Top 10 Video Games to Play with your Girlfriend
Chances are if you like video games, and your girlfriend likes video games, then you’re not playing the same video games. Some guys would shutter at the thought of “casual games” while most girls see Halo as some kind of complex, unfun waste of time. Certainly there are exceptions, but in most cases you might find yourself wondering…are there games out there that both I and my girlfriend might enjoy together? I’m glad you asked! Let’s run through ten of them now:
10 Music-centric games
RockBand, Guitar Hero: World Tour, Singstar, etc.
(all major console platforms, $60-150+)
Easily the most obvious one on the list, music games inspire the soul to get down and jam on your plastic instruments. Anyone can get in on the fun with most of the setups, whether it’s the complex guitar riffs or singing in the mic. Plus many setups are available on almost all major consoles, and with the holidays over many retailers are ready to unload their huge surplus of instruments with some really great prices (and if taking up half a living room with plastic equipment isn’t your thing, try karaoke games
like Singstar and Lips.)
9. Critter Crunch
(PS3 Playstation Network, $6.99)
A huge success on the iPhone, Critter Crunch jumped to the PS3 just a few months ago with beautiful hand-drawn graphics and addictive gameplay modes. While the learning curve takes a while to adjust to, the game features a fun split screen battle mode and plenty of charm for the long haul. Plus, chicks dig cute animals, and the characters have that in spades.
8. Sonic Genesis Collection
(PS3/Xbox 360, $29.99)
Perhaps your girlfriend was a nostalgic gamer who wouldn’t touch new games with a ten foot pole…but has no problems inserting dozens of quarters in your favorite 80s arcade. While the Sonic Genesis Collection isn’t quite as nostalgic-inducing as most arcade/console collections would be, it still features so many Genesis games and old-school fun that you’re bound to find one to enjoy with your girlfriend. Plus, the low price and easy achievements/trophies makes it a guilty pleasure for all you points hunters
out there.
7. LEGO Adventure Series
(all platforms, $29.99+)
LEGO games have gotten incredibly popular, leading to the franchise of games like LEGO Indiana Jones, LEGO Star Wars, LEGO Batman, among others. All can be found for fairly cheap prices, and all have co-op abilities and a good amount of charm and humor in their presentation and cut scenes. This series is a great starting point for girl gamers who are just barely getting into gaming.
6. Modern Warfare 2
(PS3, Xbox 360, $59.99)
…and on the entire other end of the spectrum is Modern Warfare 2, a game that’s different from it’s other Call of Duty chums in that it has a mode called Spec-Ops, designed for two player co-op gameplay. What’s great about this mode is that both players can have their respective difficulty levels, so that you can keep it on a challenging difficulty level for yourself and an easier one for your girlfriend if you need to. If they’re ready to jump into first person shoot-em-ups, I can’t think of a more “friendly” introduction to warsplosion games of awesome.
5. Peggle/Peggle Nights
(PC/PS3/Xbox 360 downloadable game, $9.99)
But of course, you don’t always have to play together to enjoy some gaming. Try playing Peggle and compete for high scores on the leaderboard as you bounce a ball along some pegs to clear the level. It’s highly likely she’s already deep into this hugely popular series, so bulk up on your Peggle expertise before suggesting a head-to-head battle for first place.
4. Diner Dash
(PS3/Xbox 360 downloadable game, $9.99)
Another hugely popular game is Diner Dash, which exploded onto the PC quite some time ago. Now available for the Xbox 360/PS3, this new HD Diner Dash features both co-op and competitive modes, though the most fun is running a restaurant together as the pace builds more and more to the point of insanity. The easy controls and simple nature of the game makes it an easy choice for less-experienced gamers.
3. New Super Mario Bros.
(Wii, $59.99)
You can never go wrong with Mario, and can certainly not go wrong with New Super Mario Bros. Wii, which takes the gameplay of the NES classic into a brand new two to four player quest. It’s maddening, crazy, addicting and hilarious, and is probably stocked a little bit better in stores than the mad holiday rush that happened just a few months ago.
2. LittleBigPlanet GOTY Edition
(PS3, $59.99)
While LBP controls a bit differently than most platformers, it’s still a blast with up to four players as you traverse the user created levels of the LBP Universe. Considering there’s already over one hundred thousand levels online available to try, there’s a good chance you won’t need to shelve this game any time soon. Plus, it’s full of whimsy charm that just oozes near-universal appeal.
1. The Pixeljunk Series
(PS3 Playstation Network, $9.99)
Pixeljunk are retro-like games fused with next-gen ideas and art. Pixeljunk Monsters is easily the best of the series as the co-op mode allows you to build defenses out of trees in order to stop the monsters from reaching your village. Another good choice is Pixeljunk Shooter, which is much more forgiving in terms of difficulty and has a spaceship going down the depths of an alien planet, rescuing people all across the world. They are all pretty easy to learn, but difficult to master, and most of all addicting to play. Watch out for Pixeljunk Eden and Racers however, as their difficulty might be too hard for even the pair of you to tackle. You have been warned.
by David Galindo
Uh…seriously? I'm not a gamer, but a lot of my female friends are, and they would rather eat their own eyeballs than play Diner Dash.
I can personally vouch for #10. My wife would never play video games with me, but Guitar Hero changed all that. I have caught her playing GH while I wasn't home. Definitely a cross-over game in this regard.
Where is Katamari Damacy? That got my wife into gaming.
Best. Game. Ever.
Outside of Rockband, Modern Warfare, and Little Big Planet, these couple games are insulting. Where's Mario Kart? Or any of the fighting games?
@Annie, I thought about Mario Kart but I edged it out in favor of the other games. As for fighting games, that's a new one on me. I don't really consider them to be very friendly at all!
@Rfelt, basically I wanted to cover all the bases. Some might enjoy Diner Dash, others would be ready to tackle a bit more complex games. But there should be something for everyone!
The only games on here I would play are Sonic and Super Mario and that's because the rest have no plot or reason behind them except Call of Duty and the Lego games. This list makes it seem like girls never go near video games and the only person I know that likes Peggle is a guy.
@David The thing about this list is that it's geared towards newbies. If you're looking for games that encourages cooperation in a safe non-combative environment, then sure, your list works for non-gamer girlfriends. But for the rest of us, it lacks variety. Maybe your article should be retitled "Top 10 Video Games to Play with your Non-Gamer Girlfriend"?
I personally love the whole SIMs collection during my own game time and my husband will join me in two player or check out my whole "sim town" and Ill join him in a sport game. I dont mind…. a game of football or basketball isnt too complicated {Even if youre like me and dont care for sports} and he enjoys the fun of it! We also LOVE takin turns in the GTA games as well as Scareface! I like that my husband shares that little "MAN" moment with me!
Some of these games might be more appropriate if your girlfriend is twelve.
One game I liked playing with my boyfriend was Resident Evil Umbrella Chronicles for the Wii – most of the game can be played with two player and there is nothing that brings two people closer together than killing thousands of zombies together and refining your head shooting accuracy.
Danielle…I too found Resident Evil to be a fun "date" game!!!! Here's a GREAT 'throwback' for this list…….MORTAL KOMBAT!!! I loved MK2 particularly…..I knew ALL the moves! Nothing was better than being 16 and SEVERLY SPANK my latest suitor!!! Honorable Mentions:::::::::: Street Fighter….Double Dragon!!!!
10 games to play with your girlfriend or play with your kid?
My girl and I totally love Guitar Hero! Our lives were not the same again after playing the game.
Actually, we're both not musically-inclined but this game became one of our bonding moments. It's also perfect for family gatherings or parties.
wat abt tekken….:P
Now we can add Heavy Rain to the list. Quite possibly the only game girlfriends every where would not only mind just watching their boyfriends play it but actually LIKE to (that is when they’re not playing it themselves ^_^)! Not to mention, gamers, non-gamers, casual gamers, and girlfriends overall have loved this game thus far. Another perfect “bridging-the-gap” game.
This is very false, I think. I am a girl and I am a big-time gamer who plays a variety of video games. Most of my female friends enjoy all the video games I introduce them to. Some of my favorites include:
WOW
Final Fantasy
Kingdom Hearts
Halo
COD
Zelda
The Mario Games
Battlefront
Dark Cloud
Those are just a few of my preferences, but my point is that girls do play a lot of decent video games as well!
I forgot the super smash bros games I love those things XD
I'm a female gamer, and I've been a big fan of Mortal Kombat since I was about five. I do like some of the games on this list as well, though I dislike or don't care for most of them.
Regardless, my choice of games doesn't have a lot to do with the overall atmosphere of the games. I play games that are fun, and I continue to play them because they are. That's generally why people play games in the first place. Of course, each individual has preferences, but a group as a whole does not share those preferences, otherwise I'd agree with all of your choices. So relying on atmosphere like this is quite stereotypical, and in this case, sexist (admittedly, I knew it would be even before I clicked on the link). Really, all you have to do is just find out what your partner likes and go for that. It's not hard to do.
However, I will give you credit for not being overly sexist with your choices (maybe with the exception of Dinner Dash, though it is popular anyway). I especially like that you put Call of Duty on the list (overrated game that's, quite frankly, easy to get sick of, especially if you've played any other Call of Duty game, but fair enough), and put otherwise generally safe games to recommend.
. . . But even that positive point was ruined for me because of comments like this: "Whatâ??s great about this mode is that both players can have their respective difficulty levels, so that you can keep it on a challenging difficulty level for yourself and an easier one for your girlfriend if you need to."
Or this: "Itâ??s highly likely sheâ??s already deep into this hugely popular series, so bulk up on your Peggle expertise before suggesting a head-to-head battle for first place."
And this one especially made me cringe: "Plus, chicks dig cute animals."
——-
Also, you picked mostly modern games (except for the Genesis games collection). Not that modern games are bad, but most of the best games ever made were made before this generation of video games. That is, of course, my opinion, but I've noticed a lot of people tend to agree with me on this. In fact, most of the best games ever lists I tend to see are filled with games from before this generation, with maybe one or two thrown in every now and then from this era. Again, they're not all bad recommendations, but I mainly complain about this because newer video games cost a lot more money, and older games aren't hard to find online at Amazon or eBay (at least the ones you'll likely play), and it also shouldn't be hard finding trustworthy dealers. Even some game stores and yard sales have old games and stuff. So, cheaper games + better games + ? = profit.
Wow. As a hardcore, female gamer I find this list a bit insulting. Besides Modern Warfare 2, a lot of these games are "kiddie" games. Even though people still like them, filling an entire list with them seems to imply that you don't think girlfriends can handle more of the serious games. What about any of the Zelda series? Bioshock, Fallout 3, World Of Warcraft, Silent Hill… girls don't necessarily want bright colors, cartoons and flashing lights. Serious storylines, good graphics and engaging and involving/realistic worlds are very important as well.
Oh wow, ""if you like video games, and your girlfriend likes video games, then youâ??re not playing the same video games. Some guys would shutter at the thought of â??casual gamesâ?? while most girls see Halo as some kind of complex, unfun waste of time."" Wtf is that about? That's not true maybe your girlfriend did but im a female gamer and i dont play stupid games like these. These games are made for young children. Don't try to label one whole entire gender (including millions) would like the same things. I know you say there are exceptions but most girls would want to play what the person listed before….
WOW
Final Fantasy
Kingdom Hearts
Halo
COD
Zelda
The Mario Games
Battlefront
Darkcloud
Y'know the real popular sensations going out there today aren't just made for guys.
I'm a girl gamer and I'm insulted. Seriously, DINNER DASH? -_- I also hate how you have many references to "a easy game" or "easy difficulty levels"… girls aren't stupid when it comes to games, you know.
Nice Peggle nights is there, it is the first game we ever played (competed) together
Nice collection of games.
As a female gamer I find this list very demeaning and insulting, I have been playing games literally since I was 3 and never have I played such titles as Peggle Diner Dash, and all those other"easy girl type games" I grew up with NES and even back then we didn't have ridiculous "girl friendly" titles, a game was a game. And for instance, if girls can't or supposedly aren't good at games then how come 90% of my guy friends won't even pick up a controller when it comes to playing against me?… I find it incredibly insulting when lists like this come out, as it implies that suddenly when the console breaks out we become feeble, and incapable of pressing simple button combinations, or we're only interested in the Wii titles or anything that requires motion capture. I agree with one of the other commenters on here when she said something along the lines of; Whats wrong with titles like Bioshock, and Silent Hill? When it comes to certain games like Bioshock I have more achievements on that game then my boyfriend does… and what ever happened to girls liking space and sci-fi games I happen to love Dead Space and enjoy games like Mass Effect. The folks who make these lists need to realize that most of us girl gamers are not on the same wavelength as 8 year olds and can pony up with the opposite sex.
NO NO NO come on ! REALY? how about Dragon Age, Ghost Recon , Oblivion, your list is INSULTING! how about you never ever say what girls like again I would rather be violently relieved of my intestines than play that crap on your list
Seriously, most of these are kids' games! Diner Dash and Peggle? My husband and I play the Lego games – but we both prefer things with plot, dialog – playability
Girl games:
Silent Hill series
Godfather
Elder Scrolls series
Final Fantasy (includes Kingdom Hearts)
BloodRayne
Dragon Age
Mercenaries
Knights of the Old Republic
Mass Effect
Bioshock, etc
Guy games:
all of the above with the addition of things like Leisure Suit Larry
Most women gamers like the same kind of games men like – we'd just like to be able to play female characters when we can.
Okay, so where is Halo? it’s not that complicated, it’s quite easy and I don’t think Modenr warfare should be on ehtere, for gore I think it takes the cake over Halo. just my opinion me and my GF always play Halo.
I’m also a bit surprised that COD was listed. It’s considered more hardcore than casual. Sure girlfriends can (and do…more or less) enjoy it but the game doesn’t necessarily come to mind in the top 10 list of “girlfriend” games. Mortal Kombat should have been on there too. I find it funny how when it comes to fighting games, girlfrinds, sisters, and even mothers (or all the above ^_^) flock to MK way more so than they do Street Fighter. Yes many girlfriends have played and enjoyed SF but they prefer MK over all. My sister and step mom love the MK series. Any way, I feel that the Plants vs. Zombies game should be inducted on this list as well. It’s easily and widely accessible but is also deep enough to keep things intriguing.
@toptenz I’d turn my PC off and do something else. My girlfriend probably won’t be gamer.
lol WOW (not the game) but man that’s FUNNY stuff
My GF and I play all sorts of games but the Dynasty Warriors series has got to be one of the better beat’em up action games that have female as well as male characters plus a storyline Halo series is pretty good to what sucks is MOST of the newer games are being made and based around ONLINE play ONLY instead of having the option of 2-4 players at once in home (unless it’s the Wii great investment I might add too <{^o^}v ) I think some video games have great potential but fall short in that aspect we need more OPTIONS when it comes too multiplayer games as well as female leading ladies two words HEAVENLY SWORD! That game was drool worthy for more reasons than one lol
I absolutely LOVE playing Left For Dead/LFD 2 with my boyfriend.
I wouldn’t play any of these games with my boyfriend except Little Big Planet or Guitar Hero. The rest are just insulting. We aren’t any less educated in the way of first/third person shooters than the average teenage boy.
This is the dumbest, most stereotypical list I’ve ever seen. This is worse than that idea for a pink ps3. I’m a girl, and I would never even consider playing have of these lame games. Here’s just a couple of titles I own for my XBOX: Halo Reach, Halo ODST, Halo 3, DEAD SPACE 2, Call of Duty WaW, Assassin’s Creed, Assassin’s Creed 2, Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood, Red Dead Redemption, Alan Wake, PROTOTYPE… And I’m not even gonna mention the 30 something odd games I have for my Gamecube, which include several Zelda titles, Super Smash Bros, and Soul Caliber 2. (BTW, I have a Wii, and it’s gathering dust.) Those are the kinds of games most girl gamers like. On the other hand, if you’re a silly little wafe then this list is for you.
I completely agree!
Well….I have to agree that these are stereotypical girl games. I’m a serious female gamer and love many:
TOMB RAIDER
Portal
Fallout
Final Fantasy
Zelda
Donkey Kong
Mario Bros (you were right about #3)
Guitar Hero
Mortal Kombat
Street Fighter
Castlevania
Fable
Prototype
WOW
Borderlands
L.A. Noire
party games
DANCING games…..just to name a few
Maybe you need to find a new girlfriend….
Haha Like me? I’d Rather play a gnarly FPS then ” Dance Central” Bahah
Left for Dead 1 and 2 are ideal for playing with your girlfriend. Its simple, violent and lots of fun.
hahahaha… much insulted female players? Now back to the kitchen! XD
Alright!! What kind of sandwich would you like Eyeless Dog Pawless Dog Loveless Dog? Bahah I make a meannnnn BLT!(:
And then after that, you can feel free to throw down on some Call of Duty with me, in which i can promise you I will POWN you in!!(: Js
This made me laugh.
Perhaps the female gamers in here never took the time to guess that this list wasn’t about them, but about girls who don’t really get into the more complex games like they do (there are a LOT of these female gamers). Facts are….you guys are in the minority.
Thanks for getting the point of this list, JAH.
Thank you for assuming that your readership consists of straight male gamers. It’s insulting to pretend that female gamers don’t exist and that they certainly won’t be reading your site–maybe the fact that dozens of female gamers were offended by your list is a hint that the point of your list was pretty offensive? I really like what I’ve read here so far, but the number of lists that can’t comprehend that females can be geeks just makes me want to go somewhere where my existence is recognized.
Okay, I completely disagree!! When ever I am with my boyfriend, I would soooooooooo much rather play Call of Duty rather then some prissy girly game!! Just saying!!
I’m assuming this list is more about playing with a partner who isn’t into games as much as you are so I wont go into the whole ‘gender doesnt matter thing’ which it doesnt I admit, but I get what the writer is trying to say, so here is my list:
Any Zelda Game, Mario Games, Metal Gear games, Smash bros mele, Portal 1 and 2, are also great games for couples to play, especially games like Portal (and lego) as they include teamwork, a nice little geeky moment for two people to share.
Just wanted to speak my 2 cents to all those girl gamers out there who were insulted by this list. My girlfriend is by no stretch of the imagination a “gamer”. Maybe the title of this article should have been Top 10 Video Games to play with your Non-Gamer Girlfriend, but I came here looking for and expecting to find games that would be casual enough to pick up almost immediately, while holding both our interest for long enough to justify their cost. I found this article to have a nice variation across the spectrum of available games and appreciated that it was trying to give me a wide view of popular choices. When you’re listing only 10 games, of course you won’t have room for every single game anyone would enjoy. I will grant you that without the “non-gamer” clairification in the title, some of the wording could be taken as sexist, but you can’t tell me as a gamer girl, that you were expecting to come here and find a list of your all time top ten written in perfect numerical order
I think overall, the suggestions here were well thought out and for anyone with a girlfriend who’s tastes are similar to mine looking for a few more: I would recommend Castle Crashers, Mario Party, or any button mashing fighting game.
I’m a girl and I play WOW, Call of Duty,Final Fantasy, Zelda.