Last time, I shared my students and my favourite tabletop games in response to a request from a colleague for game recommendations. You can read that list here. This post is dedicated to some of the video games my students or I are currently playing (or recently completed).
My Video Game List
Human Fall Flat: This game hooked me with the trailer. It’s a cheeky platformer where you solve puzzles as you explore the world. Play with a friend (or more) for even more fun. The tutorials are cheeky yet helpful and it’s wonderful that there are multiple ways to solve a puzzle. Here’s a bit of my early gameplay with my brother, which showcases this perfectly:
It Takes Two: I just started this game last weekend. This is a co-operative platformer in which you and a friend play a couple on the verge of divorcing. Their daughter wishes for her parents to become friends again, which puts their souls into two of her dolls. They must complete several challenges, repairing their fractured relationship in the process, in hopes of returning to their bodies. The game mechanics and the variety of the puzzles are amazing. Unfortunately, parts of it triggered a migraine, so this is on hold for now.
The Dig: This game was a huge nostalgia trip for me. I was filled with a sense of déjà vu while playing it. I am fairly certain that I played the original version back in the 1990s. You play the commander of a team sent to plant explosives into an asteroid to steer it off of its crash course towards earth. Thing is, the asteroid is really a spaceship, which transports the team to a distant planet. Explore the deserted planet, unravel the technology as you attempt to find a way back home. Here’s a bit of my gameplay about a third of the way in:
Agent A: A Puzzle in Disguise: I thoroughly enjoyed this adventure story puzzle game. You play Agent A, a secret agent tasked with infiltrating Ruby La Rouge’s secret hideaway to stop her nefarious plans.
Shing!: This was a fun, button-mashing beat up baddies game with quirky characters and an interesting story. The battle mechanics were a bit different from say, Samurai Warriors but once I got the hang of it, very ingenious.
Honourable Mentions: Katamari Damacy Reroll, Pixel Junk Monsters Ultimate, Cat Quest II, Pikuniku, Rogue Glitch
Video Games That My Students are Playing
Animal Crossing: You play a human who lives in a village with humanlike animals. Explore the world, go fishing, bug catching, and fossil hunting.
Minecraft: Players can explore the block-filled world, mine for resources to create all sorts of things. Or go on battle mobs and much, much more. Play by yourself, friends or others in the Minecraft community. Some of my students enjoy creating their own worlds in Minecraft, while others go on massive PvP (Player vs. Player) battle mobs. There are so many new additions to the Minecraft franchise to keep players coming back, year after year.
Among Us: This is an online, multiplayer murder mystery. You and your friends are part of the crew on a spaceship. While you’re working through your task list, one or more alien imposters are skulking around, killing the crew. After each death, the crew meets in the cafeteria to try solving the murder mystery before the impostors take out the entire crew.
Roblox: Roblox is another online gaming platform geared towards students. There are numerous user-created games for players to explore, from adventure games to battle games, and from puzzlers to platformers, and everything else in between.
Super Mario: This is perhaps the first platformer game that most gamers try. Since then, numerous other games have cropped up, expanding the Super Mario World. Catchy music.
Call of Duty Black Ops - an extremely popular first person shooter game. This is part of the Call of Duty franchise.
Genshin Impact: This is an online action role-playing game. Explore the world, go on quests, level up your skills and weapons - the long way (by gaining battle/quest experience) and/or the faster way (paying real money for upgrades).
Honorable Mentions: Paper Mario: Origami King, Bloons TD6, Call of Duty, Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker, Just Dance, Nancy Drew: Warnings at Waverley Academy, Grand Theft Auto 5 , Pkmin 3
That’s it for now, from the Studio. What are some of your favourite video games? Drop them down in the comments below.