OK, I need a chain of games.

[CheekyLee]

Co-op is your magic button, here. Start possibly with the LEGO games, and move it up from there to more involved stuff. Things like Portal 2, already mentioned above, and Borderlands. I successfully converted an ex into liking shooters by playing 4-player split-screen GRAW with friends against bots. Before long, we were Legendary Halo-ing, and Realistic Rainbow 6 Vegas t-hunting together.

 

Some other musts: Left 4 Dead, Earth Defence Force 2017, Gears of War.

 

And go with the entire Nintendo catalogue. You really can't go wrong with anything Mario!

[robdood]

My kids (7yo w/autism + motor difficulties, 5yo) finally got the hang of full fat games with Mario Odyssey with assist mode on. You basically can't die. And there's only a few buttons needed. 

 

I'd actually recommend that as a starting point. 

[BadgerFarmer]

Simple to more complex is one thing, but also showcase a variety of great design principles:

 

Tetris; Journey; The Witness; Portal 2; Inside; Super Mario World; Zelda: Link to the Past; Invisible Inc.; Trials; Dark Souls.

 

Edit: Deliberately avoiding anything too 'filmy' or dialogue heavy - all games that construct worlds and experiences using techniques specific to games.

[Ferine]

Not exactly what you were asking for, but Mark Brown's Game Maker's Toolkit series could be of interest? Obviously watching videos won't up her dexterity with a pad, but I'd say they're a pretty great entry point for anyone interested in game design; well presented, concise, not reliant on jargon and covering a variety of design facets.

 

I imagine getting used to the twin-stick setup of most modern 3D games to be a big hurdle; I can still vaguely recall my initial floundering attempts at playing the original TimeSplitters. Maybe Superhot could be a decent stepping stone that's also mechanically interesting?

[GamesGamesGames]

8 minutes ago, CheekyLee said:

Co-op is your magic button, here. Start possibly with the LEGO games, and move it up from there to more involved stuff. Things like Portal 2, already mentioned above, and Borderlands. I successfully converted an ex into liking shooters by playing 4-player split-screen GRAW with friends against bots. Before long, we were Legendary Halo-ing, and Realistic Rainbow 6 Vegas t-hunting together.

 

Some other musts: Left 4 Dead, Earth Defence Force 2017, Gears of War.

 

And go with the entire Nintendo catalogue. You really can't go wrong with anything Mario!

 

We're not in the same neck of the woods all that often, so they would need to be as robust remotely as couch co-op.

 

2 minutes ago, robdood said:

My kids (7yo w/autism + motor difficulties, 5yo) finally got the hang of full fat games with Mario Odyssey with assist mode on. You basically can't die. And there's only a few buttons needed. 

 

I'd actually recommend that as a starting point. 

 

I've thought about this but she's stubborn and prideful, and I know the idea she is playing with stabilisers on won't sit well. That's kind of why I'm looking to chart a course that introduces more and more along the way.

[El Spatula]

Demon Souls

Dark Souls

Dark Souls 2

Dark Souls 3

Bloodborne

Nioh

Ninja Gaiden Black

Ninja Gaiden 2

[GamesGamesGames]

13 minutes ago, Ferine said:

Not exactly what you were asking for, but Mark Brown's Game Maker's Toolkit series could be of interest? Obviously watching videos won't up her dexterity with a pad, but I'd say they're a pretty great entry point for anyone interested in game design; well presented, concise, not reliant on jargon and covering a variety of design facets.

 

I imagine getting used to the twin-stick setup of most modern 3D games to be a big hurdle; I can still vaguely recall my initial floundering attempts at playing the original TimeSplitters. Maybe Superhot could be a decent stepping stone that's also mechanically interesting?

 

She's all over GMTK but thanks for the suggestion.

[Mike1812]

I'd have an Uncharted in there somewhere, probably around the middle. 

 

Minecraft creative mode early on?

[MegaTrousers]

Killer instinct has a nice tutorial mode that explains the underlying systems. It has an optional easy execution control system, but even the default controls are easier than most fighters.

 

There's a good free e-book online that describes street fighter's systems in  a very digestible way, and would make a good companion to playing the games, but I forget what its called.

 

Also, twitch skills aren't the only way to level-up. X-com or invisible inc are systemically sophisticated, but need little dexterity - similarly stuff like civilisation, total war, or a city builder. Those probably aren't for the first day.

Card games are popular at the minute too.

[robdood]

Donkey Kong Arcade  (stick + 1 button)

Super Mario Bros 3 (NES controller)

Zelda Link to the Past (SNES controller)

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night  (PS1 non-analogue controller)

Mario 64 (N64 controller)

Super Monkeyball  (GC)

Resident Evil 4   (GC)

Metroid Prime   (GC)

Dark Souls   (PS4 / Xbone / Switch

Breath of the Wild  (Switch)

 

Oh and a quick edit - we need a racing game of some kind, I think - probably going to have to choose Ridge Racer 6 (Xbox/PS controller), somewhere around the GC era

 

All would need to be played on their original controllers, ideally, I think that would help guide the dexterity increase. 

[smac]

1 hour ago, BadgerFarmer said:

Edit: Deliberately avoiding anything too 'filmy' or dialogue heavy - all games that construct worlds and experiences using techniques specific to games.

 

Yeah, I was thinking of Horizon: Zero Dawn on an easier level, but may be too much filmic interludes. Zelda: BotW would be a better choice for an open world.

 

Maybe original Half-Life?

[matt0]

Lemmings to introduce concepts like indirect control and interacting with an in game GUI.

 

Sensible Soccer for a mid to high tier dexterity game.

 

(I like tiny sprites...)

[MikeBeaver]

7 hours ago, Broker said:

Super Mario Bros

Super Mario Bros 2

Super Mario Bros 3

Super Mario World

Yoshi's Island

Super Mario 64

Super Mario Sunshine

Super Mario Galaxy

Super Mario Galaxy 2

Super Mario Odyssey

Fuck, I upvoted that withpout realising you'd slipped Sunshine in there..... "almost" a perfect list there

[the_debaser]

Warioware Touch

Wii Sports

Tetris

Riiiiidge Racer 4

Super Mario Bros WiiU

Zelda LTTP

Mario 64

Zelda OOT

Mario Odyssey

Zelda BOTW

[MW_Jimmy]

If she's a intelligent person then just let her pick for herself. At most maybe give her a games mag to browse to understand the gaming landscape today.

 

This idea of handholding people through games is ridiculous IMHO. It'll soon become obvious to her if she has any passion for the medium.

[Thor]

Actually, from a purely design point of view,  Bloodborne is unsurpassed in world and architectural design. Nothing beats it on that front. 

[GamesGamesGames]

13 minutes ago, MW_Jimmy said:

If she's a intelligent person then just let her pick for herself. At most maybe give her a games mag to browse to understand the gaming landscape today.

 

This idea of handholding people through games is ridiculous IMHO. It'll soon become obvious to her if she has any passion for the medium.

 

As per the OP it has nothing to do with intellect or handholding, but thanks for providing your own interpretation in our post-fact age.

[MW_Jimmy]

I don't understand at all.

 

There is literally no starting point there to make any serious recommendations.

 

Where is the point of interest? What sort of games would she like to make?

[BossSaru]

Maybe worth tracking down some old Stream classics which can be picked up for peanuts. To the Moon, World of Goo and Braid perhaps, which are pretty much impossible be to fail, have a smooth learning curve, and feature a gameplay-driven narrative.

[GamesGamesGames]

13 hours ago, MW_Jimmy said:

I don't understand at all.

 

There is literally no starting point there to make any serious recommendations.

 

Where is the point of interest? What sort of games would she like to make?

 

The starting point is that somebody is cack-handed in the extreme, and intimidated by the dexterity (both in terms of reflex and range of inputs) that many modern top-tier games require. So there's clearly a starting point - it's right at the start where I talk about one-button games, and someone straight away shows me up for forgetting Pacman which is basic inputwise and also a classic.

 

What she will want to make has also been touched upon - she is very interested in systemic gaming. Now obviously to get to the point playingwise where you're dealing with heavily systemic games you'll need to do a bit of climbing if you're cack-handed. they tend to have many inputs after all.

 

Sorry you don't understand, but it's all in the thread to be taken in.