can’t suggest any for the PC (I play pretty much all my games on consoles). I would suggest downloading an emulator and ROMs for older consoles (SNES9X is a good one), but that’s slightly illegal (although it doesn’t hurt the game companies’ profits, given they don’t sell those consoles anymore). Also, if you buy a Wii-mote and the classic controller, you can Bluetooth that to your computer and play that way. I just personally think starting on older games is actually easier, and if it’s a good game, the graphics won’t bother you. There tends to be less sensory overload.

I just genuinely think that if you’re wanting to get into gaming, it’s worth it to buy an old console, ’cause they’re cheap, and so are their games. And people still play them! I’m in the middle of a game of Gauntlet Legends with my fiance and my neighbor upstairs, and it’s just as good (if not better) as when my brothers and I used to play when I was little. I played through all of Pikmin a couple weeks ago. My neighbor and I are sharing a file of Majora’s Mask. My fiance and I team up on Bomberman before we go to sleep.

It’s not necessarily to get something new and shiny to persuade people to play games. 

For those of you who are looking into PC games, I can’t recommend Steam enough. (You’ll actually need it if you plan on getting any of Valve’s games, such as Portal.) It has a huge selection of games, some of which have demos or are free-to-play, you can message other gamers and join groups, and it’s also useful for organizing your game library, even the non-Steam ones. And the sales! If you play your cards right you’ll almost never have to pay full price for a game. ;)

Actually, now that I think about it, maybe The Mary Sue should have its own group! That way we can get together and help the rookies out a bit. We can even have a gaming schedule. Team Fortress Tuesdays, anyone?

[/fangirl mode]

This is awesome!  I used to dub myself the “Anti-Gamer” due to gaming-relationship issues.  But I started a couple years ago via Big Fish and now love it. I have learned a lot and realized the wonderful qualities that make gaming attractive to those fighting Alzheimer’s, loss of acumen issues as well as lack of finger dexterity and mental boredom.  

So why am I on this mailing list to begin with?  *sigh*  My given name at birth was Mary Sue.  Yes, it’s my cross to bear.  No, it isn’t funny.  Ok, yes I guess it is.

In the massively multiplayer group, I’d add RIFT. The RIFT team does a great job introducing new content and events frequently, which makes for a fun and interesting world.  In survival horror (I guess), I know it violates the “new and shiny” qualification, but Diablo II along with its Lord of Destruction xpac is possibly the most replayable game of all time.  Diablo III (currently in beta testing) is so far a bit of a disappointment, IMO, but I’ve played D2 for 12 years now so perhaps the shoes are just too big to fill.

I never finished the first one, but 2+ are a lot more lenient (allows you to run without attracting guards!) and feature a better main character.

I second this those old games are super fun and accessible… much like Star Trek orginal series.

“Some games have lady problems”

So, so many jokes coming to mind.

I very strongly second the recommendation to play ‘Bioshock,’ and not just to horror buffs. Okay, if you’re really disturbed by blood and dark themes or easily spooked, then maybe you should reconsider (or just play with the lights on :P). But even if you aren’t a fan of being scared (I’m not), I still recommend the game. The story is extremely engaging, both emotionally and intellectually and just when you think you’ve figured everything out, the plot twists and places you on wonderfully unfamiliar ground. Seriously, I’m the kind of person who runs out of the room when someone pulls a screamer video up on youtube and still checks under the bed just in case and even now, Bioshock is my favorite video game.

I’m a casual gamer, I used to play heaps as a kid (Crash Bandicoot, Abes Odyssey and Pandemonium!) but recently started having a go with my flatmates xbox360. I quite liked Arkham Asylum, Dragon Age and GTA, but the standout favourite game for me was Red Dead Redemption. I got so engrossed in the storyline and all its little side missions that I cried so much at the ending (especially with that song playing while Jack is standing there, ohmygod). Besides, what other game rewards you for picking flowers while fighting grizzlies or bounty hunting?

I second Katamari on console.  Easy to start, challenging to master, a great sense of humor, and the banginest soundtrack you will be pumping through your work headphones for years.

I have noticed that nobody has mentioned the Sims franchise.  You basically create little people and control their lives.  You design their personality and play out their story.  It has a pretty intuitive game play, with some really quirky twists.  This game leaves a lot of room for creativity.  You really don’t have to be a gamer to get into this one.

 There’s tons of abandonware/freeware on the internet, like at dosgames.com– just learn how to use DOS (direct operating system– search engines are your friends!), and away you go.  Often, they aren’t as difficult as modern games, especially in terms of reflex.  Jill of the Jungle is an awesome one, although I really want to play the second and third ones… those aren’t freeware :p.  Commander Keen, Duke Nukem, Scorched Earth– these I played as a wee ‘un, when I had the reflexes of a sloth, and playing those games now, it really shows. 
Cally13, what other game encourages flower-picking? WoW and Skyrim, for two XD  I love it when games do.

 I love the Sims!  I only played the first two or three, and geeze louise there’s a bunch of user-made content (of exceedingly awesome quality) on the web, even back in 2003/4!  I want it so badly now… ;__;   I had the most fun making homes and land-plots.

Yes, like creatively murdering them when you get bored of the game. Adding a whole new dimension to the gameplay. ^-^

In Assassin’s Creed, my friends call it MurderCreed.

 Yikes, that sucks! I’m not sure what you can do, it sounds like most games nowadays might set that off. Maybe you could play retro games? There’s a lot of classics for, say, the NES or SNES that might be easy on your stomach. Also there’s always text adventures, as dusty as that genre is.

Are there any good FREE strategy games? I have Civ 5 and love it but I am a student and thus have no money.

http://tinyurl.com/8a4vnr5

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/4X#Recent_history <– has some links to free strategy games that you might like.

http://www.wesnoth.org/ <– less 4x, more tactics RPG

https://us.battle.net/account/sc2/starter-edition/ <– the free Starter Edition of Startcraft 2 has a decent amount of content, and you can get a lot of mileage just playing the AI.

You can also find a ton of great older games at gog.com, usually at $5 and under. (And there are new sales every weekend.) Master of Orion 2, Master of Magic and Alpha Centauri are three that I love, but there are plenty others. (Or you can find them in less legal ways. You just have to feel guilty about it and buy lots of games when you're out of college and less poor or something.)

Thank You

So, I am not a gamer, in any sense of the word. I used to play stuff on my computer when I was in elementary/middle school, including Myst and The Sims, but I haven’t delved into that sort of thing for over ten years. That being said, I’m really interested in trying an RPG. I am a really big Star Wars fan, so I’ve been hearing a lot about The Old Republic, mainly really good things. It definitely appeals to me for that reason. I’m kind of wondering if it would be a good jumping off point for a Star Wars fan who’s never tried an RPG? Also, what are the pros and cons of an MMO format for someone who’s totally new to it?  

So happy to see tf2 on this list. it’s what made my boyfriend and i fall in love all over again when he taught me to play.

Team Fortress Tuesdays, or punnier, Team Fortress Twosdays,  actually sound like a brilliant plan. Whenever I play I can only think “do you think they know I’m a girl?” Not that it matters of course, but I would love to play with other females! My username is the same here. Opus Dea. 

thanks for this post!!! as a geeky girl (in the comic-book/movie nerd sense) I’ve always felt left out on the video game front. aside from playing Pokemon and Sper Mario on my gameboy color when I was a kid I never got into video games, but I’ve always wanted to! I’ve played the very beginning of Skyrim on a friend’s console and I used to play Mortal Kombat some (loved both, mashed all the buttons during any fights). I think I would love Portal and I’d like to try out Dragon Age… *Ignores advice, have to buy console*

I’m very intrested on this topic. I’m playing SWTOR and, as i was a tester on the QA team of SWTOR, i have played the game 6 months before release. I recommend you to try these guides: http://swtor.nightwin.com 

You would probably get a real kick out of Knights of The Old Republic. It’s a single-player RPG made by BioWare (same folks who made Dragon Age and Mass Effect), and as you may have guessed, it’s the precursor to the MMO. The game was released in 2003, so the graphics and controls are pretty dated, but I replayed it about a year and a half ago, and it’s still a great game. It’s also only ten bucks on Steam.

http://store.steampowered.com/app/32370/ 

If you’re just starting with MMOs, I’d suggest one of two things. If you have a buddy who already plays, become his/her padawan. It’s one of the best (and most fun) ways to learn.

If you’re flying solo, I’d really recommend cutting your teeth on a few single-player RPGs before you jump into an MMO. You’ll pick up a lot of transferable skills, like managing groups of enemies and building your character stats. If you haven’t gamed since elementary school, you’ll also need to get comfy with the basic stuff, like learning how to move around and use key bindings (aka keyboard shortcuts). Single-player games give you the freedom to make mistakes and try new stuff without worrying about who might be watching.

That said, as a SWTOR player myself, the game lends itself well to a single-player experience, so you certainly could just pick it up and give it a shot. The user interface might seem a little overwhelming at first, so take advantage of the in-game tutorial tips and spend some time reading up on the game online. If you’re not feeling confident enough to play with other people yet, don’t. Just do your own thing until you feel like you’re ready to play with others. And if you do group up with strangers, be up front about the fact that you’re new. Some MMO players can be jerks to newbies, but I’ve found that if you ask for help from the get-go, people tend to be more understanding (they might even take you under their wing, as happened with me and my first WoW guild).

Good to hear. I hated not being able to run or race my horse around willy-nilly. It seemed a bit preposterous that nobody ever moved faster than a meandering walk. 

I’ve JUST got into playing video games, so I really appreciate this article! My fiance has always been big into these and once he started telling me about the intricate story lines, I figured I’d give it a try. I decided to go for Mass Effect from the reviews and discussions on this blog, and I love it so far! (Even if it is a bit frustrating at times… I liked the first point on this article “You will suck”… and I do). I’m trying not to be put off when I can’t get through a point and have had to ask for help so I don’t give up on it. Liking it so far, and this is a great article to keep as a reference. Thanks!

Can I just say that LEGO Star Wars/Indiana Jones/Harry Potter has basically saved me from being in gamer wasteland? Having a 4-year-old doesn’t make gaming realistic/responsible, but because my kid actually likes watching me play these games and I can have him tag along as a character (without seriously impeding my progress), I can actually sneak gaming into my life.  Like, SERIOUSLY.

I tried to play Assassin’s Creed II, and threw it down in frustration at the “race against your brother” part.  I’m still getting used to all the fiddly controls, and they insist on giving me time challenges with no “skip” option?  No, not for a casual gamer, thanks.

The Batman: Arkham games worked well for me, though.  Move the stick to move Batman.  Press X to make Batman do something cool.

I’m surprised LittleBigPlanet hasn’t been mentioned at all.  It’s really easy to pick up, it’s adorable, and when you’re finished the game you can explore all kinds of user-made levels.  And did I mention it’s adorable?

Thanks so much. This info is really helpful. 

Turn-based strategy games might be something to try more of in the Civ V realm.   Retro games like XCom or Masters of Magic survive the time well (not graphically, but game-wise).  Heros of Might and Magic, maybe.  Europa Universalis.

Any of the Total War games.  They allow you to sim the battles if you like and focus on the strategy aspects.  Although, with the slower pacing in the real time fights and the ability to pause and consider your options, you may find even those RTS elements palatable.

Love the video game posts from you Becky!

Everyone should play Ghost Trick! It is addicting and has a great story, making it fun for everyone, and the plot totally railroads you and you can retry levels as many times as you like, which makes it perfect for newbies who might get lost or lose interest in something less focused. It’s cheap on iOS or on DS! 

I’m actually still quite new to gaming. I’ve dabbled over the years (most memorable was Spyro 1, 2, and 3 on Playstation way back in Jr. High), but always felt that it wasn’t for me for some reason. 

I agree that everyone should play Portal and Portal 2. And it’s fairly easy on PC. The controls are limited. You use A,W,S, and D keys to move; A is left, W is forward, S is back and D is right. You point where you want to look/shoot with your mouse. Easy! And there are no life limits, you can “die” as many times as you need to solve a puzzle and you won’t have to start over at the beginning. You might have to start at the beginning of the level, but the levels are fairly short. 
In addition, both games have been around so long that there are walk-throughs and hints available if you need them (when I played I had my boyfriend nearby who I could talk to/ask how to finish a puzzle, usually it was him giving me a hint and me using certain mantras like “Look up, look up, look up” to help solve the puzzle).

I have now started playing Batman; Arkham Asylum (PC) and Spider-man: Shattered Dimensions on X-Box. Both are lots of fun (especially if you’re a Spider-man fan, so many jokes and puns), although I have yet to finish both. And you can select “easy” settings, which are a godsend for someone like me who is very unaccomplished in gaming. 

I have actually played and finished X-Men Destiny on my own! Yes, it was on the easy setting, but I’ve never finished a game on my own before! I only needed a few hints on how to avoid dying in a couple of boss fights. 

I strongly suggest you get more from the hot inter-racial dating club” BlackWhiteFriends.℃0M ” where LOve is color blind and you can meet many cute babes, both black and white and try more……

Brand new with a shiny PS3 at 35 years of age – no previous gaming experience  - unless you count playing an electronic chess board in the eighties . . . . 
So far can’t get out of the “training area” on Little Big Planet, can’t get through of the first set of jumpy tasks on Sly, can’t run and shoot at the same time on COD, get so intensely focused in Bioshock forget to breathe (possibly because little one is dead more than alive) and the control thing has been thrown out of the open window when couldn’t work out how to open the bloody doors in Lego Star Wars. But . . .I totally get it and one day, one day, i’ll even venture on line (when can run in a straight line whilst looking through the cross hairs, jumping a ditch and not killing a friendly)

Play NetHack, have fun.

Also Dwarf Fortress.

Yay Pandemonium! I remember playing it on Nokia N-Gage many years ago :D Now I bought it for iOS, so fun

I think everyone should start out playing skyrim.   This is one of the best games ever.  I have turned 4 people out into playing.  People who the last time they played video games was on the nes.

I really would not recommend Zynga’s games to anyone. They have absolutely terrible business practices, and I’d hate to think they were getting more money because of anything I did. They’ve basically stolen whole games from smaller groups, and I can’t get behind that.

Theres a genre that no one here has mentioned called Point-and-Click adventures like The Secret of Monkey Island and Grim Fandango.
Turn based strategy games are also a viable option, but they can get pretty complicated. My favorite turn based strategy game is Heroes of Might and Magic 3, which is pretty old (1999), there are newer iterations but they never had the same charm that the third had (The 6th one came out recently!). You manage a settlement and train soldiers to explore and conquer other settlements. Its set in a classical fantasy world with elves, dragons, angels, demons and goblins.

Civilization (The third (yet again) being the best if you arent picky when it comes to graphics) is also a valid option.

There is also the Total War series (Total War: Rome being my personal favorite, but the “best” one is more up to debate, as Medieval 2: Total War and Total War: Shogun 2 are also extremely strong contenders), although in Total War you can control your troops during battle if you wish.

I don’t know if this is a ‘girl’ thing or a ‘me’ thing (probably the latter), but I cannot play games unless it is social. I mean this in 1 of 2 ways. Either I have to be playing WITH an IRL friend (co-op) or the story needs such strong characters, that I feel like the people in the game are real and I can interact with them (BioWare RPGs, essentially).

For that reason, I lost interest in Skyrim. (sorry! but i did) I don’t like wandering around in a game world alone, or with a most-silent follower. I need to play with a friend or with a virtual ‘friend.’

If you’re someone who finds games a little too quiet and lonely, you may find co-op with a buddy is a good way to play OR find your way to the highly-immersive story-based RPGs. Even if you suck at first and play on casual, you can enjoy the plot line until your gaming skills improve. Also, a lot of the story-based RPGs are very re-playable, which means you can buy just 1 game and play it for months. Saves money.

I’d love to add that the BioWare games – Dragon Age, Mass Effect – could really fit into multiple categories you have here, not just RPG. Because of that, they were the games that took me from ‘sometimes I play with my brother’ to being the gaming addict of the family.

I actually really like the way you break down the geek personality types. To go all Myers-Briggs, I bet sensing types like first-person shooters and action-adventure games, introverted intuitive feeling types like RPGs, and extroverts like MMORPGs.

Hey, playing team fortress on steam with fellow mary-suers sounds awesome! On steam my username is xenashepard. Feel free to add me if anyone wants to play some games!

For years i thought i sucked at games, though i loved watching people play – then i finally figured out it was because the games i most loved watching were RPGs, while i was trying to make myself play platform games, which i legitimately blow at and have no investment in. For some reason i thought i “had” to play them because they were more cartoony and somehow more “girly”. Now I am playing Skyrim and am completely in love and saving for a decent gaming desktop. XD
and this is another vote for katamari, only game i have ever actually finished, and the game that really got me back into gaming for *me*.

If you’re recommending games to non-gamers it might be a good idea to use full names instead of abbreviations. I am a gamer and even I struggled to make sense of your post.

Not all games are exclusivly one or the other, but a great combination. So if you love puzzle platformers and survival horror, you really, really have to check out Limbo (even if the “survival” part is a bit in limbo)