Games for 12 YO
Games for 12 YO
He doesn't play many M games, but he enjoyed CS: Source during middle school. Terraria is a good game, Halo? Maybe. Endless Space 2, Civ 5/6 (whichever is newest), and Kerbal Space Program are some of his favorites. What games does he play?
celeste (note: story involves depression and anxiety, but at 12 years old he probably won’t care much, so it should be fine for playing)
ori and the blind forest:
cave story+
Trine 1, 2 ...
Jamestown - a scrolling game with constant planes and shooting
Sine mora - a bit different, sideways instead of from above
8bitboy
torchlight 1 and 2 - straightforward hack-and-slash style similar to Diablo, but cartoony so it’s relatively safe for 12-year-olds if they stay engaged
Puzzle quest - a game where you connect three in a row with a simple story
If you’re patient enough to play with him, the Heroes of Might and Magic series might be a good fit.
Looking for racing games like Need for Speed if he enjoys that
Maybe Spelunky if he likes Minecraft... and there’s another option, Terraria
Perhaps Fallout 3, Fallout New Vegas, or Fallout 4 if parents allow shooters
At least there’s some story involved, and he gets to make choices and develop skills—so it’s not just mindless shooting.
Also if he enjoys those kinds of games, check out Transport Tycoon - OpenTTD is free:
https://www.openttd.org/
Or other similar tycoon titles... rollercoaster tycoons, etc.
If he prefers real-time strategy, consider Age of Empires... I used to play Dune 2000, Command, Conquer, Red Alert, and Warcraft (not the MMO version) when I was younger... but these games can be tough on modern systems.
For point-and-click, puzzle, or adventure games, try Syberia -
https://store.steampowered.com/app/46500/Syberia/
It’s a great game, just like the second one in the series... the third feels a bit average. I’m not sure if he’ll enjoy the story at 12 years old or be patient enough to tackle the puzzles.
Also liked the original The Longest Journey
:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/6310/...t_Journey/
But he might struggle with some puzzles (some are really confusing and not very intuitive, but finding walkthroughs helps).
He seems pretty smart and enjoys all kinds of games. RN plays Rocket League, Fortnite, CSGO (our mom doesn't know it's a mystery), and Portal.
It appears a competitive game would be enough. I’d show him around the free game scene. Paladins, Dota 2, League of Legends, Team Fortress 2, Warframe, Brawlhalla, Smite, Path of Exile, and more are all available at no cost, with hundreds more out there. If he enjoys Portal a lot, Minecraft should be a priority. It’s only $1 to $2 online. Any Half-Life title would also fit well. It’s best to keep an eye on sale prices and pick games he might like.