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Games For Both Of Us?
Truist writes "My wife and I have started playing games together (side by side at the computer) recently, and we're having a hard time finding games that we both like. Specifically, I tend to like FPS games (Quake) and she tends to like puzzle games (Myst), but we're both happy to meet in the middle. She doesn't seem to like Worms, but Return to Castle Wolfenstein was a huge success for both of us. What are your suggestions for good games that we can play together, and that we'll both enjoy?"
kill all muslims
Yeah, my wife Morgan Fairchild like to play FPS's with me too, yeah, that's the ticket.
seriously.
there's shitloads of good games there that the gals like.
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world was created 5 seconds before this post as it is.
my ex-g/f liked to play GTA3.
The One Rule Of Chess You'll Ever Need: Don't play someone who carries a kit in their bookbag.
http://www.subspacehq.com/
Free download, free play, tons of fun. Got my GF hooked.
I'd still like to find some games other than Diablo that have good co-op "missions". I've been playing a lot of tower defense maps on Warcraft III lately, and that has been fun. Any other ideas?
I liked Oni. My woman liked Oni...we both liked it a lot, actually. And no, I'm not being sexist calling her "my woman," and no, I'm not crazy, claiming that Oni was good. It was, it just had a lot of...work still to be done. :P But yeah, unless actually playing the game multiplayer-style is a requirement, I recommend Oni. :)
-Munki
Their may be a grammatical error, misspeling, or evn a typo in this post.
Always, Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance. It's a two person cooperaive dungeon crawl. Enough D&D and character leveling to be interesting for a long time gamer and simple enough for a newbie.
My girlfriend hates most gaming, especially D&D, but she begs me to play Dark Alliance with her.
Sorry, XBox and PS2 only. Also, it's pretty short. About 6-8 hours will get you through the game, even on a first run through. (And Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance 2 is on the way!)
You and your wife might enjoy a game of Rez on PS2.
In fact, if you have the right peripheral, she might enjoy it more than you...
: )
You can't take the sky from me...
If you're really attached to first-person shooters, though, try something slower paced with a bit more strategy--System Shock 2, the Thief games, Deux Ex, and so forth. You might find something you both like.
DecafJedi
my weblog: apropos of something
Sam and Max, the Monkey Island series, Day of the Tentacle (Lucasarts adventures in general) have worked for my wife and I.
If you can find it, I think you'd both like Marathon. Really more of a puzzle than a FPS--it's not nearly as competitive as, say, Unreal--it has a nice blend of "How do I open that door" with twitch fragging. I would often clear a level, and then go back to figure out all the puzzles. Really, one of the best games of it's class, although now the graphics are dated. It gave a Mac-gamer hope in a dark day...but I'm not going to believe Halo is actually shipping for the Mac until I install it.
(Marathon also was available for the PC, but not nearly as widely known as it was on the Mac. And, good luck finding it, especially for the PC--but I'll warrant any Mac user from 98 still has a copy lying around somewhere.)
--
$tar -xvf
Seriously, this is a question you're better off just asking some gamer friends who know more about the two of you.
Personally though, my ex and I played just about every multiplayer pc game out there... I have never bought a game on anyone's word either, especially considering the price of a new game. I would just ask around and go play at someone's house to sample a lot of different genres. You like fps and she likes puzzle games, but have you tried strategy games like age of empires, civilizations (freeciv), or command & conquer?
You may not consider them husband+wife games right off, but EverQuest, Galaxies, MUDs, and other rpg games combine puzzles with fighting. Plus they really do often encourage group playing so that would obviously be a plus in your case.
Not sure if a non-combat game would be your cup of tea, but our game has what I believe is the highest proportion of female players of all MMORPGs. 27% if you're counting based on paid accounts, and 40% if you're counting by hours played. (Yes, women tend to play more hours than men.) Anecdotally, I find that people almost always play a character of their gender. I've talked to dozens of guys who have said "This is the first computer game my wife/girlfriend will play with me."
We have Windows and Linux clients, and it's free for 24 hours. (We don't even ask for a credit card upfront.) If you check it out, do a "/chat pharaoh" in game and let me know.
Puzzle games like Grim Fandango or The Longest Journey are always better with a partner. Your teammate can spot tiny hotspots you may miss, or you can just show off your clever riddling and inventory-management abilities.
Co-founder of GerbilMechs
I recomend games that involve handcuffs and mineral oil. The hell with video games.
It's Christmas everyday with BitTorrent.
First of all it sounds like you might want to go with a console as opposed to a PC. Consoles are inherently more social both because of their design and the selection of games as a result of that design.
Coop play in console FPS' is all the rage now and still great fun even if one player is more skilled than the other. Halo and Timesplitters 2 both have fun Coop play. Balder's Gate: Dark Alliance is an action RPG that has some interesting Coop mechanics as well.
Battlefield 1942 on PC might be fun as you could play as assault as your partner can play as Engineer.
You can always just play Adventure games such as the Myst on the same computer and just bounce ideas off each other. Lucasarts has a great catalogue of titles you should check out if you haven't already.
My wife and I got into playing Gauntlet together over 10 years ago. To this day, we still get out once a year or so to blow a pocketfull of quarters playing Gauntlet Legends at whatever local arcade has it at the moment. It's got a good mix of strategy, action, and teamwork that we both enjoy. I think I've seen it available on consoles - if you can find it, you might want to give it a try.
"Great men are not always wise: neither do the aged understand judgement." Job 32:9
They actually have 3 game sections. That's just the one most geared towards, er, lovers.
I remember playing lots of old games in pairs by alternating playing a level in the singleplayer game. Mario 64 works pretty well, because it's expected to play each level a few times to get all the stars. I'd guess Mario Sunshine would be up there, too. I'd suggest picking up some cart readers (SNES, N64), an N64->USB adapter, an N64 controller, a SNES-like USB controller, and then get all the good carts for SNES and N64. Super Mario World, Mario 64, Yoshi's Island, Yoshi's Story, Mario Kart, Mario Kart 64, Starfox 64, and maybe Goldeneye and Perfect Dark if she likes those. Perfect Dark is just about right, because it has full-fledged coop mode. Now, you just need emulators like PJ64 and SNES9x or ZSNES.
Best thing I ever did for our relationship was buy a PS/2 and Tekken 3 and leave it at her house. Too bad she beats me all the time. (Hint: if you are good at a game, let her win every once in a while. Don't expect her to return the favor, though).
Recently, we've been playing Gauntlet: Dark Legacy. That's a good co-op game, even if it is cheesy and not exactly a five-star game.
And on her own, she likes Ico, a little bit of Ratchet and Clank, and some Ty the Tasmanian Tiger.
I just got Rez (with the Adapter), but we haven't had a chance to "test it out".
if you haven't got one of the recent Gauntlet Updates, they're worth a look too.
My girlfriend and I have had a few games of Civ3 against each other. You could try out one of that series (including Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri, of course).
These are some things my girlfriend and I have enjoyed playing together.
If she likes Myst, a natural choice of a game to play together is Uru: Ages Beyond Myst - basically Myst Online. The Baldur's Gate/Neverwinter Nights/etc series is another good place for cooperative play with more action than Myst.
If you're both really patient and like strategy, you could try Master of Orion 3 or Alpha Centauri multiplayer. Be prepared for reaaly long play sessions, though. Starcraft would be a faster play experience. In all of these you can choose to team up or compete, as you please.
Some things that you can't directly play together, but could be a lot of fun to play separately and compare notes / help each other solve are Deus Ex 1 and 2 and any of the Zelda games (but especially the Zeldas for N64 and SNES.) These all include a great mix of action and puzzle solving, but Deus Ex WILL require FPS skillz, even on easy settings. There's also a multiplayer Zelda for GBA, but I haven't tried it.
For great justice.
What are your suggestions for good games that we can play together, and and that we'll both enjoy?
Holy crap, man, what the fuck kind of question is that? Use your damn head! And I'm not talking about the one sitting on top of your shoulders...
What are your suggestions for good games that we can play together, and and that we'll both enjoy?
Why don't you two have a race to see who can discover the 41st Mersenne Prime first?
GMD
watch this
Stuff like Puzzle Fighter, Puyo Puyo, Puzzle Bobble and the like sound like they'd be good for you two. She likes puzzles, and you like fast paced games.
My gf and I play Pokemon Puzzle League against each other all the time. I've been playing longer, though, so I often have to let her win so she'll still play me.
-=-=-=-=-=
I'd rather be flamed than ignored.
My wife and I play a few games together:
- Diablo II (Mac)
- Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance (Xbox)
- Dynasty Warriors 3/4 (PS2)
- Time Crisis 2/3, Vampire Nights (PS2)
- House Of The Dead 2 (DC)
- Super Puzzle Fighter II (GBA)
She's sort of an exception to the norm, though. She also enjoys Animal Crossing quite a bit, and doesn't mind watching me play through Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (GC), or Knights Of The Old Republic (Xbox).
m.
"Sebastian you're in a mess. They called you King of all the Hipsters, is it true or are you still the Queen?" -- B
I've found Tetris to be a head-to-head favorite with smart ladies everywhere.
For the girlfriends who aren't as interested in the competitive aspect of multiplayer gaming, the new Mario Kart: Double Dash lets you cooperate, set in a theme that's not pushed towards a particular gender.
Side note: Tried the four-Game Cube link-up. Incredible.
Promote civility: mod down any post starting with 'ummm'.
With that, my recommendations are (besides ChuChu Rocket): Final Fantasy Tactics, Gran Turismo 3, Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy, Super Smash Bros. Melee, and any of the Doom games.
With this game you can have oodles of fun raising your virtual daughter to be a princess (as no doubt your real darling daughter would eventually become), and along the way, you get great tips on how to improve her mood with cake, fish and S&M gear!
i don't suggest unbalancing your dangerously, erotically teetering marriage with anything more adventurous or challenging than 'minesweeper'. select 1-player and collaborate.
"Stratigraphically the origin of agriculture and thermonuclear destruction will appear essentially simultaneous" -- Lee
Games that my wife and I have spent a lot of time playing together:
Diablo II
SimCity
The Sims
various Zeldas
Animal Crossing
Mario Kart: Double Dash
I'm not sure what it is about Diablo II -- it's certainly not a traditional female-friendly game -- but for some reason my wife really loved it and burned serious hours playing it. Now that I think about it, my girlfriend is even less of a gamer than my wife, but for some reason she too is a huge Diablo II fan. It might have to do with the collecting & accessorizing aspect of the game.
The co-op mode in Mario Kart: DD is GREAT for spousal involvement. My wife rides on the back of the cart, helping me dodge things and using items, so she feels very involved and will happily sit and play for hours. But because I'm doing the driving, and therefore most of the success/failure rests on me, she doesn't feel extremely pressured. With my wife, at least, her main turn-off when it comes to video games is pressure: if she gets flustered while playing a game, she won't touch it again. Every single game my wife has ever gotten into has been low pressure, and generally also low-conflict.
I would say that in general Nintendo makes the best gender-neutral games. Buy a GameCube if you don't already have one.
ZFS: because love is never having to say fsck
May I suggest "Neverwinter Nights". It has several gaming aspects which may appeal to both of you. It's a combination of puzzle solving, adventuring, and action. Plus, you can work together through the single player game, building characters that complement each other, and fighting side by side.
She'll like the puzzle-solving role-playing aspect, and you might like the action and horde collecting.
It has a great user community creating scenarios. This guarentees tons of re-play value.
To top it all off, it has Linux support, if that's your thing.
If you guys run MacOS X and you enjoy the boardgame Risk then I would humbly suggest my game Lux. It's fun for the whole family.
A Multiplayer Strategy Game for Mac OS X, Windows, and Linux
Rule #1 when playing with your partner is always play co-op. Otherwise you discover that, just like the movie War Games said, nobody really wins.
Age of Empires and Age of Kings went down very well in my house (playing co-op vs the computer). So did Diablo 1 and 2. My girl hates shooters too, but for inexplicable reasons she has become deeply obsessed by Battlefield 1942. I just have to remember to always play on the same side.
I should buy some cement.
I've been trying with mine for years now. She thinks they're silly. HOW DO YOU DO IT???
If your wife liked RtCW then she would probably like Wolfenstein: Enemy-Territory. The best part is that it is free.
Star Control 2 (now GPL) (I always win)
xpuyopuyo (she always wins)
Chu Chu Rocket for dreamcast (anybody's guess)
You can also play on the alien side, where there is no commander. Different alien subspecies have different roles. I like playing the 'gorge' and 'lerk' subspecies that have support roles like healing and building new alien structures. Other players enjoy the front-line combat alien subspecies.
-m
If you're secure with your manhood give Animal Crossing a go.
Heroes of Might and Magic. Not just Might and Magic, but Heroes of Might and Magic. Awesome game. My wife and I started playing it when it was at number II and now it's at IV and we still play it. It's basically an animated map that you go around and collect resources, build up your castle, when you fight it moves to a full featured fight screen. Awesome game, I highly recommend it. It's really fun to go coop style on maps that support it as we don't care to fight eachother. Download.com has the demo.
Add another vote for Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance. We had a lot of fun playing that one and advancing. My wife still walks around saying "ZUUULUU" and "Hashenshock" like the sorceress does in the game. Another decent one is Dungeons and Dragons Heroes. The story line kinda sucked, but it was a good hack and slash Action RPG as well. Dance Dance Revolution (no, you won't like it as much as she does, but it is good workout)
On the way are Dark Alliance II and Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel. Both are Dark Alliance types of games, but set in vastly different worlds.
http://www.tomandemily.com
I think a real good place to meet would be an MMORPG. I was always a big FPS fan as well, but once some friends showed me Dark Age of Camelot I was hooked. Playing any sort of MMORPG was the last thing I would've ever thought of playing... I'd never "be one of those dorky Everquest guys". But after playing FPS games for probably about 5 years and playing only them I decided I'd give DAoC a go and damn it was sweet. This is also the perfect type of game for a couple to play... especially with you, the fps guy, playing a tank, and her, the sit back and have more fun chatting / healing / staying away from lots of action type being a healer. I know it may sound a little dumb but I think an mmorpg would be a good place for you guys to hook up, I know a lot of couples that play. Camelot has a lot of realm-vs-realm stuff, when you finally hit level 50, that keeps the game fun for both of you. If you really decide to get the game, try leveling in Hibernia, with you playing a Hero or Champ and her playing a Bard (or a Druid). You're on the same side, and level up together, then fight together later on against the enemy realms. You'll have a lot of fun kicking ass, and she'll have a lot of fun chatting with people, helping people out with rezzes / heals, and probably doing some of the many quests since she likes the Myst kind of stuff.
Sorry, mate; you're doomed =(
No comment.
Finding mutually enjoyable multiplayer games is the hard part. Driving games (especially rally), Diablo-esque games, and a few of the sports games are about all that we can agree on. Your mileage may vary.
That is not to say that you cannot both enjoy single games together. We often play solo games in a tag team fashion (very useful when you have kids:) and it is amazing how much it can defuse the "frustration factor" that so many games engender in us.
Q.
Insert Signature Here
Why don't you try playing Sven Co-Op?
I have a girlfriend and she tends to like racing games. Her current obsession is Need for Speed Undergound :-). I think you should ask her what she likes.
I am not a geek. Ashes Ashes we all fall down.
Depending on our mood my wife and I played either cooperatively or competitively. Currently we play some Frogger game on GC. We take turns each trying to advance farther in the game. Other games that we liked in the past that we took turns to advance were the Abe Oddworld and Rayman games on PS.
The Zelda games did not work well because they took too much time in large chunks to get anywhere, the same with the Final Fantasy games.
We went through a long phase of playing competitively against one another. Some examples here that we liked were Puyo Puyo, Chu Chu Rocket, and Mario Kart. There was also some wierd circles color matching game for PS that I cannot remember the name of. I am ashamed to admit that we even played pong for the PS addictively in two player mode. That was a terrible game but there was just something about yelling, "Take that you stupid rod!"
Now the only thing we play competitively is Mario Party 3, but that is a whole lot more fun when my brother and his girl friend come over.
Since you are married, you should already know what games you like to play together. If you have no video games you both enjoy, it may be the medium. Try some real world games. When we were really competive we liked Risk and Scrabble (in both English and Polish). Now we like doing cross word puzzles together and we have an electronic trivial pursuit that we try to beat our high score in. Outside we liked tennis and swimming. Now we like roller blading and bike rides. The kids like the bike rides too.
Wife and I like to play Tony Hawk on the PS2. Graffitti is the best one as long as she doesn't get mad at you for stealing her "tag". Just have to remind her that its just a game and nothing personal. She also likes the Mario games on the GBA, so for Christmas this year I am getting a GC with Smash Bros and Mario Kart Double Dash. Should be fun.
No Sig For You
A little strip poker?
This was a big hit for both myself, the wife, and the neighbor's wife.
I remember a game a while ago called Montezuma's Revenge. I can't remember if it was any good actually, but if serious sam is the pure shooting version of the FPS genre, this is on the opposite end if I remember. You're not going to find it in stores though
Look it's a joke about my sig IN MY SIG! LOL!
StepMania is a GPL'd rhythm game for Windows, Linux, and Mac. Combine it with two PS1 dance pads, a 2xPS1 to USB controller adapter, and some Tournamixes, and have hours of fun.
last week when you were out late at the LAN party playing Quake with the guys . . . ;>
Definitely Deus Ex. I've played the original over and over again. It's an fps with a strong plot, rpg elements, and variable gameplay. If she liked Myst she'll like Deus Ex's puzzles/encounters which allow you to solve or navigate them in nearly infinite ways. It was released for PC and later ported to PS2 though I can't speak for the console version. Also Deus Ex: Invisible, the sequel, is coming out this month. For a little more linear game experience with more FPS combat try American McGee's Alice. It's a very polished game. For more RPG try Morrowind. It has great replay value, decent plot, and it's for PC or XBox. But don't forget to get the patches - the initial release was full of bugs. The Medal of Honor series (for pc or console) and Call of Duty are excellent FPS games with great "feel" that makes people next to you want to watch you play. You and your wife can alternate playing and watching. Other games with a good feel or theme include the Lord of the Rings game (Two Towers I think) and Homeworld. Lots of good options. And congratulations on finding a gaming woman! This was already suggested but damn if it ain't the best couple game out there!
my book
The original DOS game. There's few games as fun to share a computer with someone else as that one; tank-based blasting fun. Hell, it made my mother a gamer, and she used to be one of those parents who held placards in protest back in the mid-eighties, against video games and their corruption of youth.
"To pass through the jungle; silence, courtesy, ferocity, as the occasion demands." -- Kamau, "Proper Passage"
it's available for the gamecube. :D
I agree, it is very fun. Unfortunately it is very short... I wouldn't buy it myself (again) - i'd just rent it if you plan on spending a weekend on it.
Robots are everywhere, and they eat old people's medicine for fuel.
Maybe it's just me, but I don't think it is comfortable to have more than one player on a single computer. Sharing the keyboard sucks. You should buy a console.
Get a Sega Dreamcast: it is very cheap nowadays, has lots of great games on all genres, and if you have some friends over you can have four-player games.
Circumcision is child abuse.
My sister has been married for 8 years or so now, and I've seen her and her husband play a lot of games together (as I've joined in on some).
Warcraft 3 was actually a popular one for them. They would not play the actual game but the custome maps that people would make. There were a lot of team co-op kind of maps for that, and they really enjoyed it.
The game they are on now is Final Fantasy 11. Long ago my sister played Ultima Online when it first came out, since then she has not played another MMORPG. She ended up getting FFXI right around when it came out. After my bro-in-law watcher her play it, she went out and bought it (within a week). They now play together on the same server in the same party. I know just this weekend they spent an entire day not even leaving their computer room.
Team orriented games seem to be the most popular for them, especially ones where it is not uber fast-pased.
Its not what it is, its something else.
Diablo and UT2003 are a hit with my wife. Diablo because it's co-operative so we can play and advance together, it's an OK mix of hack'n'slash, roleplay (well not really, but close enough) and some strategy on the encounters. UT2003 because she likes to swear like a teenager and blast anything that moves in Powerball.
My g-friend loved ICO, and is now hooked on Prince of Persia: Sands of Time. Both are excellent games that combine elements of puzzle solving with some fighting. She can go at her own pace which I think she likes, and the fighting isn't twitch-y, so that's a plus.
I would recommend either of these, both are great games.
You Don't Know Jack is a great game for more than one person. It's played on one PC by up to three people, and it's absolutely hilarious. I believe that there are around 10 flavors of it floating around with a new release coming up soon...
- colin
Play the original Baldur's Gate, the Win/Mac one. The second one is good too, particularly with its expansion. Not short at all, will run on loads of hardware, AND if you're a Linux type I think it'll run under WineX.
It's called SEX
You're a geek, aren't you ?
I find that head-to-head video gaming outside the realm of sports is extremely limited. Sure, there's multiplayer, but generally it's going to be lots of people rather than just two. Which is fine, if that's what you're going for, but it sounds like you're wanting something more personal.
There are a slew of really great non-electronic games available which work quite well with two players, and which don't favor a particular gender. For something nicely strategic, why not try The Settlers of Catan Card Game and its expansions? Or, for something a bit lighter, Carcassonne is quite good. Lastly, Hera & Zeus often gets reccommended for couples.
There are many others, and some lists have been compiled here and here.
Happiness is relative, Based upon the way we live.
From our glorious past, we liteerally used to play days long scenarios on settlers I (here at bluebytes), because it allowed players to have thei own half of the screen, and it accepted two mices at the same time. Too bad they dropped the concept afterward and the AI sucked big time...
[Pruneau
Try Enemy Territory it is the sequel to RTCW plus it is free.
I would personally have to say RTS games. My wife has loved Starcraft, Emperor, and some games on SNES. I have found that sometimes that you just need a good multiplayer game to play along side her. Me and my wife have had alot of great time with starcraft... except for that time that I "showed" her how a nuke works. Never will that happend again. To say the least I was the one nuked that night.
Adventures of Cookies & Cream (PS2) **
Amplitude (PS2)
Animal Crossing (GCN)
Crash Team Racing (PS1)
Dance Dance Revolution (PS2) **
Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (GCN) **
Mario Kart: Double Dash (GCN) **
Mario Party 1-5 (1-3 N64, 4-5 GCN)
Parappa the Rapper (PS1)
Pokemon Puzzle League (N64)
Pokemon Snap (N64)
Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (all) **
Soul Calibur 2 (all)
Starsky & Hutch (PS2) **
Super Monkey Ball (GCN)
Super Smash Bros. Melee (GCN) **
**One concept that always works for the codependant gamer is co-op play over competition play, as many posters have pointed out. That way it's not a huge humilating blowout if one player is better than the other. My wife really liked playing Tingle in Wind Waker because she could help me out if I got lost or needed a hint.
Another trick is to try out games that don't come off as overwhelming, like FPS and RTS games often do. Like Parappa, Double Dash, or Animal Crossing.
My wife and I play DS. She loves it and I like it. The multi-player allows us to work together.
I gots a PS2, a Cube and networked computers, and my ex didn't play many real games (Snood shouldn't count) but she loved Smash Brothers. Was pretty good with Zelda, but really shone as Shiek. Samus still ruled the day, however.
--Reverend Raven
Desperate days demand dire deeds.
She whips my arse so bad in double handed patience... :)
Q.
Insert Signature Here
Mule, Spy Vs Spy, and Floyd Of the Jungle are the games I really enjoy playing with others. Get Atari800 (the emulator, though a real atari, or in some cases a C64 or Apple// would work)and find a bootleg copy of those games.
P.S. I'm not married, and like the sterotypical geek have no clue how I'd find a girl, so take my ideas with a grain of salt. Thats what I'd play iwth her if I knew her, but I don't...
Sex
I submitted a similar question several months ago. You might want to check it out. It was more geared towards the PS2 and consoles, but there were a lot of good suggestions all over the board.
On that note, by the way, consider a console. I never saw the point in them, as I've been playing computer games for twenty years. But then I got married, and (as you're discovering) the computer games are not nearly as social as the consoles. Consoles are geared towards multiple players, whereas there are very, very few games out there that utilize multiple players on a computer.
On a highlight, there's always something like ePSXe and other console emulators. Get one set up and go rent some PS1 games! They're cheap to buy, now too, and almost any modern computer emulates the PS1 with cycles to spare. Get a couple of joysticks, (or buy PS1 pads and the converters -- they're out there but I have not tried them).
There are also plenty of good old arcade games, so as another poster mentioned, MAME is a great idea. You can, of course, find ROMS online if you are so inclined. Golden Axe, Gauntlet, Double Dragon, Xenophobe. These may not be the best examples, but they're out there.
So in short, I'm clueless for computer games per se. But for PS2/Xbox, my favorite is Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance. It's simultaneous two player, cooperative, not split screen, contains plenty of shopping for new items (my wife loves that part -- seriously), and although it's not phenomenally long, it has pretty good replayability. The sequel comes out in the next couple months, too.
Counter-Strike.
So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.
We are facing the same problem, to some degree. But we too liked RTCW a lot, and now we are playing Enemy Territory quite often.
I'd recommend you to check out some strategy games (turn-based and realtime), you might like one.
However, the games that we truely play together or even competitively, are of a different vein.
We recommend:
Jardinians - "Like Breakout, But With More Gnome Bouncing", Fun to play competitively, and you can make your own levels to challenge each other. (Just make sure you can beat your own level)
Text Twist - Kind of a word jumble game. There's a free trial, give it a chance, it's a addictive. Fun to play cooperatively.
Super Collapse 2 This is an interesting puzzle game which is best played solo.
Spider Solitare - This one was free courtesy of Microsoft. Sure it's solitare, but you can play cooperatively too.
Monopoly Party - This old stand-by never dies. We stick to classic, not the weird "party mode". The CPU's are kind of stupid, but it's still a good time, especially with more people. The best part is, nobody has to be the bank, so games go sooo much faster.
Old NES ROMS - We have a hacked xbox that has a ROM emulator loaded on it and we love to play Super Mario 2 and some of the classics. And now we're talking about building a MAME/XNES Cabinet.
...now if only I could break her into Linux.
I play games with my better half. Of course, being a game developer she's more tolerant of my gaming interests than most people might, otherwise she would have left me a long time ago.
;)
Turn-based strategy is good. Heroes of Might and Magic is great (I recommend 3, but 2 is good. You'll probably find 4 in the stores, but it's a bit more complicated with less interesting gameplay than 2 or 3 had.) The upside is that you can play for a bit and then save the game without too much fuss; good for that 1 hour of play per night plan if that's wht you want. The downside is that games can take a VERY long time, especially waiting for the other to complete the turn.
Real-time strategy is also cool. My GF and I play Age of Empires 2 (with expansion). There's an option for both people to play the same civilization. A 2-on-2 game where you and your GF play one civ with a computer ally against 2 other computer enemies is a real blast. You should be able to find the game cheap, since it's a bit old. The newer version, Age of Mythology, wasn't quite as captivating. The upside the game is cheap and runs on fairly modest hardware. The downside is that there's a big jump in difficulty levels from too easy to pretty difficult, so there's a large gap in the learning curve.
You could also look at online RPGs. I'm a bit biased towards these because I run one, Meridian 59. There are several people that play together. These games are a lot of fun when you play together in the same room, chatting back and forth. In a PvP-focused game, like Meridian 59, you can coordinate your strategies easier. A friend of mine started playing M59 recently with his wife. Even though she thought she'd hate PvP, she really enjoyed the political aspects of organizing a guild. Upside: You can meet and talk to lots of interesting people. Downside: Just like any other group of people, there's idiots to deal with. Online games can also end up taking a lot of time as you want to log on and maintain friendships; it's something you have to plan to do in moderation.
Hope this was at least semi-interesting, even though it'll get lost in the crowd.
Brian "Psychochild" Green
MMO developer's blog
Can't recommend these games enough, especially as you can play head-to-head. Another game worth trying (if you have a gamecube) is Super Monkey Ball.
My wife and I enjoyed playing the 3 Silent Hill games together.
Nothing like a little survival horror with the wife, without the in-laws.
Play PUYO PUYO for either mame or genesis with your wife, my girlfriend is crazy about it, its like tetris but you compete against each other, very cute and addictive game, everyone I show it to likes it. Another good game is battle city, you need to cooperate to clear out all the tanks and protect a little city at the bottom of the screen.
wario warez inc.? its kinda one player... but still fun for 2 people to go through....
It's an awfully nice board game (especially more so if you consider the Seafarer extension and Cities & Knight extension). I suggest you get the board game (if you can friends to play it with), but there's a an amazing good implementation on the computer (Windows only, sorry) here. Many of the good old adventures are fun too, even those now 'abandonware' (Eric the Unready) or otherwise hard to get going on modern computers (Questo for Glory I to IV).
"I'm never quite so stupid as when I'm being smart" (Linus van Pelt)
You should try this one, I tried it with my girlfriend, and since the day we started, we never stopped loving it !
:)
(just a tip : it's called "real life"
____
nico
Nico-Live
My girlfrriend loves SSX Tricky on the PS2. The main thing she likes about it is being able to unlock new outfits for the characters. I dont mean to sound sexist but she REALLY strives to master all the tricks just so she can unlock the next glittery suit.
She likes it so much that she has bought me SSX 3 for my birthday, although I feel its more for her than me.
She also enjoyed Tony Hawks 4 as you could design your own skater and buy extra kit.
Other than that we play Adventure games together, and the LAra Croft games. I usually do the controlling and she tells me where to go (Back-seat gaming...?)
I have no sig yet I must scream.
If you both like Return to Castle Wolfenstein, you might want to check out the free multiplayer game, Enemy Territory ( http://www.splashdamage.com/download.php?op=viewdo wnload&cid=7 ). It's based on RtCW.
You might also want to try out Call of Duty - also a WWII FPS game. It's the best multiplayer FPS game available, in my opinion.
Battlefield 1942's (*yawn*... yeah, another WWII game - interesting how many WWII games there are, huh?) great too. You get to drive around in tanks, jeeps etc, and you even get to fly figher planes and bombers!
Unfortunately I don't really know many girls who are into computer games, so I don't really know what sort of games they'd like. I think MMORPGs have quite a high percentage of female audienc, but I'm not sure if you two are up for wasting a lot of time on a game. But if you both like RtCW, you should like the games I mentioned above.
I heartily echo the OP's suggestion: Gamecubes are made for these thing. In fact, if anyone can reccomend more good GC games with co-op modes, I'd love to hear of them.
Pathman, Free (as in GPL) 3D Pac Man
For I am He.
As a disclaimer, let me first swear that I do not start the fights. I just finish them.
But it happened with DooM, it still happens with Halo. For what ever reason when I play co-op in the FPS, it always ends in not-so-friendly bloodshed, if not tears.
It all starts playful enough, but before too long the computer controled monsters are in spectator mode and cracking open a cold one.
the Resident Evil series (shooter/puzzler)
Fatal Frame (ditto)
Ico (puzzler, very well done)
(etc...)
Also, if you have a gamecube, Metroid Prime is a _very_ nice 1st person shooter / puzzler. Definately a must-see.
No encryption can withstand the power of the Lucky Guess.
Yes, I remember that. Four player Floyd of the Jungle is a blast, Mule is too.
For modern games, Diablo and Diablo 2 worked for us. I've been thinking about NWN and Gauntlet in the future. NWN feels a bit too complicated though.
Yes, we have a computer each, similarly speced.
temporarily sigless
You two should seriously consider games with editors. Visual Pinball, Heroes of Might and Magic, Contraptions, Neverwinter (as mentioned), RPG Maker and such. Visual Pinball has scores of premade tables, but the Visual Basic can be slightly daunting. Still, the stuff you make and play together might be the most entertaining of all.
Editors appeal to the puzzle lover, plus you can challenge each other.
There is no 'u' in win either. ;-)
Norris/Palin 2012
Fact: We deserve leaders who can kick your ass and field dress your carcass.
My fiancee and I play Dynasty Warriors. Good blend of tactics and button-mashing, and it's fun to run around like a maniac and beat up 100s or 1000s of enemy troops basically single-handedly.
"America has done some terrible things. But I know that Americans don't cheer when innocents die." -Dave Barry
The Adventures of Cookie & Cream is the single best cooperative multiplayer game for man & wife ever made. It is unique. You play it on the same screen side by side and help each other progress past platformer-style puzzles. It's also hilarious. Rent it and see, or better yet buy it. If only there were more games like this. My wife loved playing Baldur's Gate Dark ALliance on the PS2, which really surprised me because she normally shies away from action or RPG games. This one was the right mix, and the sequel is coming out in a month or two along with Champions of Norrath, a similar game. The You Don't Know Jack series is great fun for two on computer or PS2. You can get them cheap (US$5) in PS1 form and run them on PS2. The next frontier is Dance Dance Revolution type games with floor pads. Haven't gone there yet. Get a PS2 and have a great time. You can sit next to each other on the couch - much better than sitting in front of a PC.
Syntax error: loose != lose, affect != effect, then!=than
It may have been about the PS/2 that time.
Co-op games are the best when playing video games with your wife. You don't need the added stress of being antagonists in the video game world.
You may need to branch out from your world to play cooperatively, as FPS does not really lend itself to real co-op play.
My wife hates the computer, so I don't have any experience with PC games to share with the wife. Obvious titles come to mind from what I play with friends:
Diablo II
Neverwinter Nights
Since your wife likes puzzle games like Myst, and you want co-op, you may want to try URU Live. I was on the beta test for it. Assuming the on-line version is up and running, you can create avatars to look anyway you wish (my wife thought my self portrait was so accurate it was scary) and work together to solve puzzles. Some of the puzzles would be easier with two people. The graphics and sounds are awesome!
I hope this helps
You can lose something that is loose, so tighten the loose item so you don't lose it.
I recently got my girlfriend to play this game. We've been dating three years and I've never been able to interest her in a game before but this one has really got her hooked. The PC version has pretty sharp graphics, some shooting, and some interesting and inventive puzzles. A good appreciation of British humor is a plus, too.
...and I can see why your wife doesn't like FPS. I played some Quake and Doom, but now I'm completely over the genre. Also, she might have a perceptual problem with 3D, which would make a lot of these harder for her. Some of the camera angle switches in 3D games can be frustrating until you learn to adapt, which will take longer for your wife if her spatial perception isn't as good as yours. If that's the case, you might want to stick to 2D games to keep her from beating you to death with the mouse.
You might try some of the classics of RTS, like Command and Conquer or Warcraft II. If she doesn't like them, you're not out much money, and I know that even when WCII was kicking my ass, I would keep going so I could build new units and find out what they said when I annoyed them.
Sounds like adventure games work for both of you (I love 'em myself), so the Monkey Island games are a place to start. There's also an insanely addictive two-player version of Tetris called Battle Tetris floating around out there somewhere--I guess that qualifies as a puzzle game, but only commie mutant traitors don't like Tetris.
Or buy a console. I switched from PC gaming to console gaming ages ago. It's much better for the casual gamer. PSX and GC both have great games and are cheap, but I'd avoid the XBox if you're looking for games you'll both like. Get her hooked on classic non-twitch side-scrollers like Castlevania (can't get me enough Symphony of the Night!) and you'll never run out of games.
Console titles I love, off the top of my head...Bomber Man (best party game evar!!!!!!1), Tetrisphere, anything Castlevania, Super Metroid, anything Zelda, most of the Marios, including Mario Sunshine, the Blood Omen and Legacy of Kain games, the Gauntlet port for PS2, Eternal Darkness, and DDR. (All women like DDR. I think it's some kind of strange XX thing.) A bunch of the older stuff can be emulated, but bear in mind what I said about 3D when choosing console games. Soul Reaver has a lousy algorithm for camera angle, Mario Sunsine is particularly bad if you just can't get the hang of 3D.
Oh, almost forgot...one genre a lot of women (like my roommates) seem to like but I Can. Not. Stand. is RPGs. (If I hear the end boss from Lunar: Silver Star Story say "Time to die!" or hear that Final Fantasy "you beat the random encounter!" music one...more...time...*twitch*) Don't let my biases get in the way--you could give those a try, especially if you're willing to handle the leveling.
Word of advice...if you're substantially better than she is, *don't* completely school her in competitive games. Not only is it demoralizing, but she'll also never get any better, which means she'll get frustrated and not want to play anymore.
-Carolyn
Like Daddy always said: if you can't dazzle 'em with brilliance, baffle 'em with bullshit.
The Mario Party series is great if you have a GCN. It's just like playing a board game with action or puzzle oriented mini games that occur after everyone has taken a turn.
Also, even if you don't like sports games try Mario Golf and Mario Kart (especially the new Double Dash which allows 2 players to operate the same vehicle, one drives, one aims and shoots turtle shells and those sorts of things). Mario Golf is fun even if you don't like sports games or golf (me).
That being said, I hate super mario sunshine and most actual mario brothers games.
"Anyway, long story short... is a phrase whose origins are complicated and rambling...." - Abraham Simpson
My fiancee loved it. We plaid it together with my brother and sister and law. She also plaid it a lot alone.
I think she liked it so much because it was reasonably simple and quick to do.
Bookmarked this thread.
:p
I like gaming but I don't like:
- being stuck in one place
- not seeing anyone
Lan parties can help the latter and arcades both but none are ideal. This is what PS2's are for I suppose
A blog I run for the wealth
You could try Star Siege by Serria. It is a rather old game but some gamers tend to play with friends and family. They get their computers together and play CTF in SS or TDMs.
By hour, the games we have played the most together are:
PC: (1992-2002)
Quake3
Kentris (head-to-head trippy pallette cycling competitive tetris with statistics)
Warcraft 3
PS2: (2002-2003)
Dance Dance Revolution... way too much.
Frequency/Amplitude
Soul Calibur 2
Parlour/"Real" games: (2003)
Gnostica (uses icehouse pieces + tarot cards) (wunderland.com)
Diceland
Aquarious (also from Wunderland.com/Looney Labs)
Palabra (occasionally)
As for 1 player she likes to play Nethack a lot more than me. And I like to play Amplitude & Twisted Metal Black a lot more than her.
-Clio
Karma: Bad (mostly from not giving a fuck)
Blog: http://clintjcl.wordpress.com
I had a similair problem with my old lady, who would look at me in disgust everytime I sat down to play some Grand Theft Auto. I did some investigating though, and decided to pick up a Gamecube (only 99$ now people. You have no excuse). The Gamecube is perfect, as it's got tons of fun 2-4 player games. We've played a ton of Mario Party 4, F-Zero GX, and 007 just to name a few. Highly recommended to anyone who enjoys "social gaming". The only downside is increased visits from in-laws.
Star Wars Galaxies. It is not as fast paced as the FPS games, but I happen to know at least 3 couples who play online together.
...so she can leave you the F alone! :-D
Sort of a combo FPS / Role / Puzzler. Some of the most beautiful and imaginative artwork I've seen in a game. Good soundtrack too. Like Return to Castle Wolfenstein, it's Quake3 engine based. And it's down to $9.99 at ebgames.
Nice game of chess?
:)
Personally, I prefer this kind of chess.
Even if I lose, I usually win afterwards.
My fiance and I enjoy these:
:)
Head to Head Tetris
Grand Turismo
Super MonkeyBall
GTA 3
Well, we don't actually play GTA3 together, but take turns. I cheer her on when she takes the hookers out for a ride, then beats them mercilessly with a baseball bat.
I currently have my girlfriend hooked on the latest Mario Kart.
they should try the old standby: Rape wife in Anus Hole
Ico Grim Fandango Diablo 2 She loved both Ico and Grim Fandango. We have been thinking of getting Siberia or the Longest Journey, as I ahve heard they are both great.
That said, I give you my top 5 (yes, I'm lazy) of top 10's that I'd like to see:
If you know of a good site or a good list, or even would like to add to my "want to see" list, let us know!
Check four articles up from this one: Puzzle Pirates
It's a massively multiplayer game where you cooperate with a crew of pirates to sail around, trading and engaging in sea battle and sword fights with other players and computer controlled crews. All the activities in the game are accomplished by puzzles. There are many many couples playing the game and they dig it the most.
We got addicted TetriNET and PuzzleBobble for a little while.
I hit the mother load when I found Puzzle Pirates, which was mentioned today on slashdot.
Quoth the Penguin, "pipe grep more!"
Works for me!
Graham