As a parent, it is one of my greatest joys in life that my daughter seems to be picking up my love for gaming. I’m always on the lookout for new (or old) indie games that I can introduce her to, and I love nothing more than an evening curled up at the PC helping her through the more challenging bits.
Over the last few weeks, I’ve been asking for her opinion on games that we’ve played together, and I’ve collated it to give an insight into the mind of a child as they dive in and play. If you’re a parent, I’m sure you’ll have some understanding of the nonsense that’s about to come.
Donut County
One of our favorite games to play together is Donut County, developed by Ben Esposito. We both love raccoons, so she was instantly drawn to the characters, but then she discovered that she could eat just about everything using her hole, and suddenly it became her new favorite game.
Admittedly, we skipped over the story because she just wanted to get back to filling the hole (I tried to tell her the story was good, but she’s five, so she’s not likely to listen to reason), and she did get a little frustrated during the harder parts (looking at you, Trash King), but that’s where I stepped in to save the day.
Shortstack’s opinion:
Likes: “When we say ‘HAVE A GARBAGE DAY!’ and eating everything!”
Dislikes: “When we get trapped and the snakes… They’re scary.”
Roadside Research
Roadside Research, developed by Cybernetic Walrus, might not be your first thought when it comes to gaming with the kids, but if you gloss over the fact that you are, in fact, a bunch of aliens looking to abduct and study the humans, there’s a lot to love. Not only is it good for her imagination (she loves playing shops), but she’s also getting really good with the WASD movement and mouse control.
I have to admit, I get more frustrated when we’re playing this than she does. There can be a queue of people at the checkout, a car waiting for gas, multiple piles of goop just lying there, and she’s off exploring the mountains while I try and convince her that maybe it’s time to do some actual work. Still, at least she’s having fun.
Shortstack’s opinion:
Likes: “GOOPING!”
Dislikes: “When the toilet gets smelly… But it is funny!”
Sledding Game
I’d be doing a disservice if I took on this topic without mentioning “the frog game”, aka Sledding Game by The Sledding Corporation. This might be my daughter’s favorite game ever, and there’s nothing more heartwarming than hearing her giggle about shooting herself out of a cannon while I’m busy in the kitchen cooking dinner.
Where do I come in? Well, just like in real life, I’m the money-maker of this organization. She is obsessed with the gacha machines, buying new hats, and throwing money towards new sleds that she then never uses, so I spend all of my time fishing for whales to try and fund her expensive lifestyle. I don’t mind, at least I get to use everything she buys when she finally goes to sleep.
Shortstack’s opinion:
Likes: “That the yeti kicks us”
Dislikes: “I’m not good at getting the sled out!”
Just A Guy
There is nothing, and I do mean nothing, that makes a child (at least my child) laugh more than ragdoll physics. People falling over is inexplicably funny to the young mind (and I’m willing to admit to my own mind as well), so Just A Guy hits all the right notes in terms of fun and challenge.
What’s even better, and I’m sure the developer won’t mind me saying this, but my five-year-old has had a lasting effect on things in the actual game, something that she is infinitely proud of. Thanks to her, and a Tweet that I made about the situation, you can now score hoops with poop. If that’s not a defining moment in the childhood of a person, I don’t know what is.
Shortstack’s Opinion:
Likes: “We get to jump lots and fall over really ‘funnily’.”
Dislikes: “I LIKE EVERYTHING!”
Magical Greenhouse
If she’s ever in the mood for something more chilled (which isn’t often, I’ll admit), my daughter asks for “the plant game”, which is actually Magical Greenhouse by Mgtt Studio. She loves tending to the plants and then making potions with the ingredients. I just need to help her set up the shop to make the maximum money.
It’s amazing how much her focus stretches while she’s in her virtual greenhouse; it’s almost enough to make me set up a real one for her, though the one real plant I bought for her to take care of didn’t last very long.
Shortstack’s opinion:
Likes: “Watering the plants.”
Dislikes: “I wish I didn’t have to sell everything!”
Little Chef
Little Chef is an Itch.io game (although there’s a demo of the second one available through Steam right now) that has my daughter thoroughly obsessed, and me convinced that I’m never going to let her cook an actual meal unless she stops trying to throw the knives into the cooking pot.
She’s remarkably good at creating disastrous meals, while I’m left to try and figure out how to make the ones that actually sound edible, and we make a good team in that respect. This game has somehow made her interested in actual cooking, and she now helps me in the kitchen. I just keep a very close eye on sharp objects.
Shortstack’s opinion:
Likes: “Putting the knife in the pot.”
Dislikes: “Making boring food.”
Leave a Reply