Recommend a good game for older guys

[TreeTopsRanch]

Can anyone recommend a good came for older guys? Not a shoot-up game if possible. Just want something that is engaging and to increase my brain power before dementia sets in. 😁

[ryan]

its really subjective

 

good games depends what pace your looking for

 

laid back-forza horizon 5

thinking- lucas chess

exploring-gta v or fallout 4

time consuming- skyrim

looks good combo of all of the above- sniper elite 5 (looks flippin incredible to boot)

[TreeTopsRanch]

Thanks Ryan, I'll look at those.

[hfm]

On 7/14/2023 at 1:29 PM, TreeTopsRanch said:

Can anyone recommend a good came for older guys? Not a shoot-up game if possible. Just want something that is engaging and to increase my brain power before dementia sets in. 😁

What was the last game you played that you liked?

[TreeTopsRanch]

Solitare, backgammon. But I would like something a little more challenging.

[ryan]

have you ever tried majong? its pretty relaxing/fun but I guess its fairly easy. I can't recommend chess enough, its good for beginners and experts alike

 

 

LUCAS chess it has a variety of levels and hands down the best chess program available

 

here:  https://lucaschess.pythonanywhere.com

[TreeTopsRanch]

Yes Ryan, I also play mahjong. But I would really like to try a real video game. Not board games.

[KING19]

Simulator trucking games like Euro Truck Simulator 2 and American Truck Simulator, Many older folks play them as a way to relax.

 

Portal 2, Great game that exercises your brain

 

 

[ryan]

27 minutes ago, KING19 said:

Portal 2, Great game that exercises your brain

this, I would say if your looking for a bit of thinking and satisfaction portal 2 cannot be beat, I wish I thought of that. Great game

[jaybee83]

the single game i have played for the longest stretch of time (and still am!) is titan quest. i started playing it shortly after it released back in 2006 and i still havent played completely through it 😂 for one, a single playthrough takes quite a while, especially when doing all side quests. secondly, they STILL KEEP UPDATING THE DAMN THING! the most recent expansion pack actually came out in Dec-2021. in addition, there are three difficulty levels, and u need to complete the game on normal before being able to access the next higher one (normal, epic, legendary). each level brings with it unique enemy configurations / types, as well as new more powerful items. the most recent expansion eternal embers is actually only playable once u reach legendary level.

 

what keeps me playing is the engaging story, the huge game world and the fact that u can switch up the way u play it, whether focusing on hack n slay, customizing ur character towards a certain goal or just going bonkers with collecting items. this also allows you to either play it intensely or in a laid back way, i.e. an hour each evening after work or such.

[TreeTopsRanch]

Much thanks to all. I will try those. Do I need a safe place to purchase them?

[hfm]

What are the specs of your computer? CPU, GPU etc.. this might matter...

[TreeTopsRanch]

Dell Laptop G7-17-7790

2.60 gigahertz Intel Core i7-9750H

16198 Megabytes Usable Installed Memory

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060

Win 10

[jaybee83]

1 hour ago, TreeTopsRanch said:

Dell Laptop G7-17-7790

2.60 gigahertz Intel Core i7-9750H

16198 Megabytes Usable Installed Memory

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060

Win 10

more than enough for titan quest 🙂

[Sandy Bridge]

I'm a big fan of the strategy genre for good thinking-power games.  The classics are Sid Meier's Civilization - I'd recommend III or IV if you don't care about modern graphics, and want an AI that will be a challenge rather than a pushover.  Purchase from Steam or GOG, and try to built a civilization to stand the test of time.  Turn-based so no reflexes and plenty of time to consider your moves.

 

But if you want something that you can play in a half hour to an hour, I'd recommend Ozymandias: Bronze Age Simulator, which is on Steam and GOG.  It's the best focused strategy game I've played in a long time.  The rules are simple, but achieving victory is not.  Definitely start with the easy nations.  Probably try the free demo, and on that Near East map, try either Mycenae or Egypt as they're the easiest options on that map (and IIRC, the only ones I've won with).  You'll lose your first time, but then the goal is to figure out what you might have done differently.

 

If you like chess, 5D Chess with Multiverse Time Travel is a nice mind-bender that will keep the neurons flexible.  But, so long as you don't mind a bit of written profanity, so is Shotgun King: The Final Checkmate.  I think I prefer the latter, the concept is a bit absurd (one king with a shotgun versus the other set of pieces), but with contantly-changing rules as the game goes on, and the ever-present threat of checkmate, it does make you think about your moves, in a way that is different than the ruleset you've known since childhood.  I've seen Hikaru (a well-known grandmaster) play 5D Chess and be flummoxed by it at first; I'd be curious to see what he or a similar top-level player thinks of Shotgun King.

 

While there is a shotgun in Shotgun King, and you technically are shooting-em-up, it's not a shoot-em-up from a genre standpoint.  It is entirely turn based and you just aim your shotgun in a circle around your current position, and fire, no time pressure or reflex-based gameplay.  Or you move to an adjacent square.  Or you use the soul of a knight to move like a knight.  Or you move two squares if you have that special ability.  Or you fire and move in the opposite direction if you have the sawed-off justice modifier.  Or some other crazy action that wouldn't be possible in regular chess.  It's a weird game, but engages the brain.

 

They'll all run easily on your computer, I've run all but the chess-related ones on my 2011 desktop with no issues, and I can't imagine they wouldn't run there as well.

[hfm]

On 8/9/2023 at 3:34 PM, TreeTopsRanch said:

Dell Laptop G7-17-7790

2.60 gigahertz Intel Core i7-9750H

16198 Megabytes Usable Installed Memory

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060

Win 10

 

I think @ryan already mentioned it but you can't really go wrong with Skyrim: Enhanced Edition. It's a huge sprawling adventure and should run OK on a 2060. It has pretty fair difficulty level slider so you can get your bearings on easy mode and maybe tick it up a notch once you get used to it. Here's a small "Let's Play" video for the beginning of the game.

 

 

As far as where to purchase them. I'm going to probably go a little sideways from the typical "Install Steam" reco and just say you might want to get GamePass for PC and install the XBox app and use that. It would give you a rather large collection of games so you can install a wide variety of games and figure out what floats your boat. You can't really go wrong for $1 for the first month and $9.99/mo after that. Skyrim is one of the games included.. the list is pretty massive and I can't think of a better way to try a junkload of games for a pretty reasonable price. $111 for an entire year is pretty cheap considering that's less than two new AAA games outright ($60 each typically).

 

https://www.xbox.com/en-US/xbox-game-pass/pc-game-pass

 

I would also buy yourself an XBox controller, most games work great with one. It's pretty much the standard controller for PC. You don't have to get it from Microsoft but this is the one to get.

 

https://www.xbox.com/en-US/accessories/controllers/xbox-wireless-controller

 

 

[TreeTopsRanch]

Would that be the Elder Scrolls edition?

[Reciever]

I recommend HellBlade! Its about a woman suffering from voices in her head who goes on a journey to save her husbands soul from another pantheon of Gods.

[hfm]

On 8/20/2023 at 1:02 PM, TreeTopsRanch said:

Would that be the Elder Scrolls edition?

 

Elder Scrolls edition of what?

[ryan]

Skyrim??

[HayleyBallard]

Finding a game that's engaging and brain-boosting is a fantastic idea. I'd recommend checking out ""The Witness."" It's a beautifully crafted puzzle adventure game that really challenges your cognitive skills. Plus, the island setting is stunning, making it an immersive experience.Now, I've been diving deep into Counter-Strike lately, and it's been a thrilling ride. But if you're not into shoot-up games, ""The Witness"" could be the perfect alternative. It's all about solving intricate puzzles and unraveling the mysteries of the island.If you ever decide to explore customizing your gaming experience, you can check out https://bitskins.com. They offer a range of CS2 skins to make your game even more enjoyable.

[hfm]

On 8/20/2023 at 1:02 PM, TreeTopsRanch said:

Would that be the Elder Scrolls edition?

 

Yeah... the full name of the game is "The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim" Enhanced Edition (Anniversary Edition these days I guess..)

On 9/24/2023 at 3:03 AM, ryan said:

Skyrim??

Yeah hah