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A Game Recommendation

WonfisWonfis Registered User new member
Hi guys, I wonder if you could help me with a game recommendation. I'll give you a little context:

The game is for my father. He's mid-sixties and about 13 years ago, when I was 11, he suffered a stroke that left his entire left side paralysed. After a couple of years he and my mother separated (amicably) and we moved away. Since then my sister and I have been visiting regularly, but we've been finding increasingly less to share with him and the time between trips is growing.

He lives in a small village and knows a lot of people, but all the activities that held his interest (cricket, golf, carpentry) are now only available to him vicariously. He can't travel easily and relies on the family for financial support. He spends most of his days in front of the TV, nodding off, and when we visit it's starting to consist of much the same, plus one of us in the corner reading a book or checking e-mails. It feels like a chore now; I loathe this feeling, but I cannot help it.

He owns a very old PC running Windows 2000, which he uses to run AOL (for his e-mail) and play Solitaire. I've been tempted to buy him a new machine, but why? His current set-up suits him perfectly. This got me thinking.

I spend a decent amount of time gaming. A lot of my good friends are gamers and if you let me I will extol the virtues of the pastime for many hours. I can't help but feel that introducing him to a game would help me reconnect with my father and get him more mentally active, a little more engaged with the larger world. It's just the medium to fit his state.

So what I'm looking for is a noob-friendly PC game you can play with one hand. I know there are some quality games out there with simple interfaces. Don't worry about the hardware; I'll take my laptop up to gauge interest first. Ideally, I want something that I can play with him but that he can also explore on his own, too.

Got any ideas?

Posts

  • EsseeEssee The pinkest of hair. Victoria, BCRegistered User regular
    Well, every point-and-click adventure game ever is entirely one-handed, and it's a lot of fun to work through the puzzles together (or alone). Take this from someone who has played through a number of them with her mom, who is apparently way better at these than her! I feel like for specific game recommendations (in this genre or others) it might be good to know what his tastes in movies, TV, books, etc. are, because it's hard to know what tone of game he'd find interesting. Is he okay with cutesy stuff, or slapstick humor, or would something probably only interest him if it's like an action film?
  • TychoCelchuuuTychoCelchuuu ___________PIGEON _________San Diego, CARegistered User regular
    Adventure games and puzzle games are all one handed, typically, as are many turn based strategy games and pausable RPGs. The latter two genres are less noob friendly but there are lots that aren't super intimidating. Adventure games are probably the best to play together with him, though - playing adventure games with others is pretty much the ideal way to experience them.
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  • CelestialBadgerCelestialBadger Registered User regular
    There are a lot of older golf and cricket games out there that he'd probably love, and would even run on his ancient machine. They are probably hard to get legally these days.

    This article indicates Links 2003 was highly regarded.

    http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1420221-ranking-the-sickest-golf-video-games-ever/page/10

    Honestly, trying to get an older person who doesn't game into "gamer" type games like RPGs might be a waste of time. They often don't see the appeal.
  • DarkewolfeDarkewolfe Registered User regular
    This might be crazy, but do you think getting him a tablet and some games he could play on the tablet would be good?
  • DrunkMcDrunkMc Registered User regular
    My Aunt was in a similar situation and then she found Facebook games, and she loves the shit out of those.
  • MulletudeMulletude Registered User regular
    Darkewolfe wrote: »
    This might be crazy, but do you think getting him a tablet and some games he could play on the tablet would be good?

    A tablet would be great. You can get them pretty cheap and there are bunches of simple games you can get in the app stores.

    XBL-Dug Danger
  • see317see317 Registered User regular
    edited May 2013
    Mulletude wrote: »
    Darkewolfe wrote: »
    This might be crazy, but do you think getting him a tablet and some games he could play on the tablet would be good?

    A tablet would be great. You can get them pretty cheap and there are bunches of simple games you can get in the app stores.
    Thirding this. Both my parents use tablets for pretty much everything. Even a basic one from Walmart should be able to do everything he does with his current machine and more.
    Words with Friends may help you reconnect, or at least stay in touch when you're not visiting, and if you can get him on facebook...

    You may want to get a stand so the tablet will prop itself up as well.
    see317 on
  • ElinElin Registered User regular
    http://www.webmd.com/stroke/news/20100225/wii-games-speed-stroke-rehab

    Would getting him a used Wii be out of bounds? I think you can even play Wii Golf 1 handed. I'm sure there are plenty of games you could find on the Wii that would keep his interest. Other than that, I second point and click adventure games. Maybe something like Puzzle Agent.
  • iRevertiRevert Tactical Martha Stewart Registered User regular
    Elin wrote: »
    http://www.webmd.com/stroke/news/20100225/wii-games-speed-stroke-rehab

    Would getting him a used Wii be out of bounds? I think you can even play Wii Golf 1 handed. I'm sure there are plenty of games you could find on the Wii that would keep his interest. Other than that, I second point and click adventure games. Maybe something like Puzzle Agent.

    You also could use something like the stinkyboard to supplement the lack of being able to use WASD
    http://www.stinkyboard.com/

    You could macro whatever you wanted to it and daisychain two of them together if you needed more binds.
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  • zagdrobzagdrob Registered User regular
    When I had my shoulder surgery (and when my daughter was born and would only sleep if someone was holding her) I played quite a bit of one-handed gaming. During those times I mostly played MMORPG's - which took a bit of adaption and probably wouldn't be too easy for a newbie gamer. Eve and Anarchy Online mostly.

    I found that most RTS games were perfectly playable - maybe not 'competitively', but certainly playable enough to be fun - the standard RTS stuff, and also stuff like the Paradox games (Crusader Kings, etc) although those might be a bit complex. Turn based strategy would definitely be playable - games like Civ, etc.

    Pretty much any browser type game, and a lot of indie games (lots of Humble Bundle stuff, FTL, etc) can be played with just a mouse.

    I'd just recommend bringing over a tablet loaded with a half dozen different games and see if there is anything he's interested in.
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  • EncEnc FloridaRegistered User regular
    Throwing my hat in with the tablet crowd. Fairly inexpensive, easy to use, and lots of cheap came options for varying degrees of interests and backgrounds.
    "A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects."
    — Robert Heinlein
  • grouch993grouch993 Registered User regular
    My father in law spent a number of his final years playing railroad tycoon. It was something he could still manage. He was unable to play Pirates, or some of the other games he used to enjoy that involved more action.
    Steam Profile Origin grouchiy
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