Guide: Become proficient in gaming playing the fewest titles

[DJ Incompetent]

So I'm having a kid.

The parent in me says, "gaming is ultimately a massive waste of time and can stunt social development."
The science in me says, "gaming teaches hand-eye coordination and the fundamentals of troubleshooting/tech support."
Common sense says, "I own a lifetime of media and there's a woody cab chillin' openly in my home. The kid's gonna be exposed to this stuff whether I like it or not."
The me in me says, "Wife can't handle anything but stupid turn-based nonsense. I don't have anyone to play the good shit with. This blows."

Help me figure out a list of titles worth exposing a child to? Subquestion: Can we turn the current state of pretentious no-fail-state indie exploratory gaming into early childhood playthings?

I'd like my kids to become competent in gaming without identifying as gamers. The ideal goal is for my girls to be able to crush casual or "hardcore" gamers in social settings but also be able to say "seriously, I barely play these things."

Then I alone will be best parent?


Age 0-6
----------------
Proteus - Purpose: learn to move
Antichamber - Purpose: learn to think; no consequences. Also, pretty colors
Scribblenauts (Unlimited) - Purpose: learn words
Geometry Wars 2/3/4 - Purpose: Learn leftstick (pacifism); learn twinstick
Kirby Super Star - Purpose: Learn platforming & basic teamwork
Spirit - Purpose: Explore 2D environment; no fail state. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ho ... les/spirit
Katamari Damacy - Purpose: Explore 3D environment and size proportion

Age 6 & UP
-----------------
Portal - Purpose: learn to think; minor consequences.
Space Invaders Extreme 2 - Purpose: Learn basic dodging and patterns
Chrono Trigger - Purpose: Reading and learn strategy.
Bleed - Purpose: learn twinstick & double triggers simultaneously. Also, girl power
Street Fighter 4/5/6 - Purpose: encourage building arcade sticks. Lessons on internet, electricity, design, etc.

Age ??
-------------
The Old City - explore with no game or fail state. Unknown content.
Gone Home - explore with no game or fail state. Unknown content.
NetHack - Purpose: Leave only this on kid's first hand-me-down computer. Tough love.


Charting Personal Progress
----------------
13 Months - baby learned basic app functions (tap/swipe) and can navigate some basic iPad apps on her own.


Alternate Method:

https://medium.com/message/playing-with ... 226ff0a7c3
What happens when a 21st-century kid plays through video game history in chronological order?
Result: Complete Success. 8 year old can clear Spelunky on Hell Difficulty

Experiment:
Starting from 2600, 70s Arcade, & 80s Arcade, expose kid to the next generation of consoles every year.

4 Years Old:
----------------
Pac-Man
Galaxian
Rally-X
Bosconian
Dig Dug
Super Pac-Man
Pac-Man Plus
Pac & Pal
Ms. Pac-Man
Galaga
Mappy
Pole Position
Xevious
Asteroids
Kaboom!
Adventure
Combat
E.T.

5 Years Old:
-------------------
Megaman 1-6
Legend of Zelda 1
Super Mario Bros 1-3
Castlevania 1-3
Rygar
Contra
DuckTales

6 Years Old:
--------------------
Link to the Past
Super Mario World
E.V.O.

7 Years Old:
------------------
Mario 64
Zelda: OoT
Zelda: MM
Rocket: Robot on Wheels
ICO
Shadow of the Colossus
Katamari Damacy

8 Years Old:
---------------------
Spelunky
Minecraft
Nuclear Throne
VVVVVV
FTL
Cave Story

[O. Van Bruce]

I think that planning something will result in a waste of time. I've got 2 sisters, one 5 years old and the other 3 years old so more or less I know how a kid behaves.

And if I've learnt something is that they will only play and do what they are interested in. What can you do as a parent? instead of giving then videogames just for the sake of learning about then, play YOU with then what you like and they may or may not be interested on it. It's their decision if they want to play videogames or not.

Also, don't be afraid of showing then "hardcore games". I was playing Contra 3: The alien wars when I was 6 years old just because my mother was hooked at it (yeah, my mother did 1cc Contra 3 on hard when she was young = 23 ) and I was having hellah fun.

The only thing you must do is show then the games... they may start playing then now, in 2 years or never, but they'll surely have fun watching you play, just for the pretty colours and patterns. Hell, you play shmups and that's a huge plus due to how much Eye candy you have on then. Later they'll start questioning about other kind of videogames and that's when you could guide then.

[BryanM]

My niece really, really fuckin' loved Super Mario World when she was six. Like, literally I played it with her, and I cleared ALL ~96 exits in the game in one two hourish sitting, and when I had completely and totally exhausted everything there was to do in the game..... she wanted to keep playing.

Also she sucked at it and never beat a single level, god bless her.

Also the idea you can master some media by not ingesting a variety of it is a pipe dream. You're not clearing Battle Kid without basic platforming exp in the Marios and Mega Mans. You're not getting good at games if you don't love them.

[Wonderbanana]

I have 4 kids. I wouldn't dream of planning to teach them gaming in this kind of planned manner.

Teach them to speak, to write, to ride a bike, to be kind, to be strong, to be humble.

You'll have your hands full enough without worrying about teaching them to be some uber player believe me.

Knock the gaming on the head for a bit, enjoy being a parent.

And congratulations

[Moniker]

Congrats! Alternative lesson plan:

Ages 0 & Up
-----------------
NetHack

[trap15]

Congrats! Alternative lesson plan:

Ages 0 & Up
--------------
NetHack

[Necronopticous]

Yeah, it's gotta be NetHack, bro. Make sure to post her nethack.alt.org username, so we can follow her progress.

[KAI]

Don't forget about fighting games, the world needs more girls playing fightans.

Congrats BTW.

[Squire Grooktook]

Congratulations on your child.

I started out at a pretty early age with Duck Tales and Super Mario Bros for the Nes.

IMO fighting games are pretty hard for younger kids, since there's a whole form in playing that you have to get used to in order to not just be button mashing. On the other hand, maybe it's like learning a language, and you'll be more receptive to it when you're younger?

[BryanM]

Depends on what kind of fighting game. They're not all Street Fighter 2 xeroxes. (Smash Brothers as an example.)

[Obiwanshinobi]

The Reality™ is, kids and adults alike either are into games or they aren't and you can do nothing about their preferences. Your progeny won't consider videogaming as cool as you did, just the way for you the TV was nothing special.

[Squire Grooktook]

The Reality™ is, kids and adults alike either are into games or they aren't and you can do nothing about their preferences. Your progeny won't consider videogaming as cool as you did, just the way for you the TV was nothing special.

Yes, but this depends on the environment as well. How many kids of yesteryear got into sports because there was nothing better to do? How many more kids of today would be playing sports if there was no video games or tv?

Trying to deliberately get kids to like video games may or may not depending on the child, but it's not like you can't influence them.

[Obiwanshinobi]

I guess coming through some projecting phase is natural for a parent (I wouldn't know).
By the way, can't imagine a situation when there is nothing better to do than playing sports.

[Squire Grooktook]

By the way, can't imagine a situation when there is nothing better to do than playing sports.

If there's no Tv, no tv, no games, no literature, etc. I can see how many people before these things would see sports as a pretty viable hobby.

[Obiwanshinobi]

You know, it's not like before TV and radio there was no music, except common people had to do their music by themselves. Radio had eradicated this necessity for many cultures and we all lost something precious. Then again, it's precious to me but some people don't give a damn (but they would politely agree with me). Having opinions about stuff is not the same as having desires.
Think a woman - whether you find her beautiful is one thing, but whether she turns you on is not quite the same thing.
How many former Amiga apologists play Amiga games nowadays? Again, demos and music are not quite the same thing as games.

[Squire Grooktook]

It depends on the person obviously. I just think that those sort of things had greater appeal when there were less alternatives.

[Skykid]

Don't forget about fighting games, the world needs more girls playing fightans.

Tons where I am. Mostly they just destroy the cp, but there's a chick who takes names on Tekken and one who plays a mean Cody on SFIV who's so cute I'm worried about agreeing to play with her.

OT: I always had the opposite idea about introducing my kid to gaming, and figured on locking my collection in a secret batcave until they're around 6 or 7. I kind of figure reading, teaching and outdoor activities and excursions are important for bonding and learning to think, videogames can wait a little bit. My worst fear is a kid who's a completely useless VG addict with no social skills or confidence.

[emphatic]

At ages 7 and 5, my daughters are actually pretty good at Puzzle Bubble. My youngest prefer it on the iPad though...

[Skykid]

At ages 7 and 5, my daughters are actually pretty good at Puzzle Bubble. My youngest prefer it on the iPad though...

You shouldn't leave that kind of contraband lying around the house!

[CptRansom]

My son's mother and I are both mostly into reading/gaming/writing, yet the kid (age 3) is into sports/drawing more than anything else despite knowing how to read and write since he was two and a half. Go figure, right?

OVB actually posted something I agree with:

I think that planning something will result in a waste of time.

And if I've learnt something is that they will only play and do what they are interested in.

The only thing you must do is show then the games... they may start playing then now, in 2 years or never, but they'll surely have fun watching you play, just for the pretty colours and patterns.

It's nice to dream of molding your kids into some perfect whatevers (atheletes, gamers, artists, etc), but it's probably better to teach independence in thought/action and then let the kids decide for themselves after being exposed to a large variety of different options. I see a lot of parents who firmly guide their kids through their childhoods, and you know what happens? You end up with adults who can't do anything without their parents' guidance in 18 years.

Just my opinions, not looking to start shit, blah blah blah.

[ancestral-knowledge]

At ages 7 and 5, my daughters are actually pretty good at Puzzle Bubble. My youngest prefer it on the iPad though...

sorry but giving a 5 -7 year old child an ipad is just ... holy shit...


OT: How about you teach her reading, some maths or about art instead of shitty video games? Or even better: outdoor activities. They are the most important for a young child. If your child becomes half retarded physically like many today because all it did was sitting behind an ipad then chances are good it will be bad at reading, math and all shit at school too.

Oh and this: Always be prepared that your child doesn't give a shit about silly video games. Little pricks only get into things that they are interested in. Don't project your shortcomings in gaming onto your child.

I for myself hope that my child doesn't get into stupid videogames as much as me.

[Skykid]

▲ I approve of this post.

I don't want my kid to have an aversion to gaming, but whatever happens happens. My dad was into comics, which I loved growing up, but eventually you find your own hobbies.

[O. Van Bruce]

At ages 7 and 5, my daughters are actually pretty good at Puzzle Bubble. My youngest prefer it on the iPad though...

sorry but giving a 5 -7 year old child an ipad is just ... holy shit...

IDK if you have had a child but you probably haven't if you say this. Sometimes, the amount of stress and effort you have to put in all your responsabilities, including kids, make you use anything you can to distract then if you need to focus on other things like cleaning the house, having an important conversation with your wive/girlfriend or working at home. Videogames are one of many options, and you should make use of others like conventional toys or even some movies, but an Ipad is an easier tool if you use it moderately. Also, you can bring that wherever you go and use it to entertain your kids while you have to do another thing.

tl;dr parenting is difficult and you have to use every tool available.

PD: I don't have had a child but looking at my parents in this last 5 years taking care of 2 girls and now a boy who has been born just a month ago I've got a lot of insight into what is parenting and their hardships (and joys)

OT: How about you teach her reading, some maths or about art instead of shitty video games? Or even better: outdoor activities. They are the most important for a young child. If your child becomes half retarded physically like many today because all it did was sitting behind an ipad then chances are good it will be bad at reading, math and all shit at school too.

Oh and this: Always be prepared that your child doesn't give a shit about silly video games. Little pricks only get into things that they are interested in. Don't project your shortcomings in gaming onto your child.

I for myself hope that my child doesn't get into stupid videogames as much as me.

Chill out man, He stated that he wants his child to be only proficient, not a completely hooked person like some of us. Also, isn't winters in the middle west on the USA quite cold? You'd want to stay confy in your house and videogames are a good family choice if everyone likes then.

[Squire Grooktook]

I for myself hope that my child doesn't get into stupid videogames as much as me.

Yeah, hopefully he'll only play superior video games and steer away from all that crap flooding the market.

[Wonderbanana]

sorry but giving a 5 -7 year old child an ipad is just ... holy shit...

Why?

My youngest (4) uses my iPad regularly. It's great, there are numerous apps/games that you can get that combine play with learning and she has benefited from this no end. Heck they even use them in some schools these days.

iPads are great for kids because they use an interface which is essentially easy for them to understand at a young age - touch.

[MX7]

One thing to consider when raising a child is that they will invariably rebel against you if you try and force anything down their throat. My parents never let me watch horror films for example, so now I found myself watching the most revolting, illegal in the UK stuff imaginable. My dad likes the Bob Dylan, I like Kylie Minogue and Whitehouse. I tried to get my little brothers into Spielberg at a young age, now they love Twilight. My advice is to expose kids to the best age appropriate videogames, TV, boardgames, music and films, and don't be too bummed out if they turn out the complete opposite of you.

I for myself hope that my child doesn't get into stupid videogames as much as me

It's possible to take anything too far. Plenty of people are addicted to reading, but societally it isn't looked down on like videogames. Also, the merit of any media is largely subjective. I adore stuff (like noise music) that my parents openly despise, but I don't give a shit, and neither should they. I think intentionally listening to Bob Dylan should necessitate a head examination.

sorry but giving a 5 -7 year old child an ipad is just ... holy shit...

I remember my Junior School had a Phillips CD-I. Learnt a lot from it, and it was pretty fun. I think something like an iPad would have even more potential for educational value. My main concern would be that said 5-7 would get jam all over it.

[Squire Grooktook]

It's possible to take anything too far.

Yeah. The purpose of art is to entertain, not help you get ahead in life. If you start obsessing over it, then you're the one being stupid.

[ancestral-knowledge]

...defending ipad usage...

Yes I get what you all mean. I just want to send out a warning that devices like the Ipad and smartphones are like highly addictive to little children. Once you introduce them to it it's game over. They'll never want anything else to play. You as a parent have to ensure you have absolute control over the usage/ of your child especially at young age. Giving out an Ipad or a smartphone only to get the little child to be silent for a couple of hours can lead to huge problems if done all the time. Don't be lazy.

Don't delude yourself that your child will actually learn omething from an Ipad or a smartphone. It's bullshit 99% of the time. All these little devices are fun from time to time and can even be used for educational purposes if controlled but they'll never replace outdoor activities. I can not stress out how important outdoor activities are for the physical and mental development of children.

Chill out man, He stated that he wants his child to be only proficient, not a completely hooked person like some of us. Also, isn't winters in the middle west on the USA quite cold? You'd want to stay confy in your house and videogames are a good family choice if everyone likes then.

Wheather is not an argument to not kick your child out of the house to play outside. Humans invented clothes for that. Excpect them to get dirty though.

[O. Van Bruce]

...defending ipad usage...

Yes I get what you all mean. I just want to send out a warning that devices like the Ipad and smartphones are like highly addictive to little children. Once you introduce them to it it's game over. They'll never want anything else to play. You as a parent have to ensure you have absolute control over the usage/ of your child especially at young age. Giving out an Ipad or a smartphone only to get the little child to be silent for a couple of hours can lead to huge problems if done all the time. Don't be lazy.

Don't delude yourself that your child will actually learn omething from an Ipad or a smartphone. It's bullshit 99% of the time. All these little devices are fun from time to time and can even be used for educational purposes if controlled but they'll never replace outdoor activities. I can not stress out how important outdoor activities are for the physical and mental development of children.

I'm ok with this (specially the outdoor activities part) but the way you exposed your views in that earlier post made it sound as it was a sin to let a child use an Ipad or any electronic entertainment device

Chill out man, He stated that he wants his child to be only proficient, not a completely hooked person like some of us. Also, isn't winters in the middle west on the USA quite cold? You'd want to stay confy in your house and videogames are a good family choice if everyone likes then.

Wheather is not an argument to not kick your child out of the house to play outside. Humans invented clothes for that. Excpect them to get dirty though.

Yeah, but doing that everyday? You may be inviting flu or a cold into your house with that extreme weather.

[Wonderbanana]

Curious - how many people in this thread are actually parents?