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.
#1: For Moms Who Are (Still) Doing a Lot of Puzzles: A Little to the Left
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, and PC
#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 Moms Who Need/Want a Little Bit of Company: Bird Alone
Have you been lonely the past few days? Maybe weeks? Perhaps the past few years? Same, re: all of the above. While looking for another game to round out this list, I found Bird Alone, a charming “best friend” simulator where your new pal is a parrot. My first five minutes with Bird Alone were so heartwarming, comforting, and joy-bringing—I don’t want to spoil it for you.
Bird Alone is a “game” in that it is interactive, but it’s not like the others on this list. Bird Alone occupies a rare space on your phone that does not demand a lot of your time or attention, but welcomes you to stay for as long as you like. Your parrot will ask you how you’re doing today, and offer solace if it’s been a rough one. The bird will make jokes, remark on the weather, and hang out while you draw shooting stars in the sky. You’ll also unlock a meditative music experience and a little garden. Bird Alone is made by a small team of real people, and the love is tangible.
So if you—or any mums—need a smile and a bit of honest-to-goodness kinship, even if it comes from a digital parrot, look no further than Bird Alone.
- Free to start for a week on iOS and Android, $2.99 after that
PS: If you want this mood but prefer plants over birds, I also like A Kinder World (freemium on iOS and Android). In A Kinder World, you water houseplants twice a day with the option to reflect on your emotions to help your plants grow. You receive gentle encouragement from a dog named Samy and affirming notes from other players around the world.
Bonus: #8 For Moms Who Are Into Wordle…
Did your mom get really into Wordle last year? Well, first, congratulate your mom because now she is a gamer. She’s probably great at it. If your mom hasn’t experienced all the derivatives of Wordle yet, she might enjoy this list of 36 alternatives which includes more words along with math and art options.
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).
