How to Play Video Games

Play free demo games. If you’ve never played a video game before, you might want to try a few free games first to see what you like. A quick search online or in an app store for “free games” will give you thousands of results, but here are a few suggestions you might find when searching online:

• Puzzle games are easy to find in mobile app stores or online recommended game sites. If you already have classics like Tetris and Minesweeper, try Loops of Zen, 3D Logic, Lightbot, and many more options. ^[2]
• Most free-to-play mobile or online action games aren’t ideal intros to the more “gamer”-oriented versions. If you have a quality computer, Path of Exile is a more expansive introduction. ^[3]
• If you like strategy, try Hearthstone (card collecting game), Plants vs Zombies (tower defense), or Battle for Wesnoth (turn-based strategy). All three are available for both desktop and mobile platforms, and most versions are free. ^[4]

Find more puzzle games. Some of the most popular “coffee break” puzzle games are Candy Crush and 2048. Play in three dimensions and add a quirky story to explore collecting puzzle pieces in Main Gate and Gate 2. If you like to reason and solve very difficult problems, play Braid.

Looking for action games. This is a vast and popular genre. If you like fighting and platform games (jumping and climbing around), look no further. The atmosphere and setting of these games range from horror (The Last of Us) to family-friendly (Legend of Zelda) and historical (Assassin’s Creed). If you like testing your reflexes but aren’t really interested in story or immersive experiences, try a competitive first person shooter (like Call of Duty) or a friendly platformer. family (like Super Mario Galaxy).

• If you’re more into messing around or having fun with friends than exploring and following a story, try Super Smash Brothers (family friendly) or Grand Theft Auto (as opposed to games in the more family friendly genre). family).

Play story-based games. Do you like complex fantasy settings? Play Dragon Age or Skyrim for a medieval fantasy experience, or one of the more recent Final Fantasy games for the Japanese. Bioshock 2 or Bioshock: Infinite are game examples that are haphazardly set up about the impossible.

Choose a few strategy games. Build an empire with turn-based strategy in Civilization V or Civilization: Beyond Earth. Test your reflexes with fast-paced “real-time strategy” games, such as the challenging multiplayer game Starcraft II. Try any game like Total War to test your single-player strategy skills or play the role of famous historical figures.

Try exploration and creativity games. If you don’t care about graphics, there are few games that are more attractive than Minecraft when it comes to the story of building a world. Perhaps controlling a home and family in The Sims 2 appeals to you more, or perhaps you prefer a more detailed world and atmosphere in Sunless Sea.

Play an online role-playing game with multiplayer. World of Warcraft popularized the genre, in which you play online against thousands of other players. The WoW game is still being played alongside Star Wars: The Old Republic, Lord of the Rings Online, and many more. Most of these support a free-to-play part, though learn the full version’s payment mechanism before you join. These games are extremely addictive, and once you get hooked, you’ll realize you’ve spent a lot of money on monthly subscription payments or in-game item purchases.

Learn how to play. Most games have tutorials that will guide you through each step. If you want to learn on your own, read the manual or look for the “documentation” section on the main menu or website.

Dim the lights (optional). This is recommended for adventure and horror games especially. ^[5] Besides being more enjoyable, it reduces the amount of glare that interferes with your screen viewing.

Reduce difficulty if you want. Games are not about causing pain or pushing yourself to virtual limits. If you are playing a video game to relax, choose Easy. Harder levels are often associated with tough challenges for those who have played similar games for years.

• If the game has both single-player and multiplayer options, single-player is almost always easier.

Change the controls if necessary. You can skip this step until you find it difficult, but if you press the wrong button or have to stretch your fingers to navigate, see the menu options item. There is almost always an option for you to change the controls to the key that you find easiest.

• The laptop’s touchpad makes it extremely difficult to play some games. A separate mouse for control is really a big improvement.
• If you like the feel of a handheld controller, be prepared to plug it into your computer with the right adapter. However, not all games support this feature.

Save often. Most games have an autosave feature that will help you save your progress on a regular basis. If it also supports a manual save option, do it often. ^[6] There’s nothing worse than losing hours of gameplay because your system crashes or loses power.

• If you choose to save in multiple locations, create three or four saves alternating between them. This allows you to load an old save to explore a different story branch, or restore the game even if a bug corrupts the most recent save.

Explore and experience. One of the most compelling features of video games compared to other art forms is the ability to insert hidden content that you must actively seek and discover. Here are a few tips to get the most out of the games:

• In games where a character runs and jumps in a level with multiple platforms or fixed ground levels in the air, RPGs or even racing games, try to move across or attack. build walls that don’t look good with their surroundings.
• In strategy games and action/adventure games, try out new tactics even if they don’t look good. Later parts of the game (or harder competition) often require the ability to recognize when an unusual weapon or strategy has a chance to shine.
• In games where you can talk to “NPCs” (non-player characters), use all dialogue options and carefully read the hints.