Hello everyone
This list is going to go over the top games that you can play with your family. All of the games are appropriate for any age and encourage full family participation.
5. Kinect Sports/Kinect Sports Rivals (Xbox 360/Xbox One)
Kinect Sports and it’s next gen relative Kinect Sports Rivals are an extremely good choice for your first foray in to family gaming. They do require a Kinect sensor, which I highly recommend picking up if you don’t have one already. The controls are easy to understand (natural body movements) and the gameplay allows for hours and hours of fun. There are several different sports to choose from and none of them are too advanced for a 5 year old to be able to play.
The exercise is also a huge added bonus for these games. It can get a little physically intensive at times but it’ll be worth it in the end. The game has enough built in breaks and breathers for just about anyone to pick up the game and play.
4. Anything from the Lego Franchise (Xbox, Playstion, Wii)
The Lego franchise is extremely popular with kids and even adults. Most titles are fairly easy to learn and feature some beginner puzzles/traps for you and your kids to figure out. While the games can be played single player, look for the ones that feature cooperative play. The second players is basically able to drop in and out of the game to help. This helps lower the skill threshold needed to play this game. You get to help and guide your kid if they are stuck, which makes the game so much more fun.
3. Pikim 3 (Wii U)
Pikmin 3 features a very impressive solo campaign with awesome graphics and hours of fun. The puzzles can be challenging at times but should be to be completed by most kids ages 10 and up. The game does lack a coop component to it’s main story though, which is why it’s only number 3 on the list.
The coop modes are great and will easily provide a fun evening for the family. You can play together to fight bosses from the story mode, collect treasure, or battle enemies. All of the modes require teamwork and some of them can be quite challenging.
2. Mario Party 9 (Wii)
Mario Party 9 is the perfect game for a night of family video gaming. The game itself features gameboards that players move around on. It features some luck and a lot of strategy but should be easy for children to play. The mini games are the best part of this game. There are so many games to play that it will easily keep the attention of the younger ones.
1. Skylanders: Swap Force (Playstation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, Wii U)
This game is absolutely awesome for the family. It features a portal that you place a toy on to and you become that character in the game. The game really plays off of the type of character you and your coop partner decide to be. The first and second player can drop in and out of the game at any time, gold and experience are shared, and boss battles are challenging but beatable.
Skylanders: Swap Forces does have a down side though. Each figure costs about $14 dollars and this can start to add up very quickly. Your kids and even you are going to crave more figures after just a couple hours of play. You have been warned.
Feel free to comment below with any games that you play with your family or that you feel should have been included.
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