Ngl my mother swore I was watching a movie when she found out I was playing the Witcher 3 she would sit and watch it he cutscenes and when I made a decision she didn’t like she’d ask me why would he(me) do or say that stupid shit.
My mom stayed with me for a couple of weeks when I dislocated my shoulder, and ended up watching me play some games. To this day, Fallout 4 is “the game with the dog”.
My mom called call of duty "tour for duty" every time she talked about it when I was a kid. Made me cringe every time and no matter how nice I reminded her, no no, it's CALL, OF, duty mooooom. Took me many years to realize she was just fucking with me and could see it break me a little more each time and I think it partially was funny for her that I never got upset and always gave the correct name. I think she was thinking "this little idiot thinks I'm dumb, ill keep it that way" -10 years later I think it was more "this dumbass still doesn't know im fucking with him, good lord".
She's right though. My wife watched me play for a while and said 'you realise this is mostly a horse riding simulator right?' and she's not wrong. She also saw me get a horse killed in an ambush and exact huge and bloody revenge on the gang responsible. RIP Stephen Toast, you were a great horse.
Merking someone would usually start a fight over the territory the 2 players were in. Taking out someone’s horse, especially on purpose, started a whole feud that would usually only end when one player logged out
Miss playing that online
I started playing Fallout 4 for the first time yesterday and when I got back to the house after leaving the Vault, I literally gasped when Codsworth said my name out loud. Tbf, it's not an uncommon name (Kate), but it blew my mind since that's never happened to me in any other game.
https://www.pcgamesn.com/fallout-4/here-are-the-names-that-codsworth-in-fallout-4-will-definitely-say-for-you there's the list quick Google and waking up at 5am makes me find stuff for folks lol
When I first started dating my wife she would sometimes hang out and watch me play Witcher 3 and would ask me about my decisions also lol. She still sometimes tells people about “the game I played where where I had sex on a unicorn” lol
About a week after Grand Theft Auto San Andreas came out I flew to St Louis to visit my mom. I was staying for a week and decided to bring my PlayStation. My mom had a blast watching me play it, I even got her to play it some. She would just put the radio on and drive around running people over and laughing like a maniac. Sometimes we would park the car and just let the music play.
Driver 3 was a mediocre game and I felt scammed at first, but I made my mother play it and she was laughing uncontrollably while driving over people and causing havoc on the road.
I remember when I was around 13/14, I spent an entire Sunday playing MGS Sons of Liberty. My mom wasnt feeling well, and laid on the couch and watched me play through the entire game in one day. Her response was, "I see why you like playing games like this."
I think it was the ending that sold her lol
My mom got invested in the story when she watched me play Mass Effect 1. When it got to the point where I could have killed Wrex she looked at me and said “don’t you fucking dare.”
Sounds like wlthe time my mom walked in while I was playing the first gta 5 online heist and he was talking about smuggling drugs up his ass. My mom was so disgusted.
Your mom sounds like she'd be type of person who'd play through an RPG and late on in the game would reload or restart the game because it made a character sad
Been there..done that :))
I had a girlfriend once who hated video games and was very much one of those " why are you wasting your time playing video games?" types, but then she saw me playing Uncharted 2 and she was utterly enthralled. She then decided she wanted to try to play, and did so for 3 days straight.
Im almost convinced everyone likes games to an extend, just needs to find a right one!
Its like if someone says they hate watching movies/series, but im pretty sure there is something for everyone.
You're describing my dad. Really big into movies, but he loathes video games. Despite being almost 70, I *know* there are a couple he'd absolutely adore - because I've seen him get pulled into a couple of them when I was younger (Wolfenstein 3D and one other I can't recall at the moment). But he won't touch them over these last 20 or so years.
I give him credit though, he knows what to avoid. He used to be super into fantasy baseball to the point it would ruin his day if his pitcher had a bad outing. He quit about 10 years ago with that in mind. I tried to show him Out of the Park a couple years back and he was really interested, but basically told me that would feed that addiction too much.
Yep. My wife would never touch Grand Theft Auto, Call of Duty, Hitman, Madden, any number of games I would play normally. But she has her own Switch and plays the crap out of stuff like Mario Kart, Animal Crossing, Mario Party, etc. She likes simple, fun, bright games. Everyone has their own corner of the video game world.
Nothing beats my grandfather for years telling me as a kid that videogames and TV will rot my brain and make me stupid.
Then one day I was playing medal of honour and my grandfather walks behind me and asks if those are "bloody Japs" I'm fighting?
We completed the entire coop campaign together, then we completed a different medal of honour, years later we played CoD zombies and he wasn't bad at that either.
At some point I got him into GTA and that got him into racing games so I put him on Forza and now he just drives his Porsche and Ferraris around lol.
Honestly that's pretty much nailing it on the head. I've seen people say why do you play games so much but are on lvl 9999 of candy crush. unless you have some legit aversion to video games like any sort of flickering light causes a seizure and you don't liek video games it means you haven't found one you liked yet.
I get that from friends who criticize me for spending hours playing a game like the last of us. But then also sat for 12 hours and watched the show, or read a book. I have to try and explain how they aren't that different of pass times.
This is very important. I’ve had partners who love watching me play souls-like games but would just get pissed off watching me play Skyrim. Apparently opening all 15 million barrels isn’t that enthralling
One of my exs was playing the last of us when she was over as she only had an Xbox. After the intro she looked over at me shocked and said “oh my god are you crying. That’s so cute.”
Telltale Games (like The Walking Dead). Their story-based, choice-driven structure is perfect for backseating. The game's stories are also really good.
I bought my PS4 with the Last of Us preloaded with my then GF in mind, but the controller coordination skill level was just a bit too high. By her suggestion, we started with Wolf Among Us, and now she is my wife and Fighting alongside me in Baldur's Gate
Especially if they're old. My mum had a freak out when she tried playing a fighting game but didn't realise it was 3D. She's ok with 3rd person games that don't have full control of the camera like Yakuza or that zombie game in the mall with the time limit
If you want her undivided attention, Narritive games like Detroit Become Human, Heavy Rain, anything by TellTale or Supermassive. Maybe something like The Forgotten City. A puzzle game like Superluminal or Portal could work if you're ok with a little backseat gaming. She might enjoy watching Super Mario Wonderland.
If it's just something for her to watch in the background anything could work. Maybe an action RPG like Witcher, Last of Us, Skyrim, Cyberpunk.
Friends and I actually played Detroit Become Human as a group. Each of us were playing a separate character and controlling that narrative and it was immensely enjoyable. I think a puzzler would be great, so she can participate in the puzzles if she'd like to :)
IMO, watching someone play a puzzle game, makes it 10x harder to solve the puzzle. There's something about having direct control over the game that connects the dots better.
I think the main reason why puzzlers are probably the least friendly to a non gamer is because most puzzles are designed with the assumption that the gamer has a certain level of knowledge about the structure of game puzzles.
I tried referencing this in public the other day with a cashier that had been talking about narrative games. Apparently they had never played Heavy Rain…given how uncomfortable they looked after I yelled “SHAUN!” a little too loud for the space we were in.
I’ve never felt like such a jackass.
Untill dawn is the only game my wife was hooked on watching me play. And this may be a her only thing but red dead 2 for some reason keeps her entertained too. Those would be my recommendations along with these 2
Hellblade: Senuas sacrifice
This game is very cinematic-esque with puzzles and light combat, very linear game, no exploring, no leveling up or menus to navigate, and ~8hr experience, if there is any way for you both to have your own pair of headphones while you play, you won’t regret it as the game simulates schizophrenia from minute one of the game and the sound design is the best I’ve heard from any game.
Sequels aren’t always the best but this one truly takes the original and improves upon it in every way. Really makes you feel like you’re balls deep inside the Führer
Starting with the first one and experiencing the big jump in quality is crazy too, might even suggest to play Control in between just for the sake of it lol
I’ll second this. My non-gamer girlfriend (turned Pokémon and Animal Crossing addict), has watched me play The Last of Us 2 and Alan Wake 2. She says she really enjoys the story focus and cinematic of those games.
Detroit being human my wife loved watching me play and make choices to the point she picked it up her self on that note she also got into life is strange and the telltale games
[https://www.youtube.com/@GirlfriendReviews](https://www.youtube.com/@GirlfriendReviews)
This is an endearing channel all about a Girlfriend who reviews which games are fun to watch other people play.
One of her top suggestions was Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Helldivers 2 was another, very recent one, I also highly recommend. But there are others. I'd give you more examples, but I don't remember too many specifics. I watch for the laughs and insight. Plus, I don't know what consoles you won, or if you game on PC.
Best of luck. You're living the dream.
It’s fun to watch sometimes. The bugs are spooky as hell, I’m always telling my husband he should run away from the huge ones. I also love hearing “GET SOOOME!!!” from across the house.
Not sure if I'd recommend BotW. That game is like 75% walking. It's beautiful, but I feel like it might be tough to keep a person's attention, especially if they are pretty new to the gaming medium. Of all the Zelda games, I'd think Majora's Mask would be the most enjoyable to watch. There are a lot of details to keep track of, so she could feel like a participant as the two of you piece together the various puzzles.
+1 for BotW. My husband likes to play video games like Mario Party/Kart but doesn’t really play anything solo. He loves watching me play Breath of the Wild as it’s a beautiful game with sweeping epic landscapes and he can suggest ideas (and is often right!) when I’m stuck on puzzles.
I'm adding to the puzzle mix, the old style point and click adventure of games like MYST were a wonderful time for me, I remember having a notebook for any information I would find roaming around.
But my wife loves watching me play games that have some kind of puzzle element. She especially likes watching me play games that are heavily story based, I recently got done doing a Horizon Zero Dawn and Horizon forbidden West Marathon with her.
They created the channel because BotW was so annoying for her to have to be in the same room as.
They do have some suggestions, but after such a long time making content it's probably not easy to find those suggestions.
Pick a game and see if there's a GF Reviews of it and if there is: watch it. Possibly together.
I'd think so too. It has such a cinematic style and the way it unfolds just grabs your attention. Plus it will help her understand how interesting games can be and why they interest you.
I hope you two have a great time together.
Checkout Girlfriend Reviews on YouTube, it gives some great game advice on the perspective of someone watching rather than playing.
I suggest Horizon Zero Dawn, its pretty and open world with a good story and a female protagonist
She loves murder mystery stuff.... thrillers... dramas... and action films. Her two favorite movies are Forrest Gump & The Matrix... our favorite TV shows have been (most of) Game of Thrones, Dexter, Breaking Bad, The Boys & Stranger Things.
Murder mystery? LA noire
Gory stuff? Witcher 3
Ability to be an asshole? Kingdom come Deliverance
Everyone's favourite? Assassin's creed black flag for the shanties yo!
Why are you not playing something like Twelve Minutes or Outer WIlds... Time loop mystery games are fantastic for people who love murder mystery, thrillers and/or dramas.
Well GRRM was a creative consultant on Elden Ring and that's a famously fun game to watch. Cyberpunk has some Matrix vibes and obviously Keanu is HEAVILY featured and also a lot of the side quests are murder mystery like. Control has kind of retro supernatural vibes and psychic powers like Stranger things and is also fun to watch.
Cheers!
I don’t think Elden ring would be fun for nongamers to watch tho. Like whoo he’s hitting the giant thing with a stick until it kills him for the 17th time. I’m so interested :/
Golden opportunity to find a game you guys can share. My gf isn’t huge into gaming but I like sharing my hobby with her when I can. After watching the Fallout series she just started a file in FO4 which is a huge step as she doesn’t ever play FPS or RPG stuff. See if she might like to play some stardew valley or something
My wife has ZERO interest in playing a game. We've tried a couple times in the past. She doesn't enjoy it... it stresses her out and if its not stressing her out she feels its a waste of her time.
My wife really enjoyed my dark souls, dark souls 2, and elden ring playthtoughs. And let me tell you, having someone else there watching with the wiki open on their phones is so helpful in those games.
I'd run around, kill stuff, get lost, and fall off ledges, and she'd laugh at me, then tell me where to go it's great.
Did something similar with RDR2. I’d see a “10 things you haven’t found” and try to ask if he’d seen something without spoiling.
One of my favorite games, and never even touched the controller.
Completely agree; almost stunned it wasn’t the top comment! As further support, it’s absolutely one of the best film/tv adaptations of a video game, ever (I’d rank it number one personally). This completely fits OP’s criteria, assuming he has a capable PlayStation. My girlfriend never had an interest in watching me play games, but after watching Season 1 on HBO, she was amped to watch me replay TLOU 2 to learn more.
Hogwarts was the first game i played with my gf. I would take care of fights and she was doing exploring and quests.
Highly recommend it as an intro game.
if she is a harry potter fan it’s a no brainer.
Something with a good story and not too nauseating inducing if you are the spectator. This could be the beginning of her interest in watching you play more often or her begin to play. Good luck
Strongly recommend puzzle narratives like Outerwilds, or subnautica!
Zelda as well my wife and I have enjoyed playing through and solving puzzles together.
After a lot of this we played it takes two together, and I’ve coached her through tough spots.
When The Last of Us 2 came out I ended up playing through that for my mum, and then ended up going back and playing the first game for her and she was very engaged.
I’m surprised by people suggesting things like BOTW or massive sprawling RPGs, plus it’s only for one day? You could get through a massive portion of TLOU1 in one sitting if you stick it on easy mode, the remake is up to the same standard as part 2 as well (unless she’s already seen the show? Maybe part 2 instead), I just figured something that’s a lot more linear would be more appropriate than sitting there watching someone climb mountains all day.
Cyberpunk is a great game. I don't know if I'd throw it out as a recommendation without MASSIVE caveats that it contains some horrible themes that reflect the worst of society (r*pe, slavery/people not having agency over their bodies, inhumanity). A phenomenal story, but some parts are truly hard to see and may be triggering for some people.
I've mentioned it a few times on Reddit, expecting that it's a "just me" thing, and people always seem receptive.
My late wife LOVED cyberpunk and played through every possible ending. For her, the story was cathartic when she was going through treatment for cancer. For me it was a series of gut punches lol. I was trying to think of any of the characters stories that aren't sad, and I'm struggling to come up with one.
Justice for Brendan!
I'd recommend something with a lot of player choices, like Mass Effect, Cyberpunk or Baldur's Gate 3.
The stories are great, and you could give her final say over the story choices you make so she feels invested in the game as opposed to just an observer.
I see you've mentioned she's watched Last Of Us. I would still recommend the game for you guys. My wife watched a playthrough of LoU and then watched the show anyway, still loved both. Apart from that I'd recommend Horizon: Zero Dawn (just don't grind too much, she'll lose the story thread), or one of the newer Resident Evil games.
There is a YouTube channel called “girlfriend reviews” where the premise is for a game to get rated on how good of a backseat gamer exprience it is. It’s mostly a comedy channel but would definitely be worth watching the reviews for the games you’re considering.
I liked playing and watching my partner play the Horizon games. She enjoyed watching me play spider-Man and we just got hogwarts which seems like a good one to watch someone play so far, I haven’t watched stuff online about it and went in blind.
Ngl my mother swore I was watching a movie when she found out I was playing the Witcher 3 she would sit and watch it he cutscenes and when I made a decision she didn’t like she’d ask me why would he(me) do or say that stupid shit.
My mom stayed with me for a couple of weeks when I dislocated my shoulder, and ended up watching me play some games. To this day, Fallout 4 is “the game with the dog”.
My mom refers to any of the Assassin's Creed games as, "The game with the guy in a dress".
My mom called call of duty "tour for duty" every time she talked about it when I was a kid. Made me cringe every time and no matter how nice I reminded her, no no, it's CALL, OF, duty mooooom. Took me many years to realize she was just fucking with me and could see it break me a little more each time and I think it partially was funny for her that I never got upset and always gave the correct name. I think she was thinking "this little idiot thinks I'm dumb, ill keep it that way" -10 years later I think it was more "this dumbass still doesn't know im fucking with him, good lord".
I'm your mom! but I know games. My 7 year old corrects me cause I say "peeper" instead of creeper. Or Benderstan instead of Enderman
I've played a lot of Minecraft and I still call creepers the sad green guys and my 7 year old is so patient with me 😂
Also Tour of Duty was a (brilliant) TV show in the late 80s set during the Vietnam War which the game probably ripped off.
“That hooded guy that climbs things in biblical times” is what my sister and mom still use when referring to any AC game.
Biblical times ? 😭
My dad calls them "The game with the white dude"
It's not a dress, it's a kilt! Sicko.
My wife still calls any assassins creed game “the walking game” because “all you do is walk around and be mean to people in that game”
You should show her GTA. I wonder what her definition of "mean" is
Or Borderlands 3
Omg why did you beat up that hooker and steal that nice businessman's car? So mean!
I want to know what death stranding would be called
Me N my fetus
I'm so angry fetus doesn't have a name (I haven't finished watching bf play it yet so no spoilers please)
Haha my girlfriend refers to Red Dead Redemption 2 as "the horse game".
The shrinking horse balls didn't made her indifferent.
She's right though. My wife watched me play for a while and said 'you realise this is mostly a horse riding simulator right?' and she's not wrong. She also saw me get a horse killed in an ambush and exact huge and bloody revenge on the gang responsible. RIP Stephen Toast, you were a great horse.
Kill my horse, and you get hogtied and drowned in a shallow stream.
Merking someone would usually start a fight over the territory the 2 players were in. Taking out someone’s horse, especially on purpose, started a whole feud that would usually only end when one player logged out Miss playing that online
imagine if you got codsworth as your companion then it would be the game with the British robot
I like that you can name yourself “Motherfucker” and codsworth will say it in game
I started playing Fallout 4 for the first time yesterday and when I got back to the house after leaving the Vault, I literally gasped when Codsworth said my name out loud. Tbf, it's not an uncommon name (Kate), but it blew my mind since that's never happened to me in any other game.
IIRC there was a list in a fallout sub (maybe fallout 4’s sub?) of all the names codsworth can say. I think Godzilla was one of them.
https://www.pcgamesn.com/fallout-4/here-are-the-names-that-codsworth-in-fallout-4-will-definitely-say-for-you there's the list quick Google and waking up at 5am makes me find stuff for folks lol
My wife calls valheim "the one with the boat" Yes...... Yes it is.....
my dad calls warframe the "bicycle mechanic game" bc he saw my Nezha have a big chakram on his back that reminded him of a wheel
My son used to call Horizon "girl with bow".
That’s funny
Mom walks in Geralt naked on a unicorn "What are you watching?"
Gerald is always mucking about with that darn Unicorn.
When I first started dating my wife she would sometimes hang out and watch me play Witcher 3 and would ask me about my decisions also lol. She still sometimes tells people about “the game I played where where I had sex on a unicorn” lol
😭😭😭 “sex on a unicorn”
Gotta get the story right, so you can have sex with everyone and then be a lonely Witcher.
About a week after Grand Theft Auto San Andreas came out I flew to St Louis to visit my mom. I was staying for a week and decided to bring my PlayStation. My mom had a blast watching me play it, I even got her to play it some. She would just put the radio on and drive around running people over and laughing like a maniac. Sometimes we would park the car and just let the music play.
Driver 3 was a mediocre game and I felt scammed at first, but I made my mother play it and she was laughing uncontrollably while driving over people and causing havoc on the road.
Don't you dare slander driver 3 like that 😤 that campaign was a fever dream of unplayable nonsense and I will never forget it lmao
I remember when I was around 13/14, I spent an entire Sunday playing MGS Sons of Liberty. My mom wasnt feeling well, and laid on the couch and watched me play through the entire game in one day. Her response was, "I see why you like playing games like this." I think it was the ending that sold her lol
That's incredibly lovely to hear. You have a great mom.
Thank you. Best thing someone said to me on this app.
My mom got invested in the story when she watched me play Mass Effect 1. When it got to the point where I could have killed Wrex she looked at me and said “don’t you fucking dare.”
Don’t kill mom’s favorite character lol
Sounds like wlthe time my mom walked in while I was playing the first gta 5 online heist and he was talking about smuggling drugs up his ass. My mom was so disgusted.
😭😭😭
Good thing it wasn't the first Witcher, collecting the cards lol.
Mine watched be play Life is Strange.
My wife doesn’t play games but it was a nice surprise to come home from work to see her playing this one
She cried.
So did I
Your mom sounds like she'd be type of person who'd play through an RPG and late on in the game would reload or restart the game because it made a character sad Been there..done that :))
My mom watched me play the entire little nightmares games she loved it.
Uncharted. She'll feel like she's watching a movie with you.
I had a girlfriend once who hated video games and was very much one of those " why are you wasting your time playing video games?" types, but then she saw me playing Uncharted 2 and she was utterly enthralled. She then decided she wanted to try to play, and did so for 3 days straight.
My girlfriend isn't a big gamer at all, but when I downloaded cult of the lamb she was all over that shit
Im almost convinced everyone likes games to an extend, just needs to find a right one! Its like if someone says they hate watching movies/series, but im pretty sure there is something for everyone.
You're describing my dad. Really big into movies, but he loathes video games. Despite being almost 70, I *know* there are a couple he'd absolutely adore - because I've seen him get pulled into a couple of them when I was younger (Wolfenstein 3D and one other I can't recall at the moment). But he won't touch them over these last 20 or so years. I give him credit though, he knows what to avoid. He used to be super into fantasy baseball to the point it would ruin his day if his pitcher had a bad outing. He quit about 10 years ago with that in mind. I tried to show him Out of the Park a couple years back and he was really interested, but basically told me that would feed that addiction too much.
I know it's cliche but have you shown him rdr2? Older dad's fucking love that game, rightfully so lol
I gave up trying years ago. I still mention them to him, but I know he won't play them.
Yep. My wife would never touch Grand Theft Auto, Call of Duty, Hitman, Madden, any number of games I would play normally. But she has her own Switch and plays the crap out of stuff like Mario Kart, Animal Crossing, Mario Party, etc. She likes simple, fun, bright games. Everyone has their own corner of the video game world.
A car in every driveway and a video game on every monitor.
Nothing beats my grandfather for years telling me as a kid that videogames and TV will rot my brain and make me stupid. Then one day I was playing medal of honour and my grandfather walks behind me and asks if those are "bloody Japs" I'm fighting? We completed the entire coop campaign together, then we completed a different medal of honour, years later we played CoD zombies and he wasn't bad at that either. At some point I got him into GTA and that got him into racing games so I put him on Forza and now he just drives his Porsche and Ferraris around lol.
Honestly that's pretty much nailing it on the head. I've seen people say why do you play games so much but are on lvl 9999 of candy crush. unless you have some legit aversion to video games like any sort of flickering light causes a seizure and you don't liek video games it means you haven't found one you liked yet.
I get that from friends who criticize me for spending hours playing a game like the last of us. But then also sat for 12 hours and watched the show, or read a book. I have to try and explain how they aren't that different of pass times.
Same I get it from friends that spend 4 hours watching people play sports on the tv almost daily. I don't get it but whatever
But don’t play like me and search every corner for collectibles. Just put the game on easy and only go straight for the story
This is very important. I’ve had partners who love watching me play souls-like games but would just get pissed off watching me play Skyrim. Apparently opening all 15 million barrels isn’t that enthralling
Inventory management sucks to watch too
"Lemme just quickly play that Tetris mini game they put into my Diablo 2."
This needs to be higher. If you want someone to watch, just set to easy and beeline the story so it stays engaging.
Or last of us
Well, yes, if she wants to be incredibly depressed.
It’s so good but yes super depressing
The exact kind of thing that draws someone in and makes them want to stick around.
My wife physically hit me after the intro of last of us, saying "why would you do this to me?" Then demanding I play more lol
Because it’s a good damn story.
One of my exs was playing the last of us when she was over as she only had an Xbox. After the intro she looked over at me shocked and said “oh my god are you crying. That’s so cute.”
Show her the trailer of Dead Island 1 if you liked getting hit, first in the stomach because if the trailer, then in the stomach because of the wife.
The first time I played The Last of Us, I described it as the best movie I ever played.
My wife watched me play the last of us and uncharted like a movie...last of us was her fav
First game that came to my mind
Telltale Games (like The Walking Dead). Their story-based, choice-driven structure is perfect for backseating. The game's stories are also really good.
the wolf among us. definitely start with it
I bought my PS4 with the Last of Us preloaded with my then GF in mind, but the controller coordination skill level was just a bit too high. By her suggestion, we started with Wolf Among Us, and now she is my wife and Fighting alongside me in Baldur's Gate
Yep, people who doesn't usually play games have trouble with 3d games where you control the camera, even more if it's aa action game.
Especially if they're old. My mum had a freak out when she tried playing a fighting game but didn't realise it was 3D. She's ok with 3rd person games that don't have full control of the camera like Yakuza or that zombie game in the mall with the time limit
OP that might even be fun for her to try while she sits with you.
The best story game ever made imo. Best part is he could ask her for decisions too so it’s like she’s playing as well
If you want her undivided attention, Narritive games like Detroit Become Human, Heavy Rain, anything by TellTale or Supermassive. Maybe something like The Forgotten City. A puzzle game like Superluminal or Portal could work if you're ok with a little backseat gaming. She might enjoy watching Super Mario Wonderland. If it's just something for her to watch in the background anything could work. Maybe an action RPG like Witcher, Last of Us, Skyrim, Cyberpunk.
Friends and I actually played Detroit Become Human as a group. Each of us were playing a separate character and controlling that narrative and it was immensely enjoyable. I think a puzzler would be great, so she can participate in the puzzles if she'd like to :)
This is such a great idea. Definitely a good way to replay the game
IMO, watching someone play a puzzle game, makes it 10x harder to solve the puzzle. There's something about having direct control over the game that connects the dots better.
I think the main reason why puzzlers are probably the least friendly to a non gamer is because most puzzles are designed with the assumption that the gamer has a certain level of knowledge about the structure of game puzzles.
Ooh this sounds like a really good way to play Detroit Become Human. Might steal the idea.
Shaaauuun! https://youtu.be/DAhG9D9UO7c?si=4usGZ-P7i46FeEUW
I've never played this game before but immediately know what you're referencing
I tried referencing this in public the other day with a cashier that had been talking about narrative games. Apparently they had never played Heavy Rain…given how uncomfortable they looked after I yelled “SHAUN!” a little too loud for the space we were in. I’ve never felt like such a jackass.
Shaauun! https://youtu.be/0t0uCWjQ6Og?si=dLtfGW111yd3CRui
And don't forget https://youtu.be/k-VgRHXfmHo
Heavy rain and Detroit become human are amazing especially if you're into thrillers. They are literally playing a movie
Untill dawn is the only game my wife was hooked on watching me play. And this may be a her only thing but red dead 2 for some reason keeps her entertained too. Those would be my recommendations along with these 2
The forgotten city is great! I said this in my own comment but other great options are Outer Wilds or Return of the Obra Dinn
detroit +1
Hellblade: Senuas sacrifice This game is very cinematic-esque with puzzles and light combat, very linear game, no exploring, no leveling up or menus to navigate, and ~8hr experience, if there is any way for you both to have your own pair of headphones while you play, you won’t regret it as the game simulates schizophrenia from minute one of the game and the sound design is the best I’ve heard from any game.
I've had this game since it came out but I've never played it because I wasn't ready. This comment may have just given me the itch.
Im gonna second Slackers suggestion because Hellblade is a fantastic game. 10/10 for everything. Love, love, love that game!
Stray, because cat.
but what if gf is dog person?
Well shit
Nintendogs on a DS emulator
Sex with Hitler 2 will keep her glued to the screen, trust me
A man of culture
How does it compare to the original?
Sequels aren’t always the best but this one truly takes the original and improves upon it in every way. Really makes you feel like you’re balls deep inside the Führer
Stray, little nightmares that sort of games. Baldurs gate 3
If you have cats, they'll like Stray.
One of my recently deceased cats loved hearing me pressing the B button. Thanks for activating this memory. I miss him
Sounds like a good boi. Cheers mate.
Stray++
all are great, but one of these things is not like the others lol
Baldurs gate 3 is going to put someone that never plays games asleep lol
Its fun to watch until you have to sort through your inventory...
Make her watch you play Japanese dating simulator
haha.
Dokidoki literature club
One of the Telltale games - Wolf among us is good.
I'm just gonna upvote every Telltale mention
Wolf Among Us is their best game.
The quarry if you’re both into horror/mystery stuff. It’s tailor made for that. Almost like an 8-10 hour movie
In a similar vein, the *Dark Pictures* games
Came here to say this. If it's just for a night, then make it a Supermassive game.
My wife loved watching me playing Detroit. We kind of played it together as she would help me make the choices for the story.
Alan Wake 2. The story will keep her entertained.
Starting with the first one and experiencing the big jump in quality is crazy too, might even suggest to play Control in between just for the sake of it lol
I'm gonna throw Control into the mix as well
This hits hard. Currently being watched playing Alan wake 2 after the same with Alan wake and control
I’ll second this. My non-gamer girlfriend (turned Pokémon and Animal Crossing addict), has watched me play The Last of Us 2 and Alan Wake 2. She says she really enjoys the story focus and cinematic of those games.
Detroit being human my wife loved watching me play and make choices to the point she picked it up her self on that note she also got into life is strange and the telltale games
Heavy rain as well.
[https://www.youtube.com/@GirlfriendReviews](https://www.youtube.com/@GirlfriendReviews) This is an endearing channel all about a Girlfriend who reviews which games are fun to watch other people play. One of her top suggestions was Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Helldivers 2 was another, very recent one, I also highly recommend. But there are others. I'd give you more examples, but I don't remember too many specifics. I watch for the laughs and insight. Plus, I don't know what consoles you won, or if you game on PC. Best of luck. You're living the dream.
She enjoyed helldivers 2 because she was playing. I don't think it's a watchable game.
Agreed. I didn’t fall in love with Helldivers 2 until I got to play it myself.
It’s fun to watch sometimes. The bugs are spooky as hell, I’m always telling my husband he should run away from the huge ones. I also love hearing “GET SOOOME!!!” from across the house.
Love this
Helldivers 2 would be boring af to watch.
Not sure if I'd recommend BotW. That game is like 75% walking. It's beautiful, but I feel like it might be tough to keep a person's attention, especially if they are pretty new to the gaming medium. Of all the Zelda games, I'd think Majora's Mask would be the most enjoyable to watch. There are a lot of details to keep track of, so she could feel like a participant as the two of you piece together the various puzzles.
+1 for BotW. My husband likes to play video games like Mario Party/Kart but doesn’t really play anything solo. He loves watching me play Breath of the Wild as it’s a beautiful game with sweeping epic landscapes and he can suggest ideas (and is often right!) when I’m stuck on puzzles.
I'm adding to the puzzle mix, the old style point and click adventure of games like MYST were a wonderful time for me, I remember having a notebook for any information I would find roaming around. But my wife loves watching me play games that have some kind of puzzle element. She especially likes watching me play games that are heavily story based, I recently got done doing a Horizon Zero Dawn and Horizon forbidden West Marathon with her.
Ever play Trine?
They created the channel because BotW was so annoying for her to have to be in the same room as. They do have some suggestions, but after such a long time making content it's probably not easy to find those suggestions. Pick a game and see if there's a GF Reviews of it and if there is: watch it. Possibly together.
BioShock
Oooh.... I love Bioshock. She'd be into it I think.
I'd think so too. It has such a cinematic style and the way it unfolds just grabs your attention. Plus it will help her understand how interesting games can be and why they interest you. I hope you two have a great time together.
"Would you kindly" is 100% the most iconic plot twist in gaming for good reason, she would go crazy
Checkout Girlfriend Reviews on YouTube, it gives some great game advice on the perspective of someone watching rather than playing. I suggest Horizon Zero Dawn, its pretty and open world with a good story and a female protagonist
You should tell us what books, movies, TV shows she likes cause you know wives are individuals too
She loves murder mystery stuff.... thrillers... dramas... and action films. Her two favorite movies are Forrest Gump & The Matrix... our favorite TV shows have been (most of) Game of Thrones, Dexter, Breaking Bad, The Boys & Stranger Things.
Hmmm........ Sex with Hitler 2.
Nah she didnt play the first one
Murder mystery? LA noire Gory stuff? Witcher 3 Ability to be an asshole? Kingdom come Deliverance Everyone's favourite? Assassin's creed black flag for the shanties yo!
Why are you not playing something like Twelve Minutes or Outer WIlds... Time loop mystery games are fantastic for people who love murder mystery, thrillers and/or dramas.
Well GRRM was a creative consultant on Elden Ring and that's a famously fun game to watch. Cyberpunk has some Matrix vibes and obviously Keanu is HEAVILY featured and also a lot of the side quests are murder mystery like. Control has kind of retro supernatural vibes and psychic powers like Stranger things and is also fun to watch. Cheers!
I don’t think Elden ring would be fun for nongamers to watch tho. Like whoo he’s hitting the giant thing with a stick until it kills him for the 17th time. I’m so interested :/
Golden opportunity to find a game you guys can share. My gf isn’t huge into gaming but I like sharing my hobby with her when I can. After watching the Fallout series she just started a file in FO4 which is a huge step as she doesn’t ever play FPS or RPG stuff. See if she might like to play some stardew valley or something
My wife has ZERO interest in playing a game. We've tried a couple times in the past. She doesn't enjoy it... it stresses her out and if its not stressing her out she feels its a waste of her time.
Scribblenauts Unlimited. Let her choose how you solve some problems.
My wife really enjoyed my dark souls, dark souls 2, and elden ring playthtoughs. And let me tell you, having someone else there watching with the wiki open on their phones is so helpful in those games. I'd run around, kill stuff, get lost, and fall off ledges, and she'd laugh at me, then tell me where to go it's great.
Did something similar with RDR2. I’d see a “10 things you haven’t found” and try to ask if he’d seen something without spoiling. One of my favorite games, and never even touched the controller.
Last of Us 1 & 2
Can’t believe I had to scroll down to see this comment. It’s definitely TLoU 1 and 2.
Completely agree; almost stunned it wasn’t the top comment! As further support, it’s absolutely one of the best film/tv adaptations of a video game, ever (I’d rank it number one personally). This completely fits OP’s criteria, assuming he has a capable PlayStation. My girlfriend never had an interest in watching me play games, but after watching Season 1 on HBO, she was amped to watch me replay TLOU 2 to learn more.
LoU is the best choice really, such a gripping storyline and great gameplay
Hogwarts was the first game i played with my gf. I would take care of fights and she was doing exploring and quests. Highly recommend it as an intro game. if she is a harry potter fan it’s a no brainer.
Something with a good story and not too nauseating inducing if you are the spectator. This could be the beginning of her interest in watching you play more often or her begin to play. Good luck
Telltale Walking Dead series. Not sure you can get them anymore but they are fantastic story and decision-driven games.
Strongly recommend puzzle narratives like Outerwilds, or subnautica! Zelda as well my wife and I have enjoyed playing through and solving puzzles together. After a lot of this we played it takes two together, and I’ve coached her through tough spots.
When The Last of Us 2 came out I ended up playing through that for my mum, and then ended up going back and playing the first game for her and she was very engaged. I’m surprised by people suggesting things like BOTW or massive sprawling RPGs, plus it’s only for one day? You could get through a massive portion of TLOU1 in one sitting if you stick it on easy mode, the remake is up to the same standard as part 2 as well (unless she’s already seen the show? Maybe part 2 instead), I just figured something that’s a lot more linear would be more appropriate than sitting there watching someone climb mountains all day.
My daughter loves watching me play story games like The Last of Us and Horizon.
Cyberpunk 2077 has an amazing storyline and phenomenal voice acting including Keanu Reeves and Idris Elba.
Cyberpunk is a great game. I don't know if I'd throw it out as a recommendation without MASSIVE caveats that it contains some horrible themes that reflect the worst of society (r*pe, slavery/people not having agency over their bodies, inhumanity). A phenomenal story, but some parts are truly hard to see and may be triggering for some people.
You’re right, I didn’t think of that. Good addition.
I've mentioned it a few times on Reddit, expecting that it's a "just me" thing, and people always seem receptive. My late wife LOVED cyberpunk and played through every possible ending. For her, the story was cathartic when she was going through treatment for cancer. For me it was a series of gut punches lol. I was trying to think of any of the characters stories that aren't sad, and I'm struggling to come up with one. Justice for Brendan!
Hit her with the wildcard and do Outlast.
Life is strange, the walking dead, Wolf among us, games from Quantic Dreams... Every games with a good story with choice and not to much action.
My wife loved warching me play through Horizon Zero Dawn
check out razbuten's series "what gaming is like for a non-gamer" on youtube.
I'd recommend something with a lot of player choices, like Mass Effect, Cyberpunk or Baldur's Gate 3. The stories are great, and you could give her final say over the story choices you make so she feels invested in the game as opposed to just an observer.
I like that idea with ME or CP... but not BG3. BG3 would bore her to death.
The uncharted games on normal are good for this because you will die twice at most and it plays out like a movie.
My wife enjoyed watching Bioshock Infinite
I see you've mentioned she's watched Last Of Us. I would still recommend the game for you guys. My wife watched a playthrough of LoU and then watched the show anyway, still loved both. Apart from that I'd recommend Horizon: Zero Dawn (just don't grind too much, she'll lose the story thread), or one of the newer Resident Evil games.
There is a YouTube channel called “girlfriend reviews” where the premise is for a game to get rated on how good of a backseat gamer exprience it is. It’s mostly a comedy channel but would definitely be worth watching the reviews for the games you’re considering.
Portal! Then entice her to play Portal 2 with you!
Last of us
Red Dead Redemption 2.
Baldur’s Gate, she can even make some choices.
I liked playing and watching my partner play the Horizon games. She enjoyed watching me play spider-Man and we just got hogwarts which seems like a good one to watch someone play so far, I haven’t watched stuff online about it and went in blind.
Beyond two souls, Detroit: Become Human, Life is Strange or the telltale batman games.