What games would you guys recommend for a guy near 50, who doesn’t have a gaming pc (my laptop is an i7, 16gb RAM and using onboard graphics) which tend to have an older community? I used to play RPG’s and my least favorite games are those first person war games.
Something that doesn’t require synchronous gaming and doesn’t have a lot of stress would be even nicer.
Thanks for any input!
@d3fc0n1 I’ll never not recommend Dwarf Fortress
I didn’t knew the game and a couple of replies mentioned it. Must say that it looks like something extremely fun and addicting but also very daunting!
If you want to get your feet wet in the genre without diving into the bottomless pit of possibilities that is DF, I’d heavily recommend RimWorld. It’s basically a simplified, streamlined DF with a futuristic space theme.
Thanks. Do people play Dwarf Fortress Classic or the Steam version more?
I think a lot more play the Steam one, as it looks better
Cool. Probably because of saving also, right? Since it’s a game you can play for a long time…
You can save in the ASCII version too though, but yeah I’d recommend the steam version.
Slay the Spire!! It’s all single player but it’s a ton of fun. It’s a single player deck building card battle game. I’ve got nearly 2000 hours in it. Very light weight to run, and that computer can definitely run it.
The Shadowrun video games I think are really good “starter” rpgs. They’re a lot of fun, plus the setting of Shadowrun is fascinating, and wanting to explore it and learn more really gets you invested. Although the third game in the trilogy is the best, I would actually start with the second game. Its still an excellent game, but playing it before the third game showcases how much they improved almost every aspect. Also although its a “trilogy”, each game is its own story. The only connection is the shared setting/world. In summary, play Shadowrun: Dragonfall, then Shadowrun: Hong Kong. Have fun!
As a shadowrun GM, I really like those games. Rules-wise, they have very little in common with the tabletop RPG apart from using a few of the same words, but they capture the lore and the feel of the world really well.
Yeah its definitely a far simpler version of the tabletop ruleset, which I think might be its strongest feature. Not to rag on it, but the Shadowrun system is an absolute mess, and incredibly difficult to run.
Will check it. Thanks!!
Rimworld is a great game and will run on your laptop.
As an RPG game I think Neverwinter Nights is worth taking a look (you might have even played it when it was brand new) There is an enhanced edition that was first published a few years back that among other things, brought back online gaming without having to mess around. I think the community fits the bill nicely and in some groups you might not even be among the oldest.
Although you can play it solo, it’s at multiplayer where it shines. Also, apart from official content, there’s a ton of community content, some of it far better than official one.
Factorio has been also mentioned. Think of puzzle / problem solving / logistics / base building kind of game. There’s a playable demo (probably >10 hours worth of content but I can’t say for sure, I didn’t need so long to decide it was my thing) so you can check it out before purchasing.
Additional info :
- First game, try to go in as blind as possible (no tutorial/videos, walkthroughs, …) You can only beat the game for the first time /without prior knowledge once
- You can find the game referred as cracktorio. For many, the main cost of the game is not the purchase, but the electricity needed to run it for so long
- You can play it without bitters (enemies) so there’s no rush in completing it. You just build as you see fit
I would also add Minecraft, Terraria, Stardew Valley for the chill factor.
You shouldn’t have problems with any of these games on your laptop.
Minecraft is not my type of game but Stardew Valley is and I finished it :) (not 100% perfection though)
I have Neverwinter Nights in my Steam library I now feel very tempted to finally start playing it! Do you happen to know where the community gathers?
Thank you very much for your input.
(the following applies to enhanced edition)
Playerwise, the main servers (main as in where most players connect, not necessarily the best) are Arelith and Ravenloft, but you can check status and playercount here: https://nwn.beamdog.net/
Both of them are role-playing servers, you act/speak as your character at all times (it’s far less daunting than what it might seem)
Ravenloft is gothic horror themed, think Curse of Strahd from pen and paper. https://www.nwnravenloft.com/
Arelith is based on Forgotten Realms, in/around an island far in the west. https://nwnarelith.com/
Both of them have a lot of custom mechanics, classes, … not found on the base game. Also, both of them are big. They are probably over 1000 different areas (as a reference, the full base campaign, The Wailing Death has less than 100 areas (from the top of my head))
In case you want to try Arelith, it’s split between a few (interconnected) servers. You probably want to check the Distant Shores one. It’s designed for new players / low level characters.
There are also some action oriented, no RP required, just kill & loot if that’s more of your thing. There’s one I personally liked but it’s been offline for a while, hometown diablo. I also tried one based on middle earth for a while.
Just check a few (smaller servers might seem “less lively” but DM run events might be more custom tailored) and see which one you like most.
To connect, just click on multiplayer and connect to a server. It might take a while as the game will download all the custom content used in the server.
Just saved your comment and will use it as a guide. Like your say seems a bit daunting to role play in servers but honestly, in these times, it might as well be what I’m needing in my life. Thanks once again.
Into The Breach is turn based, so if you like old RPG turn based combat, you’ll feel comfortable. The graphics are very retro as well.
You control mechs fighting against giant bug enemies. The game can be more of a puzzle, as your mechs have different abilities that aren’t always obvious how they’d be beneficial.
The game is very short and encourages replays. You can mix and match different mechs to form different squads.
I’ll tell you one thing, I just lost The Game…
- Baldur’s Gate: A classic and relatively chill game, with a more or less functional multiplayer. Be an old timey DnD adventuring party going on a quest, kill gnolls by the dozen, and careful you don’t blow up your own party with a poorly aimed spell!
- Morrowind: I’ll pitch this to everyone because I’m one of those fangirls who can’t get through the day without mentioning it at least once. It is first person but it doesn’t play like a shooter at all. One of the best RPGs ever made imo with incredible lore and one of the best magic systems ever made, just have to get past some of the dated mechanics.
- Planet Crafter: It is still a bit clunky (really small dev team I think just 2 people) but getting to watch the world change as you terraform it is really rewarding. Pacing is fairly slow it is a good calm game.
- Loop Hero: Fascinating story. Solid roguelike with a quick gameplay loop.
- Contraption Maker: Rube Goldberg machines the game! You’re given partially completed machines and a box of parts to try and complete them. There is a custom level creator and you can share levels with people.
- Vampire Survivor: Bullet hell style game but you’re the murder machine fighting hordes of monsters. Very minimalist controls makes for good brain-off gameplay (pretty much all you do is use joystick to place yourself and the weapons auto-attack). Lots and lots of references to other games especially yesteryear classics in the Castlevania genre.
- Don’t Starve / Don’t Starve Together: Single / multiplayer. Servers can be run with asynchronous gameplay. I don’t have a lot of experience with the public servers but playing with friends is great fun. It is a survival horror crafter type game with a cutesy art style. It can be both relaxing and incredibly manic at times.
Project Zomboid! Easily one of the most feature rich zombie games I have ever played. It’s basically “the Sims” on steroids with zombies.
Your laptop should be able to handle it easily. It takes a while to figure things out, but you can tweak the zombie settings to your preference. It also has a multiplayer option if you’re looking for a community while playing.
I’m not seeing anyone mention Undertale. I wouldn’t say the community is older, but it fits the bill for RPGs, is almost universally acclaimed, the soundtrack is amazing, and the game is only particularly difficult if you want it to be.
Oh I played Undertale. Most recently in an ambernic handheld and it was great!!! Didn’t know it has a community!
“Hexcells Infinite” is a great stress-free (and cheap) game. It plays like Minesweeper, but every puzzle is completely solvable with just logic (there is never a need to guess!)
Dwarf Fortress!
The level of stress in Dwarf Fortress is really gonna depend on how attached you are to your dwarves.
losing is fun? I just disabled all sieges, beasts etc in the settings
But then you decide you need a well, or some magna forges. FUN always find a way :)
You can do that? Has that always been a thing? I haven’t played in a while. Granted I would never turn those off, I’m very much in the Failure is Fun camp.
You’d have to change setting in the world creation to make it boring
I believe in not merely being labeled Armok, but in being Armok. If dwarves are dying of old age, then I am not satiated.
I regularly plan to learn DF, then just play RimWorld instead. It really is DF for normies.
Have you heard of stardew valley? Its a calm 2d farming sim that has some combat and a lot of interpersonal relationships with the villagers pf your town.
Cities Skylines is often the perfect game for me to just zone out and chill, it surely didn’t run on a smooth 60 fps for me on my i7 laptop with no gpu but it performed well enough for me.
I just like to spend a couple of hours laying new railroads and streets and just expanding my city, be aware though the game can be a timesink if you’re not careful.
Luckily for the OP Cities Skylines is heavily CPU based, although it can only work with one CPU core unfortunately, but the sequel is coming soon which will address this problem.
Exactly, which is why I was able to run it reasonably smooth, although it was sluggish at a times probably due to the fact you just mentioned.
https://geoguessr.com is my crack.
