Introducing Games To A Non-Gamer 

My sister always wanted to get into games. I started her off with simple platformers, but she quickly grew bored of those. She told me she wanted to play the games I was playing since they looked cooler. Mainly, she wanted to play horizon zero dawn because of the female protagonist. She didn't know I did this, but I set the difficulty on story mode, as she would quickly become very stressed as soon as even a basic enemy engaged her in combat. When she beat the game, she was elated, and wanted to play other games I owned. After that, she was playing all the other games on normal. Just beating a more complicated game, even if it was on story mode, was enough to give her the confidence to play other games.

Wow. I usually don't write comments like this, but is this video underrrated. Only 25 views? That's some high-quality content there! Keep up the good work!

I would like to see new consoles have a pack in game that is an introduction to basic moves and controls. like an introduction to camera movement and basic 3D platforming and driving. Just something that is low stakes that gives something to start understanding. Games throw so much we need to give back a little.

The algorithm has been recommending smaller creators and videos with low view counts and I'm loving it. This video essay is super well made, very compelling. Keep up the great work!

This is my exact problem. I want to have fun playing games but I suck at them. Like the last of us I was so immersed yet I never finished because it was too hard for me. By contrast I practically breezed through breath of the wild. I was shocked at how easy the boss fights were.

I'm over 30 and my mom is near 70, and lately I've been teaching her to play video games when she comes for a visit. My dad recently had a chance to try F-Zero AX, a racing arcade game with a tilting seat, and he really enjoyed it. Next time he and mom visited, we played the GameCube version, F-Zero GX, together in multiplayer. He handled it well, still understanding the concepts from the arcade version, but my mom struggled. I started wondering if there was a way to teach her. I put my hands over hers on the controller and found she was rotating the joystick around its axis, as though its position corresponded to the top of a steering wheel. I explained that she only needed to push it left or right, and then she struggled to grasp that it would respond differently depending on how far it was tiled, she thought it was all or nothing. After some coaching, she was able to finish a race on her own. Next play session, I had her get the first star in Super Mario 64. I reasoned that since that game basically had to introduce the concept of a thumb based analog stick to the world, it would ease her into the nuance of its movement. She got thrown off the mountain by the Big Bob-omb like 7 times, but eventually she got the hang of it! She was so pleased with herself for learning that skill. Next time she and dad came for a visit, we played F-Zero again, and she did leagues better. She had total control of her vehicle, was able to recover from her mistakes and get back on track, and even finished the first 2 races. It's worth noting too that F-Zero GX is one of the hardest games ever made, and requires you to bank into turns using L and R simultaneously with the stick, and she even handled that no problem. She was proud of herself and I was proud of her!

This got me thinking. I agree with you that Nintendo is the best way to introduce someone to gaming, not only because of their design philosophy, but also because they're the videogame company that's most present in the general consciousness of the non gamer crowd. Them already being familiar with Mario and their other characters makes them more comfortable while diving into a game.

I think simple games are better to beginners, like Mario, Portal or some of telltale games. But I think frustration is just a part of the learning curve, many of my non-gamer friends don't like combat because they get desperate and anxious, like they are the ones getting hurt, not the character on the screen. The way they think about games is different and if they actually want to learn, I think they will just no be so affected by the frustration. I think a lot about this and it's always hard to get to a conclusion. Great video btw!

I think the real answer to introducing complete non gamers to the medium is by physically sitting down with them and teaching them. Before my mother passed away, she wanted to spend more time trying some of my hobbies with me she never tried before. With video games, I had to teach a woman in her 60s (I'm in my 30s) how to play 3D games. She got surprisingly good at them. But I had to point out things like "It's red, shoot it!" or "Try interacting with that flashing thing," in order to start programming her brain the way mine was wired.

We've been introducing my 60 year old DnD friend to games via Minecraft. It's going okay. Stardew Valley was also offered. It's hard to find things that hit the sweet spot of games everyone else is playing and games that are good at communicating controls and details. Honestly, I do suggest Portal for introducing people the 1st PoV, mouse view movements, and FPS genre. Or Slime Rancher if on Mac.

I've coached several people unfamiliar to games in my life. What I've learned is: 1. Keep it slow and simple. Basically don't throw them into Doom. Or really anything that requires them to press more than one button at a time/is high stress. 2. Generally stay away from platforming-focused stuff because it's a coordination nightmare for those who don't play games. 3. If possible, stay away from 3D games where you control the camera like shooters (unless it's VR). 3D games add an entire new dimension for new players to deal with, which means, you guessed it, they have to do more than one thing at the same time which they will almost always fail miserably at. 4. VR is pretty intuitive besides the controller buttons themselves and gets 100% guaranteed wow reactions from everyone who tries it, so if you happen to have a headset of any kind, go for it. None of these principles are binding, of course, but it can help you choose the right game for whoever you're wanting to get into games. Here's some of my recommendations: Like in the video, most first-party nintendo games - Simple, easy to understand, fun. Hollow Knight - Despite the very high skill ceiling, it has a relatively low skill floor where I was able to get my mom through the tutorial area with some light coaching. It also has a really great story and world. Portal - Good introduction to 3D games, game starts off with basically just walking and doesn't expect you to make multiple movements till much later, though you are allowed to. Half Life: Alyx - This is the wow factor I was talking about earlier with VR games. Say no more. Though you may have to move them back to the center of the room every so often and watch out for swinging controllers.

Your channel is really underrated. It has a really comfy feel

Its like learning a new language but easier. Then after learning it, you can finally start enjoying the contents of that language. Its opens up a whole new world to explore. And if you think about it, we dont get to do that often.

You've done a wonderful job with narration, explanation to various audiences, and selection of visuals. Thank you for making this, as it's helped me re-evaluate myself as a gamer from a different perspective

I think an important part of introducing people to gaming needs to be making use of what they already have. Purchasing a dedicated device should be for those already committed to the hobby. Don't require them to spend anything beyond the cost of the game itself. If they've already got a computer, teach them on that. They already know how to use it, so get them to add gaming as just another thing it can do. We've got 40+ years of PC games out there. There will be thousands with system requirements below the specs of any machine owned by a non-gamer today. Hell, I still play games that listed their system requirements as "PC/XT or compatible" and came on floppy disks.

I agree with what you said about how games get easier and more intuitive over time. The first platformer that ai ever played was NSMB Wii and it took me the better part of a year to beat world 1. However after I beat world 2, I finished the game in about a month.

recently a good friend of mine who has never played games took interest in zelda and I lent them my switch, out of curiosity she ended up booting up hollow knight and fell in love with it, she already beat hornet and found her way through the fungal wastes and its been fascinating for me to watch her travel through Hallownest. it might sound dumb but it really makes me proud

Dude really good. I think that idea about game that walks through a history of gaming and introduces knowlage is an amazing and brilliant idea. Big sub thanks fellah

Your points on Nintendo and Mario in particular got my brain thinking about the topic. I haven't dealt with somebody who has never touched a video game, but have dealt with those who have maybe only played once or twice. I have been able to achieve mild success in teaching some games to people, and I think part of that is due to Nintendo. Nintendo's design philosophy has always been for newcomers to be able to enjoy themselves while veterans get a fun time too. That being said, depending on what kind of game interested the person, I'd probably start them on something more simple. Taking your example of Super Mario Bros. a step further, maybe Pac-Man would be a good starting game, as it only asks the player to tilt the joystick. Your example of the Wii being very intuitive with motion was also a great point. I think, however, the best game to start a newcomer on, would be Super Mario 64. The game's controls are simple enough for the average player to understand, akin to Super Mario Bros. The control stick moves Mario around, "A" button jumps, "B" button is the main action button. Over time, the game itself would teach them about the "Z" button, being the secondary action button, and the "C" buttons, which move the camera. The game also starts the player in a non-hostile environment, the Castle Grounds, to familiarize themselves with how Mario moves around, then gives them the opportunity to use those moves to navigate the castle to the first hostile environment, Bob-omb Battlefield. Basically, my point is that Super Mario 64, unlike most games, even among Nintendo games, or EVEN other 3D Mario games, gives the player a chance to familiarize themselves with the game without punishment for doing so, without the person teaching having to be overbearing.

My husband who spent most of his life backseat gaming or playing the sims/animal crossing took on Odyssey lately - and my god did he struggle. It actually was confusing and stressing me out to no end how he couldnt work his way around a game with the most natural and intuitive controls I've seen committed to any game - but then I realized. Odyssey is a game made for and designed with people who spent their entire lives growing up on Mario games. Its actually a mechanically complex and pretty insane game, especially as it's more cryptic with the more out there tech that is only inferred upon by people familiar with the ways Mario moved in previous entries. It is most certainly not a beginner friendly game by any stretch of the imagination.

As someone who got into gaming in my late 20's here's a list of games that got introduced to me and worked and might work for someone else: 1. Detroit: Become Human & The Dark Pictures Anthology - they felt more like an interactive movies than games and I could still make decisions with someone else holding the controller. Those might be also good to learn where each button is since the mechanics are simply "push the right button at the right time" but unfortunately you can't reload a save before you finish the game so just keep that in mind... 2. Resident Evil & Portal - still just assisting someone who holds the controller but I could help solving the puzzles and RE uses a lot of this "unspoken visual language" like red explosive barrels, yellow pipes or ladders, breakable chests etc, so I could understand what to look for. I think Portal could even work with a non-gamer playing since it's more about puzzles than fluency with controller and buttons 3. Mortal Combat 1 (2023) - again an interactive movie that I could actually play! On easy mode you can basically hit any button in panic and it would probably work anyway but you still get the feeling of accomplishment and it's fun to play with friends - even more fun if they don't know what they're doing as well 4. Mass Effect series - I just fell in love with the story and characters while watching someone else playing and wanted to try on my own... combat on easy mode was forgiving since your squamates can usually get the job done for you. But this game can be too complex to fully get through it without someone's guidance. Still it's the game that made me get my own console, so... I think it worked :) But if your non-gamer isn't into those kind of genres in movies they probably won't be into them in games, so try to find something they'd like! I know a few non-gamers who got into gaming by simply watching someone play a game with a great story. Then just get them something on easy/story mode and a slower pace. Just please stay away from multiplayers, games without difficulty levels and those with a lot of enemies in close combat! Unlike for experienced gamers, it doesn't have to be challenging - it has to be rewarding and immersive!

Really good video man, keep it up. Boosting the algorithm here. Good luck!

Great Vid btw. I just tried to introduce my uncle to a short horror game, thinking that a simple, linear, immersive, first person, 10 minute horror game was the perfect teaching material. But to my surprise, they were struggling with the basics of movement and camera orenitation and therefore couldn't even enjoy the horror experience. We gamers really take our muscle memory for granted, which is exactly the problem. Muscle Memory isn't something that can be learnt from one single interaction, it takes a few consecutive days to build the basics muscle memory for any skills. Which makes it all the more difficult, as first impression is the most important when introducing new experiences however most new gamer will fail at their first game and give up before they learn the basic muscle memory. Perhaps I have to find a simplier game with a more simple controls, or I can try some sorta bootcamp to teach the basic of movement in a 3d environment but that requires time and is a much less casual experience. now if only there was a game that is engaging while also teaching the basics

Start off with Zelda - it's how I got started.

Wow, I just got recommended this channel, this is some really high quality content, keep it up! (Also 290th sub!1!1!)

>Action-adventure game >"RPG" I remember when some of us would compare gameplay genres to Monopoly and pretending to be a monkey.

Shigeru Miyamoto designed the very first stage of Super Mario Bros with the character on the left and a lot of empty space on the right. This is because most people read from left to right. By moving Mario to the empty space, it tells the player that that is the direction Mario should go and thus 2D side-scrolling platform games was born.

I specifically sought out videos like this and this one was so great! I never played video games as a kid and now, in my 30s, I'm trying to get into it. Mostly I'm struggling with the controllers and how to work everything, but I know it'll get there with practice.

I've also been thinking about this for years. i feel that not only must the game have simple controls and mechanics, be played through a controller that makes some degree of snese to the new player, and you have to go through you library and tailor the kind of game you guide someone through; so it matches the mediums and genres the person you are guiding are already familiar with, and is also in a audio and visual format that they can parse. For instance, my dad will get lost in a cartoon stylised game, but with a more grounded shader and lighting system, he can understand what he looking and and better judge distances. it is a complex topic and there is no singular answer.

I’m a 71 year old guy who is considering taking up gaming so found this video interesting. I’m pretty technology savvy as I worked in IT for most of my working life but just have not got into gaming. I guess that as I worked in IT all day then I didn’t see that gaming would be a way of relaxing. However, now, as a recently widowed guy with time on his hands the idea appeals to me. I use a MacBook, an iPad, and an android phone for several hours every day but just have not got into gaming. I’m considering buying a PS5 but wonder if trying to attempt to play the latest games on that (e.g. Ragnorok) would be a step to far as a start. Should I get the PS5 and start with more basic games or jump in at the deep end? Comments/advice would be very welcome please.

Wonderful video. Well put together.

Slime Rancher is a more laid-back game and teaches you fps controls

I tried throwing my ex right into Portal 2 co-op campaign but she has never played a First person game before. Her only experience in a 3D space before that was a little bit as a child on n64 but she never stuck with it. It didn't go over so well lol. She was getting very frustrated. This was actually the moment that opened my eyes to this discussion. After that we would try switch games like Mario 3D world & captain Toad to much better results.

Personally, I've never played with a controller. And, most games I played are turn-based, 2D or isometric. Recently, I tried to get into more mainstream examples, and found that I struggle with things as simple as "spatial orientation" in 3D (first-person or third-person) games. For example, I struggle to find exit from a doctor's house you begin Fallout New Vegas in. (and it gets significantly worse from there - especially in multilayered buildings where map stops helping) The last game I gave up on, is Control. Even with all the low-difficulty additions (aside from the last one, providing immortality), I still struggle with it. I somehow manage to miss most of the shots I take with all aim-assist options enabled - and circle back to the beginning of the room instead of finding the exit. I often struggle to comprehend what I'm even looking at in these games - especially so, when the camera is moving. I would try introducing a new player to either point-and-click adventures - where you have ONLY the camera control - or to turn-based games with limited amount of buttons. There's also something to say about games that do a lot of front-loading - I tried Deep Sky Derelicts today, and it was a rather overwhelming experience until I eventually figured out the controls (despite the game being turn-based and mouse-operated).

I think one point that you needed to address a little more was that of what motivates an adult to learn something. If you are a typical non-gamer adult, you are used to consuming narrative media passively, but this media is typically targeted at adults. I'm into Japan and '80s culture, so for me the Yakuza series is great, despite there being many, many systems in the game that I have not really internalized yet. If it's a genre I like, and it doesn't make me feel embarrassed to play, I will push through the learning curve. On the other hand, if it's a 'kiddie' game like Pokemon or some romantic visual novel, I'm a lot less likely to keep playing even if the barrier to enjoyment from a hand-eye coordination standpoint is easier.

I always find it funny when people mock games and useless or rotting your brain. The amount of raw sensory info a game bombards you with is staggering. And to process that and parse out of it what is important at any one given moment is not an easy feat and one that does take time and exercise to acquire. And to then be able to make decisions based on that, in real time, in 3d space... it requires extremely high end brain functions and coordination, decision making skills, delegation of tasks, prioritization skills, memory, muscle memory. Game is amazing for the brain and they even use it with the elderly to help them retain a lot of the brain function that can erode with age. It even helps with Alzheimer's patients. There exists an entirely unspoken language about user interfaces, standard look for certain elements, placements of information, methods of accessing more, what keys do what things... expectations and intuitive things built up over decades. It's crazy really.

I would try with an older 2D game to get used to those mechanics first. Mario, Donkey Kong Counrty etc. Then when graduating to a 3D space I would probably try Spyro the Dragon due to its simplicity. Then move onto GTA3 or Vice City. They work well in a 3D space with a fairly simple control scheme. Lock on aiming, simple driving controls. No camera to worry about controlling and the open end nature makes it easy for them to jump in and learn the mechanics from just going on rampages and having fun with it.

Definitely look up Etra Games and their Games For Non-Gamers series. It's really interesting and something I think should have more attention brought to it.

Great video!

If I wanted to get someone into games, you might want to play something with them. It's part of what makes Mario Kart approachable, the controls are easy enough to pick up watching someone else. Minecraft is a good recommendation for this as well, despite having a bit of a learning curve.

Book your 'was here before it blew up' tickets here!

solid video

Platformers are I think a great introduction easy enough controls and most have a comfortable learning curve for the most part. Personally I would recommend one of the Ori games because they're beautiful and have no camera control.

Underrated.

for an introduction, definitely Celeste! simple, hard, obvious, and its difficulty specifically highlights what's _usually_ the point of playing such and most games. you wanna do a thing, you have to learn, to learn you have to fail, and to fail you need not be frustrated. for puzzles, i'd say Baba Is You, but as a non-native english speaker there's no way i'm able to bring someone to go out of their way to figure it out unless they're already interested beforehand _and_ if i give a whole class on the english language for them to even grasp what to do without spending most of their time trying to figure out the words, which is possible, but frustration is a barrier. for playing together though, classic games from the Flash era such as Lava Boy And Water Girl and Bad Ice Cream, or even modern ones that are still made today such as Paddle Force are pretty decent for simple, quick to launch games. otherwise there's SuperTuxKart and Rocket League that are cool to enjoy together (assuming there's not much skill disparity in the former) if they're more into chill games and wanna explore stuff or even just read, i would dare to suggest OneShot or Night In The Woods, aside from Portal. not much to do if they're much more interested in a story to follow and i think that makes it enjoyable if they wanna do it with someone watching. overall, there's options where you look for, and it's better when you know what you're sure they'll like. ^

Does anybody know what the names of some of the games shown are? I'm particularly curious about the first game show, top-down papery looking one at 1:41, the pixelated game and 3d game after it at 5:08, the game at 6:04 with the turning world, the game at 11:46 with the friend and enemy cubes, the one right after in black and white, the game at 12:12 with Milton. Which is most of the games, really, sorry

My 1st game was return to the castle wolfenstein when i was around 6 (maybe less... i don't really remember when i started playing games) then i continued with counter strike 1.6 and flat out 2 . xD

My mom has very limited experience with video games, mostly in the form of 2D puzzle/casual games (e.g. stuff from PopCap and the like). To my considerable surprise, she greatly enjoyed The Stanley Parable, despite the fact that most of the jokes and the overarching meta-narrative should probably sail right over her head. I think it was the combination of a branching storyline, complete lack of twitch reflexes or other "threats," and the fact that the game's narration is entertaining and well-performed regardless of whether the jokes land. I think it may also have helped her get more confident in navigating 3D environments.

I can see you grow big

I think the Switch would be the best console as well, mostly because of the NES and SNES online. Very simple, very fun games in a variety of genres that are still getting sequels and still impact more complex games today (BotW was explicitly made to modernize the gameplay of the original LoZ).

I would like to show the game Ouendan or Elite Beat Agents to someone and even if they aren't a gamer I feel like they would be able to get it because all they would have to do is understand numbers and have experience holding a pen and using a touch screen. I feel like it's a very very simple to understand game but hard to master.

When your a kid you think life is split screen fun like Mario cart, but as you get older you realize life is a dark souls solo campaign. Lol

I love your channel

cool vid make more

Cool video!

I've been thinking about this cause I've been teaching my wife to game and for her it's easier when it's something she understands like jumping and shooting or zombies things she already understands

Vr works Great, my grandparents got the hang of it

What is the game at 11:00 ? Seems like something worth trying out

This is what the youtube algorythm is for!

Probably simpler games, maybe start with mobile games, then puzzle games, 2D platformers, then big 3D games!

damn. maybe i should start doing b roll footage when i talk on my channel. glad this video is getting a ton of views and comments. on my channel, i get the pudding people from 4chan harassing me lol.

7:39 Please tell me what this game is.

I'll let people start with indie games with strong narrative. Less complex mechanism.

why does this have such little views

Driving isn’t 3d? Could have fooled me

for a change someone speaks about actual games and not some pittyfull esports and moba games.

This is a good video, but it’s hard for me to look past the fact that you say the same thing in different ways throughout its entirety. I think you could have spent more time on providing your potential solutions

Ninetendo is overrated. Stop with the Nintendont crap!

i dunno. carbon copying razbuten and brushing it off as you recently had the idea to make this video is scummy. could have at least named it not the same i guess. like, whats the goal here?