If you’re not ready for Mother’s Day this Sunday (yes, it’s this Sunday), never fear. It’s time to get your mom (or other parental figure!) into video games.
How To Get Your Mom Into Video Games
Back in 2021, I wrote a best Mom games piece that doubled as an in-depth guide on how to get your mother into gaming. My guide included advice for broaching the topic with her, proposing the right games, making purchases for her, and checking in on her progress.
What Are Good Games for Moms To Play?
I previously recommended Monument Valley, Regency Love, Donut County, Overcooked!, Stardew Valley, Oxenfree, 80 Days, and Hunt A Killer. It’s been a great few years for games, so here are seven more recommendations of great games for Moms.
Updated: I updated this list on May 9, 2024, with four more great games for moms! See #8 and beyond. And yes, Sunday, May 12, is Mother’s Day.
#1: For Moms Who Are (Still) Doing a Lot of Puzzles – A Little to the Left
The first image is how a puzzle begins; the latter are two alternative ways to solve it.
Sorting papers on a desk before a cat swipes the envelope away. Organizing pasta by twirliest shape. Tilting picture frames. These are some of the sweet-and-simple activities of A Little to the Left, an indie game out last fall from Max Inferno. It can be hard to get a puzzle game right, and I think A Little to the Left showcases what excellence looks like. Moms who bulked up on puzzles during the pandemic will think so, too.
The art and color palette is charming. The music is delightful and soothing. The game wants you to enjoy solving the puzzle—this isn’t one of those BS 1,000-piece puzzles with no picture on the cover—and features multiple thoughtful UI elements. The controller will vibrate gently when you’ve got a puzzle piece in the right spot while a bell quietly dings. There’s also a help page for each level where you can scratch away a hint and stop as soon as you think you see it. And perhaps, most gentle of all, is an option to, at any level, “Leave it as it is” and move on to the next one.
The Guardian calls it “a supremely rewarding ode to neatness.” With dozens of levels along with a daily challenge, A Little to the Left is a lovely, quietly satisfying game to add to your (and your mom’s) regular rotation.
- $14.99 on Nintendo Switch, Mac, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S
#2: For Moms Who Love Making Friends – Disney Dreamlight Valley
This one is truly mom-approved. I got Disney Dreamlight Valley for my mom last holiday season and it’s been a big hit. One of the reasons I think DDV stands out in the farm-sim genre as an option for moms is that it has no time pressures whatsoever. Unlike Stardew Valley, which has limited in-game hours, or Animal Crossing, which has real-time limitations, Disney Dreamlight Valley enables a flexible style of gameplay where players can rush through missions or take as long as they want.
There’s always plenty to do at any given time, all while surrounded by familiar faces like Mickey Mouse, Ariel, and Wall-E. From a gameplay mechanic standpoint, this is one of the more complicated options on the list, but with patience, I believe your mom can figure out how to mine for gems with Goofy. My mom says that one of her nightly routines is picking and delivering everyone’s favorite flowers.
You can read more of my thoughts on Disney Dreamlight Valley here.
- $29.99 on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One and Series X/S, Mac, and PC
#3: For Moms Who Love Murder Mysteries and/or True Crime – Tangle Tower
I love detective video games, and one of the favorites I keep recommending is Tangle Tower. I originally stumbled upon it on Apple Arcade. This fully voice-acted game invites players to explore a strange house with a peculiar family to solve a locked room murder mystery. There is a great mix of puzzles, suspect questioning, and exploring. The art is colorful and engaging; the feature photo at the top of this list is from Tangle Tower!
Tangle Tower is a great game for anyone who enjoys Murder She Wrote, Slow Horses, or Only Murders in the Building.
- Free on Apple Arcade (iOS); $19.99 on Nintendo Switch, Mac, PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4
#4: For Moms Who Can Hang in Coffee Shops for Hours – Coffee Talk 1 and Coffee Talk Episode 2
If your mom loves to eavesdrop or start conversations with strangers in coffee shops, she may get a kick out of the 2020 indie game Coffee Talk by Toge Productions and its recent sequel, Coffee Talk Episode 2. The Coffee Talk games are incredibly cozy: You’re a late-night barista in a shop with exposed brick walls, pulling espresso while rain falls outside, welcoming your regulars.
Set in an alternative universe of Seattle, Coffee Talk customers can be fantastical creatures with real problems: a vegan vampire thinking of moving back to town; an alien wanting to be accepted; a couple whose families don’t approve of their engagement. The Coffee Talk games are largely interactive novels where your main gameplay occurs when trying to craft just the right beverage for your customers. It’s a relaxing, meditative experience in making the world a better place, one latte at a time.
- Coffee Talk is $12.99 on Nintendo Switch, currently on sale for $7.79 on Mac and PC
- Coffee Talk Episode 2 is $14.99 on Nintendo Switch, Mac, and PC
#5: For Moms With Younger Kids at Home – Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Over the past year, I’ve seen my aunt evolve from nervously picking up a Switch controller to pointing with confidence at the screen as she shouts, “Pick Moo Moo Meadows!”
Mario Kart is a classic family game for a reason. Parental figures can quickly understand the concepts of driving and racing. Customization options with vehicles and characters empower them to engage at a deeper level the more they play. Furthermore, the options to turn on auto-acceleration and steering assistance can help gamers until they gain their footing on routes covered with banana peels. Plus, chances are, she probably took someone to see The Super Mario Bros. Movie and now she’ll see what’s up with Rainbow Road.
- $59.99 for Nintendo Switch
#6: For Moms Who Are Always on the Go – Delicious World
I discovered Delicious World a few years ago and have been quietly obsessed with it ever since. Delicious World is a freemium (free-to-play with in-game premium purchases) mobile game where players work in various restaurant levels to fulfill orders.
It may sound like your generic gacha, but unlike most mobile games, it actually has a plot. Emily works in her parents’ diner, flipping pancakes. When she sees her long-lost love is a judge on a reality cooking competition, Emily decides to travel to Europe to compete. In each level, players build up their available recipes and kitchen tools. Delicious World is essentially a game of efficiency; successful players will be hyper-focused for the minute-long rounds as they bake cakes, pour wine, and deliver cheese plates. If your mom likes to stay busy, she may enjoy the quick clicks of a level in between errands and meetings. The music is delightful and matches each level, whether you’re working with a Swiss chocolatier or a Parisian balcony cafe.
I know this sounds like a weirdly over-the-top love letter to a free mobile game, and it is. The only downside of Delicious World is that it is plagued by inane—though some are so amusing that Pedro Pascal is now in one—pop-up advertisements. You may have to show mom how to exit out of these screen takeover ads (usually waiting 30 seconds and then clicking a small X that pops up) and/or pay a few dollars for an ad-free experience, which in my opinion is worth it.
- Free-to-play on iOS and Android
- If you do end up wanting to check it out, click this referral link and me and your mom will get bonus coins.
#7: For Plant Moms and/or Meditative Moms – A Kinder World
Have you been lonely the past few days? Maybe weeks? Perhaps the past few years? Same, re: all of the above. A Kinder World is a simple-and-sweet, cozy meditative experience. In the morning and in the evening, you water a plant. You can enrich the water by doing a short breathing exercise, sharing a gratitude, or just reflecting on what emotion you’re feeling. The plant grows a leaf, and that’s it.
Birds, snails, and frogs will visit the plant in your window, and you can open (if you want) a random encouraging message from a stranger. Some days, a sweet, hand-drawn talking dog or porcupine or deer will come by and talk to you, or send you a letter (if you want) with compassionate advice. As the game progresses, you unlock different rooms in the house that you can decorate (if you want). But really, that’s it. What’s more, it’s completely free, with no ads, funded in part by the Australian government. You can buy extra decorative things for your house (if you want).
A Kinder World invites you to have a quiet, safe, gentle space on your phone. It has become a daily ritual for me, and helps me practice gratitude, something I’m not great at. In this simple game, you practice kindness, first and foremost to yourself. A Kinder World is a “game” in that it is interactive, but it’s not like the others on this list. It does not demand a lot of your time or attention, but you are welcome to stay for as long as you like.
- Free on iOS and Android
May 30, 2023 EDIT: I previously wrote about Bird Alone instead (which I do LOVE but have other thoughts about; a new essay here).
#8: For Moms Who Crush the Poker Table (And/Or Love Math) – Balatro
If your mom is a fan of card games, she may enjoy 2024’s biggest surprise hit so far, Balatro. Players are taught how to play poker by a friendly sentient Joker card. Then, they’re challenged to win three blinds (i.e., forced bets in rounds) in a row in order to advance to the next level. However, this game is far more than a casino simulator.
In Balatro, players accumulate special Joker cards that dramatically change their chip payout when certain requirements are met. Furthermore, players can unlock modifications that fundamentally alter their deck’s contents. So, for example, you could have a Joker that gives a 2x bonus for every odd card played, and you could modify your deck over time to just straight up remove every even card. Things get crazy, fast, and it’s exciting to make different combos.
I like Balatro as a video game for moms because it teaches poker very clearly, while also not talking down to players about how the game works. I’ve only played poker myself once (I beat Sam Martinelli and others in a last-minute change-up after being behind for hours; the mood got kinda low lol). I have not personally ever won a “run” in Balatro, but I’ve been really impressed with what I’ve seen, and it could be a lot of fun for anyone who likes this kind of rush but doesn’t want to actually gamble.
- Balatro is available on Nintendo Switch, Mac, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S. MSRP $14.99.
#9: For Moms Who Love Bridgerton – Ambition: A Minuet in Power
Drama. Intrigue. Empire waist dresses. Flirtations. Proper behavior. Improper behavior. Romance. Political scandal. These are the vibes that players will get not only from the Bridgerton books and Netflix series, but also from Ambition: A Minuet in Power.
This visual novel is spicier than Regency Love, which I previously recommended in my 2021 list. In Ambition, players have to carefully manage their social standing as a recently abandoned high society lady during the weeks before the French Revolution. They have a precarious situation, and they’ll need to survive with not only their dignity, but their lives. They’ll navigate social circles, dates, and events with a ticking clock and skill counter. It’s decently replayable, and certainly bingeable.
- Ambition: A Minuet in Power is available on Nintendo Switch, Mac, and PC. MSRP $20.99.
#10 and #11: For Witchy Moms – Reigns: Her Majesty and The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood
If your mom loves (or is curious about) Tarot, I’ve got y’all covered with two awesome picks.
I have long recommended the Reigns series which emulates the fun feeling of swiping on dating apps but puts it in the context of storytelling as the leader of a kingdom. Reigns: Her Majesty puts players in the position of a queen who must make quick decisions to make alliances, deal with cheating husbands, and explore a cool lady cult. It is easy to play in short or long sessions, and bonus, it’s a video game made by women!
If your mom is ready for a more in-depth game, I highly recommend The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood. I wrote a review about what a great game it is, but essentially, Cosmic Wheel advances the visual novel genre in a beautiful way. It’s interactive without ever being too stressful. The gameplay on a minute-to-minute level is fun and varied, and there’s also a big-picture plot about a witch returning to her space coven. Fair warning: It’s definitely an M-rated game, and has a lot of sexy content in it.
- Reigns: Her Majesty is available on iOS, Android, Nintendo Switch, PC, and Mac. MSRP $2.99.
- The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood is available on Nintendo Switch and PC. MSRP $17.99.
Best Nintendo Switch Games for Moms
The Nintendo Switch is a great console platform, period, and especially accessible for moms, dads, or anyone who’s looking to get into gaming for the first time. Here’s a quick, alphabetized recap of the best Switch games for moms from both of my lists:
- A Little to the Left
- Ambition: A Minuet in Power
- Balatro
- Coffee Talk
- Coffee Talk Episode 2: Hibiscus & Butterfly
- The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood
- Disney Dreamlight Valley
- Donut County
- Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
- Oxenfree
- Reigns: Her Majesty
- Stardew Valley
- Tangle Tower
Best Mobile Games for Moms
Likewise, here’s a summary of the best mom games you can find on iOS and/or Android from both of my lists:
- 80 Days
- A Kinder World
- Delicious World
- Donut County
- Monument Valley
- Regency Love
- Reigns: Her Majesty
- Tangle Tower
Looking for Games To Play With Your Mom?
I’ve got you covered there, too. Try:
- Overcooked 2
- Stardew Valley
- Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
- Hunt a Killer – try a single case set, perhaps this Nancy Drew one for $29.99 at Target, and set aside a few hours to play it together!
- A Little to the Left – a great game to switch taking turns on
Know Other Great Games for Moms? Let Me Know in the Comments!
And don’t forget to call your mom (or other beloved parental figure).
P.S.: Father’s Day is June 16, 2024. He might like some of these.
