In the early days of the home game console, the focus tended to fall on family fun. Pong, Pac Man, and Asteroids were games kids and parents could play together. Lots of smiles, lots of laughs, and lots of sales for Atari!
The family aspect of games has faded away. Now games have more complicated controls, action, and long storylines as the main selling points. Well, not so much the complicated controls, that was just a side-effect of controllers getting lots more buttons.
These days, it can be hard to find games the whole family can play, but you’re in luck! High Score is here to help you find ten current gen games that you can play with the kids…
Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime
Asteroid Bee’s simple yet addictive space shooter can be played alone or with up to four family members. Each player controls one character in the ship and has the job of taking charge of a piece of the ship’s machinery. From blasting the laser to moving the shields, your family will have to work together to get through the levels. The art style of the game is bright and colorful, and there’s no blood, gore or language to worry about.
Here at the Lounge, we’ve seen how well the co-op play of Lovers works with friends and family. Once everyone gets the hang of the controls – which takes less than five minutes – the laughs start coming.
Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime is available on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch.
Overcooked
Cooking competition shows are all the rage these days, but chances are you don’t have the time or energy to set one up for your family. Lucky for us all, Ghost Town Games has digitized the fun and brought it to your home console.
In Overcooked, four of your family members play together in a series of poorly planned kitchens as they create as many meals as they can in a specific amount of time. It’s all the fun of cooking together without any of the mess!
Overcooked is available on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch.
Rocket League
The concept itself seems so obvious, it’s amazing it took so long for someone to come up with it. Luckily, Psyonix came along and gave the world the gift of playing soccer with cars.
With up to four players, your family can play together or against each other as they work to score the most goals. The cars can be customized, allowing for everyone to bring a little of their own personality into the game.
Rocket League is available on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch.
Rock Band 4
We all dream of being on stage in front of hundreds, or even thousands, of fans screaming our names. Maybe there’s a mic in our hand. Maybe it’s a guitar. Or a bass. Or we’re sitting at the drums. Wherever we are, the idea of being in a band that the world loves is something we’ve all imagined at some time in our lives.
With Rock Band 4, you can get a little closer to living out the dream. The Harmonix game lets up to six players (certain songs can have backup singers) rock out all night long. You can play the story mode and start off playing in basements, working your way up to arenas or you can jump right into free-play and just rock out. Characters are fully customizable, adding to the fun. And with other 2000 songs available, there’s plenty of choices everyone in the family can agree on.
Rock Band 4 is available on Xbox One and PlayStation 4
Snake Pass
This puzzle platformer is a single player game, but that doesn’t mean the whole family can’t take turns and yell out their ideas on how to get through a level.
In the game, you play as Noodle, a snake who has to save Harmony Foothills from a mysterious intruder. Helping Noodle is Doodle, a bird who hopes to be as great as Noodle some day. Use your snake abilities to slither, slime, coil, and grasp your way across fifteen levels of fun puzzles.
Snake Pass is available on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch.
Monopoly Plus
The classic board game is available in a format where dad can’t suddenly change the rules when he lands on your space! With up to six players at a time, Monopoly Plus is all the fun of the original game with, we hope, less angry family members by the end of the game.
Monopoly Plus is available on Xbox One and PlayStation 4
1-2-Switch
Nintendo always finds a way to really show off the abilities of their latest console, and 1-2-Switch does exactly that.
While 1-2-Switch only allows two players at a time, its series of mini-games (over 25 of them!) are so quick that everyone will get plenty of play time. Most of the games are based on easy and quick movements, making it a game just about anyone can pick up and instantly play.
1-2-Switch is available on the Nintendo Switch
Chariot
Chariot was made with the participation of the Canada Media Fund, so in the least, you can be sure that the game is polite.
While the storyline of the game falls on the side of morbid – a princess is working to fulfill the last wish of her recently deceased father – the game itself has a fun and vibrant style that keeps the creepiness of lugging around the body of a dead king from getting depressing.
Chariot allows up to two players at a time, but the format of the game is perfect for some controller passing fun.
Chariot is available on Xbox One and PlayStation 4
Rayman Legends
With up to four players and over 100 levels, Rayman Legends is a great game for the family to play together. Making it even better is that the more skilled players can help the family members who aren’t as good at the game get through the levels by keeping them alive.
Adding to the fun is the art and animation style of Rayman Legends. The cartoonish look and sound design keep the challenging levels from feeling overwhelming.
Rayman Legends is available on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch
Hohokum
Hohokum is a game like no other on this list. There is no real objective to the levels, and no wrong way to play them. The game consists of 17 beautiful worlds that the player makes their way through as a snakelike creature. Everything is explained through visual and audio cues, making it something that even the youngest of players can take a shot at.
Developer Honeyslug wanted Hohokum to be less of a game and more of an experience, and we think they pulled it off wonderfully.
Hohokum is available on PlayStation 4.
What games does your family like to play together? Let us know on our Facebook page!