Great Video Games for Complete Beginners

It used to be that video games were only for kids, and then it was only for people who had the disposable income for a console or a computer. Today, everyone has a phone, tablet, or laptop along with a home computer, and the demographic for video games has extended to every age group.

People who don’t have any experience with video games have a lot from which to choose to introduce themselves to the medium. This section of the entertainment media library is a vast one and the titles cover every taste, genre, and time required to complete.

6 The Adventure Pals

A 2D Platformer For Today’s Beginner

A simple game when it comes to design, graphics, and story, The Adventure Pals is often marketed as a game for both children and adults who are new to video games. It was first released in 2018, and takes inspiration from both classic and modern games. That means the controls are mostly intuitive and everything about the design and movement is easy to understand.

The Adventure Pals is based on the cartoon series of a similar name, and someone who’s getting to know video games should also be familiar with the concept of crossovers and adaptations. The side-scrolling platformer was one of the first video game genres to make it big on home consoles and in the arcades, with titles like Mario Brothers and Metroid leading the charge.

5 Minecraft

The Sandbox Experience

The concept of a sandbox game existed before Minecraft, but it certainly perfected the concept. Minecraft is a great game for someone who’s into the sandbox setting that also gives the option for multiplayer if desired.

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The world of Minecraft is procedurally generated, which means it’s created as the player goes along, which is also a nice intro to how this kind of video game works. The landscape in a Minecraft game is infinite, however, and contains a variety of resources that you can use to make virtually anything, from castles to pyramids. Creative people who like to design or build would enjoy this as a first video game.

4 Plants Vs. Zombies

Easy To Learn, Difficult To Master

A colorful and quirky game that used the tower defence genre as a basis, but instead of a large scale military scenario, the players use an army of plants to protect an average sububan home from a zombie onslaught. The backstory is never fully explained, but anyone can fill in the blanks with the usual “undead apocolypse” narrative of their choice, now a common theme in popular culture, and that’s part of the joke.

Unlike other games of this type, the cartoon-like graphics and character design made this game a favorite of both kids and adults, and had equal appeal to both new and experienced video game players. Plants Vs. Zombies was launched in 2009, and in more than a decade it has inspired a whole franchise that includes various kinds of merch along with more games with a smiliar theme.

3 Warcraft 3: Reign Of Chaos

Perfect Intro To The RTS Genre

There was a time when real-time strategy games dominated the video game market, and the Warcraft RTS games were one of the reasons why. Other games in the same genre had a higher learner curve and often little or no storyline, but this one used the prologue campaign as a tutorial which trained players on both the strategy and role-playing elements.

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These odd inclusions will fire rainbow lasers, erase baddies from history, or be spotted on a not-so-delightful hunt for easter eggs.

Other games have a similar way of introducing new players to the basic mechanics, but Reign of Chaos has the added drama of Azerothian heroes to add to the fun. For those that might appreciate a more story-heavy RTS game, there’s also Frozen Throne, but players should be advised that this is a direct pipeline to the MMO incarnation of Warcraft, which might be what a beginner is looking for if they’re interested in MMOs.

2 Final Fantasy 14

A Supportive And Friendly Online Community

For those beginners who are interested in massive-multiplayer online games, there are a lot of choices, but Final Fantasy 14 has something the others do not, and that’s an open and supportive community. Unfortunately, modern online gaming has a problem with toxic communities, which is why so many disgruntled players from other MMOs have sought refuge in Final Fantasy 14.

Aside from the supportive environment, the game is an easy game to learn from both an RPG and MMO standpoint, and it’s inspiring to discover that building a character can be just as much fun as leveling it. If you have no experience with video games but like the idea of an MMO, this is the best option.

1 Wii Sports

Know The Sport, Play The Video Game

It’s easy to play a video game if you already know all of the rules, penalties, and tactics, so plenty of sports games are ideal for beginners. Wii Sports is one of the best to date because it doesn’t require players to translate the physical moves into controller form, but simulates the movement of the sporting equipment instead using the Wii Remote.

There’s a collection of different sports to choose from, boxing, golf, bowling, tennis, and baseball, which is another great feature for beginners inerested in a variety of different sports or activities. The game was popular enough to spawn a whole franchise that’s still ongoing, with the latest installment being Nintendo Switch Sports in 2022.

MORE: 24 Nintendo Switch Games To Play if You Like Wii Sports