Video games have become a major enterprise in today’s culture. Between the superfans and the casual gamers, it’s hard to completely grasp what you should and shouldn’t play. This can divert or completely drive away people that weren’t involved in video games as a child. With all the different developers, publishers, engines, series, spin-offs, platforms, and even genres, it can be hard to keep up with. But there are plenty of people that like to play video games, without getting involved in its complex community. For those people, I have compiled a list of the top five video games you can play without an extensive commitment to the franchise or fandom.
Minecraft
"Minecraft" is a sandbox-style game that erupted in 2011 and has been sweeping the nation ever since. It has an incredibly simple control scheme and some pretty solid mechanics. With no true objective (unless you’re really looking for one), you can build whatever your heart desires. "Minecraft" has two main play modes: Survival and Creative. In Survival, you are dropped in a randomly generated world filled with multiple biomes and plenty to explore above, and underground. You use the resources you find around you to create tools and materials to help you advance and create whatever you can think of. In Creative mode, you can start in whatever kind of world you want and have an unlimited supply of every resource in the game. You can create some quite complex and intricate construction, or you can create a massive farm and live forever. It’s completely open ended and simple to pick up. All this and much more can be yours for only $20!
Spore
"Spore" is almost considered a classic today. It was released in 2008 and it quickly took the community by storm with its unique genre of customization. The controls are as simple as it gets and easy to pick up on with an extremely basic tutorial every time you discover something new. You start by customizing your own cell in the most adorable way possible. You decide whether it will be a carnivore, and herbivore or even an omnivore and help it advance through the gene pool. Eventually, it gains legs and walks onto land, then it colonizes and before long you have space travel! It’s a lot of fun to mess around with the infinite possibilities and watch as your creature grows into a civilization. This game ranges around the $20 to $30 range and is available on Steam.
The Sims 3
Everyone loves "The Sims" because anyone can play it and the third installment is my personal favorite. "The Sims" lets you create your own family, loner, college roommates, dysfunctional coexistence, or whatever you’d like to call your congregation of sims. Sims are just like people and you play their collective minds. Your goals are more or less open ended because, rather than reach a certain point, you’re just trying to keep your sims alive and well … or not. Either way, it has a great array of customization, from your sims, to your house, to your relationships, and even their pets. It’s great fun to watch your sim take up a career in thievery and make friends with his neighbors only to rob him every night. Or make tons of money writing books about apples, It’s all up to you! The controls literally only require a mouse and the price is a flat $20 on Steam. I’m personally waiting for it to go on sale.
Journey
Now, I had to include this game because it’s one of my all-time favorite games. Journey is something of an adventure game that takes you on a ride you’ll never forget. You play as a small robed person in a wide desert land. There’s no dialogue so no one is there to tell you what to do or how to do it, all you know is that you have to reach the peak of a huge mountain set out in front of you. As you progress (and given you have an internet connection), you may happen across other players also making a journey to the top of the mountain. You’re unable to communicate with them aside from the small "chirp" your character can give off and you quickly realize that's all you need. You’ll connect with our partners and delve into the rich atmosphere. This game takes you on a magnificent ride as you conquer the desert and create your own journey. This game is a Playstation 3 and Playstation 4 exclusive, but the price of $20 is well worth the purchase.
MarioKart
"MarioKart" is a must of this list. With each generation of Nintendo system, there is another version of "MarioKart," and they only get increasingly better. "MarioKart" is on its eighth installment on the WiiU, but any of them are truly applicable in this matter. "MarioKart" is simply good, clean fun with the added aspect that you can play it with your friends. With a combination of smooth controls and mechanics that are so easy to grasp, anyone can have good clean fun with any version of "MarioKart." Now, pricing is hard with this one because it depends on what system you get it on, but the prices range from $20 to about $60.
Now, don’t get the wrong message; there’s plenty of amazing video games out there with plenty of amazing features, and these are just a few. If you’re not a gamer and you’re looking for some good, clean video-gaming fun, then here’s a good place to start. If you’re looking for more, you don’t have to look very far … plus, "Fallout 4" is just around the corner!
