Easy PC Games to Learn

[ron7519]

Hi everyone!!

I want to get back into PC gaming. I'm 51 and haven't played any video games since I was a teen. I've tried a lot of games recently but they are so complicated to learn. I don't have a lot of time to learn complex game mechanics, lots of controls, rules, etc. I just want to play and have fun!

I remember the old Sierra games like King's Quest, Space Quest, etc. I just installed and started playing. They were challenging but you didn't really need to know much. Just start the game and start walking around. I do prefer fantasy adventure style games but open to any genre.

Also, I don't want a game with a ton of micro-transactions. I just want to pay for the game and play. Thanks!

[eram]

sounds like you may like skyrim
https://store.steampowered.com/app/489830/The_Elder_Scrolls_V_Skyrim_Special_Edition/

[WhitePhantom]

I find the Telltale adventure games very easy to play and get into. They're like light point and click adventure games with a focus on making story decisions. There are plenty to choose from on Steam. I personally really enjoyed these two:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1449690/The_Walking_Dead_The_Telltale_Definitive_Series/

https://store.steampowered.com/app/498240/Batman__The_Telltale_Series/

Valve games are very well designed not needing any tutorials or prior knowledge beyond basic WASD movement and mouse aiming. The Half-Life games and Portal games are some of the best PC games ever made while being easily accessible.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/220/HalfLife_2/

https://store.steampowered.com/app/400/Portal/

[ron7519]

Thanks to everyone...love the suggestions! Keep em coming for not just me but others who may have the same question.

[Artemida]

https://store.steampowered.com/app/753640/Outer_Wilds/
https://store.steampowered.com/app/383870/Firewatch/
https://store.steampowered.com/app/501300/What_Remains_of_Edith_Finch/
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1562430/DREDGE/
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1868140/DAVE_THE_DIVER/

[Electric Cupcake]

That depends on what kind of "learning" you mean.

To use some of the defining PC games like Doom and Quake as example, the current owners have gone out of their way to idiot-proof them and shoehorn in crutches like weapon wheel and auto aim to coddle console players, as well as auto-add the old expansion packs.

It's simple enough to just click play in the Steam menu and get started playing, but it's an inferior experience to loading wads and pk3s in gzdoom or even editing a wad with SLADE. Customizing your experience is an aspect that makes a true PC game, but requires a bit more learning than just clicking "play."

Minecraft is one of the purest PC games, but Microsoft ruined it with their worthless Bedrock version. Using Prism Launcher and tweaking java and getting a dozen or more mods to play nice together and even setting up your own server without any "Realms" nonsense is the true experience, but takes a fair bit of learning.
https://minecraft.fandom.com/wiki/Tutorials/Setting_up_a_server

The other purest example of a PC game would be Dwarf Fortress, but no aspect of it is really suitable for the faint-hearted.

[Electric Cupcake]

When Yahtzee Croshaw coined the expression "PC Gaming Master Race," he was referring to the mess of in-game menus and keyboard controls in the original Witcher that made it unsuited to console play and controllers. He later expressed regret at spreading the expression and came up with a rather impolite title for the PC-only, single-platform snobs.

Complex menus and controls don't seem to have held Baldur's Gate 1 and 2 back when they were added to Nintendo Switch, though they did add in the rather insulting "Story Mode" difficulty to the enhanced editions, though that was even before the Switch port.

[Electric Cupcake]

To conclude my rambling, try
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1003590/Tetris_Effect_Connected/

I first played Tetris from my father's knee. It was the original Spectrum Holobyte version, and I was more enthralled by the artwork than the gameplay. Tetris is simple to learn, requires a lifetime of practice, and literally never gets old. It's also provably good for keeping the brain young (not that I wish to imply that age 51=cognitive decline or anything).

[AdahnGorion]

I recommend candy crush and farmville

[Incarnate]

https://store.steampowered.com/app/519860/DUSK/

This plays like Quake, and has no silly weapon switching gimmick like the Doom Eternal nonsense.

And there's no microtransactions or complicated mechanics, unless you count tossing a bar of soap at people as a complex skill.

[Shiro♌]

Visual novels don't require anything, really.. You can think of them as interactive books.

[Vince ✟]

Yes sir I suggest these two. The first will reintroduce some gaming mechanics like player control, all while allowing you a freedom of exploration that won't allow you to get too lost. A very nice game.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/384190/ABZU/

This is a point and click that resembles some of the older gems.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/234270/Ken_Folletts_The_Pillars_of_the_Earth/

You'll get tons of ideas. Take it slow and remember, you can refund back to the wallet and try again if it's under 2 hours playtime and 2weeks since you bought it.

This person suggests well also

Originally posted by Artemida:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/753640/Outer_Wilds/
https://store.steampowered.com/app/383870/Firewatch/
https://store.steampowered.com/app/501300/What_Remains_of_Edith_Finch/
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1562430/DREDGE/
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1868140/DAVE_THE_DIVER/

[Ray Rook]

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1794680/Vampire_Survivors/

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1282730/Loop_Hero/

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1289310/Helltaker/

Dave the Diver is a great rec too from that poster.

[DoomsDay]

sales, as a job, talking people into buying things, each sale made successfully stimulates the brain to produce some chemical to feel positive about self.

I have been into sales department, some of these people working the profession, are very high like on some dope.

the grim reality is, most of these people never get to sell anything of true value,nothing really become positive about them, but the job made them tap into their adrenaline reserve and slowly suck them dry.

if I really want to feel nice and special about myself, I should choose to not recommend any game, and say some bad thing about gaming.
I dont have a beginner game to recommend is being honest.

[tf2 pomson enjoyer #FIXVACPLS]

minecraft java edition is something i've been playing a lot
garry's mod if you want to play with friends
uhh
terratech is pretty cool

[Isaac]

Originally posted by ron7519:

Hi everyone!!

I want to get back into PC gaming. I'm 51 and haven't played any video games since I was a teen. I've tried a lot of games recently but they are so complicated to learn. I don't have a lot of time to learn complex game mechanics, lots of controls, rules, etc. I just want to play and have fun!

I remember the old Sierra games like King's Quest, Space Quest, etc. I just installed and started playing. They were challenging but you didn't really need to know much. Just start the game and start walking around. I do prefer fantasy adventure style games but open to any genre.

Also, I don't want a game with a ton of micro-transactions. I just want to pay for the game and play. Thanks!

Do you like farming games? Take a look at Stardew Valley, Farmerama, or Harvest Moon. If you like Pokemon, there are plenty of fangames you can download for free and play on your PC.