So you want to start gaming?
An in-depth guide for beginners who don’t know where to start.
In these troubling times of what seems to be never ending quarantines, lots of people are looking out for new hobbies to entertain themselves from the safety of their homes. So it’s no surprise that gaming has seen an influx of people who are exploring the medium for the first time, or are returning after putting down the controller many years ago.
Even kids play games so how hard can it be to start gaming, right?
Well as many beginning gamers experience themselves, it’s actually not as simple as most people expect.
There are three major hurdles everyone needs to go through before they can even start up a game. These hurdles are Gaming hardware, Gaming jargon and Selecting a game that suits best for you.
In this article I will go through these three major hurdles with you, and guide you to the most optimal path. So you can just relax and play some games.
Let’s get started!
Gaming hardware
Before you can play any type of game, you of course need access to some hardware where you can play on. But if you don’t know anything about gaming, how do you know what platform suits best to your needs?
It’s important to consider each platform and weigh the pros and cons against each other, as this will have a big impact on how you play games, but also what games you are limited to play.
Nothing stops you from switching platforms later on or even playing on multiple platforms, but switching can be tedious and can mean you need to invest more money in what can become quite an expensive hobby.
There are three main categories of platforms where you can play games on.
The first and most accessible is mobile, since most people do already own a (smart)phone it’s no surprise that there is a big group of people who have some games installed on it as well.
The second category is PC gaming. Similar to mobile a lot of people already have access to a computer or laptop, but it’s less considered for gaming due to a wide range of different internal components and technical restrictions. So it’s no wonder that most people think pc gaming is only for the gaming enthusiasts, however that’s not entirely accurate, and we will go deeper into why that is in the pc gaming category down below.
The final category is console/handheld. Please be aware that for the sake of simplicity I’m grouping all of these together, even though there are quite some differences between different types of hardware.
Consoles are mostly seen as the best option for people who want to get into gaming, as it’s easy to keep games seperate from work or school. While also offering the most complete gaming experience, without having to learn a great deal about technical restrictions about gaming hardware.
The one downside of this option is that people generally don’t have a console laying around if they aren’t already gamers. So to start you do need to invest at least some money into your platform before you can even play anything.
That was a quick summary of the options you have, but what type of hardware will be best for you?
Let’s go a bit more in depth into the separate options, so you know which one is best suited to your needs.
Mobile
Playing games on mobile is best suited for people who either don’t want to invest any money into gaming to see if they like it, or don’t have a lot of time to spare and just want to play something in the brief moments they have scattered throughout the day.
Another big advantage of mobile gaming is the easy to learn controls. In comparison to most other platforms where you have to learn to play with a controller or other input systems, mobile is one of the simplest to start with. So it’s no surprise that most games on mobile can just be played by tapping the screen, though there are still some games out there where you have a bit more complicated control schemes.
Depending on the brand and age of your device, you will have a different selection of games. But in general the mobile game space is pretty crowded with tons of options for you to choose from. Since there’s a lot of competition between different games, it means most games are very cheap or even free to play. But beware, since most games aren’t making any money by selling copies of the game, they want to recover their profits some other way. The most common way is bombarding you with ads while you play. Or another way they can make a profit is by selling small upgrades or optional content in-game, commonly called microtransactions. So be wary if you don’t want to spend more money than you intended.
Pros:
- Cheap/ no investment necessary for hardware
- Wide variety of games
- Enough free and cheap games
- Easy to use
- Always on hand
Cons:
- A lot of bad games
- Most games have ads or microtransactions
- Not a lot of options in ways to play
- Not so child friendly
PC gaming
What I like most about pc gaming is that you can play how you want.
Don’t like sitting behind your computer with a keyboard and mouse? Grab a controller and hook up your pc to a tv. Do you need to wait some time while sitting on a train, play on a laptop.
The possibilities are endless, but so are the technical problems. From all the different platforms you can game on, pc is by far the most frustrating to start with for beginners. So the most important aspect if you want to play on pc, is the willingness to learn. It all might seem very complicated when you first start, but once you get more familiar with pc gaming you will see it’s all quite logical.
Another great benefit of computers is that you can play on a pc no matter your price range. You probably have an old pc somewhere standing around that you can use to play games on without having to invest any money, though it probably won’t be able to play the latest big games with the best graphics enabled.
On the other hand you can also go completely wild and buy a very high end gaming computer, if you want to play all the games with the best settings and smoothest of frame rates. It’s all up to what you are willing to invest.
Prices for pc games can vary widely from free, all the way to 60+ dollars. So depending on what you want to play you might need to invest some money. Though most pc games can be found with good discount deals depending on where you buy it and how much patience you have to wait for the price to drop lower.
If you want to start playing on a computer, there’s also a lot of different ways you can do so. One of the simplest and easiest way is playing them right in your browser, though browser games have been losing in popularity lately, there’s still more than enough websites around where you can play them. These games are very similar to games on your smartphone, so they have their obvious limitations on what you can do with them.
Other ways to play games on your computer is by using software commonly known as launchers. Some of the biggest pc launchers are: Steam, Epic Games and GOG. But there are more launchers than I can possibly list here in this article, with some of them only focussing on a single game while others having libraries of thousands of different titles. Most of these bigger launchers also act as stores, so you can buy the games you want to play directly from there as well without ever having to leave your house.
Pros:
- Variable price range suited for everyone’s needs
- Very adjustable to personal preferences
- Wide variety of games
- Enough free and cheap games
Cons:
- Technical problems
- Complicated to start with
- A good gaming pc can be really expensive
- Not so child friendly
Consoles/handhelds
As I said above, consoles are the most popular choice for people who want to start gaming just for the sake of simplicity. Buy a game in your everyday shop, plop it in the console of your choosing and start playing.
Since consoles from the same generation and brand are made with a predefined hardware, the game will be created with the best possible settings for your device. So this saves the user from a lot of technical problems that you would sometimes have with the other platforms. The only thing you have to do is select a device, and pick some games that run on that specific device. Some of the popular brands are Playstation, Xbox and Nintendo. Though there are also some smaller and lesser known brands.
Most consoles will have a price range of around 300–500 dollars. Depending on the hardware and brands the price can vary a bit, but this is a good indication of what a console costs as a base range. This is not particularly cheap, especially if you are just starting out with gaming, and just want to give it a go.
Aside from the console, you will also have to buy games of course. These will also set you back anywhere between 20–70 dollars a piece, so if you are planning on playing different types of games, these can quickly become really expensive.
Most modern gaming consoles also have an optional yearly subscription that you can take ranging from 20 to 60 dollars a year. Though you will have to decide for yourself if you want this, depending on the brand you do need this if you want to play online with friends or have access to additional discounts or free games.
Each console is also operated with a controller. Depending on the brand these controllers might vary a little bit, but often include two joysticks to moving and looking around, arrow keys for navigating menus, four thumb buttons for various actions, and four back buttons with gradual input for actions where more control is needed.
Getting used to a controller can certainly be tricky in the beginning, as you will often have to look at which physical button you need to press to do certain in-game actions. But over time you will get used to the location of all of the buttons, and pressing them will be more of a reflex. It also helps that most games keep a similar button layout, so you don’t need to relearn how to control your character each time.
Pros:
- Easy to use
- Made for gaming
- Child friendly
Cons:
- Less adjustable to personal preferences
- Initial cost of the console
- Games can be pricey
- Optional yearly subscription
- Controllers can be a bit hard to get started with
Gaming jargon
Gamers who have been playing games their entire lives might not notice it, but games and game media is full of gaming jargon and technical terms that sound complete gibberish to the average non-gamer. And with games constantly evolving with the newest technological advances, the language also keeps adapting.
To help those just starting out I made a small overview of some words you will often come across while reading about or playing video games. I left out a lot of non-game specific terms or chat language used in games, since this would make the list pretty long.
It’s not super important to know all of these when just starting out, but it will greatly help you understand more about games, or follow a conversation between gamers.
- AAA (Triple-A) games: These games are made by big companies with lots of budget, so they are mostly bigger and graphically more advanced than other games, this often also comes with a higher price tag.
- Indie games: The opposite of AAA games. Games made by small teams or even a single person. These games often focus on creating unique smaller experiences.
- Gameplay: How you play the game and what you can do within it. Often defined by the genre of the game and the rules within the game.
- First person view: You play the game from the eyes of a character. Common games within this category are ‘First person shooters’. This view often adds more immersion. A well known example is Call of duty.
- Third person view: In this view mode your camera is behind the character that you are controlling. This gives you a better overview of your surroundings, but can be a little bit harder to control for people who aren’t used to playing like this. A well known example is Assassin’s Creed.
- MMO (Massive multiplayer online) games: Games that involve a large amount of players playing together. This can be both in cooperation or competition with each other, and is often defined by subgenres such as MMORPG (Role playing game). A well known example is World of Warcraft.
- Sandbox: A game where the player doesn’t have a defined goal, and is free to choose what they want to do within the game. These games often come with big open worlds to explore, or the ability to create and play around with the environment. A well known example is Minecraft.
- VR (Virtual reality): A type of technology that allows for more immersion within the game by using a headset that is directly attached to the players head, and controllers that are tracked when you move them in the real world.
- Co-op: Games that focus on playing together with someone to achieve a common goal. Depending on the game, this can be either online or played with people in the same room.
- PvP (Player versus Player): A gamemode where you have to compete against other players to achieve a goal. This can be alone or in teams of players.
- PvE (Player versus Environment): The opposite of PvP, where the player fights enemies controlled by the computer. This can also be alone or together with other players.
- Bots/Cpu’s/AI: Computer opponents that will oppose the player. Generally they will try to imitate human behaviour.
- NPC (Non-player character): Similar to bots, these are characters that are controlled by the game, but aren’t made to hinder the player. These often will help the player such as shopkeepers or are used to fill up the world and make it look more alive.
- DLC (Downloadable content): Extra content that is not part of the main game and is optional to play. This can be both added later to the game as free content or as a separate purchase depending on the game. This often includes extra cosmetic items, new levels or additional missions.
- Microtransaction: Small additional purchases within the game. These optional purchases give temporary boosts or allow you to customize your character with premium items. Mostly found in bigger multiplayer games, where these are used to show off to other players.
- Loot boxes: An in-game box that contains bonus items. These can be both earned by playing or bought with real money. Since you don’t know what items you are going to receive, these are often seen as gambling and have received quite some negative views of the media and regulators.
- F2P (Free to play): Games that do not cost any money to start playing. Often these games include mechanics in-game that slow down the player or stop the player from doing certain things, unless he or she pays for the extra content often through microtransactions or loot boxes.
- FPS (Frames per second): Not confused with First Person shooters, who also use the same abbreviation. Frame rate is how frequent the game refreshes a screen. Slower hardware can’t render each frame as fast, and thus will result in a stuttering motion. A minimum of 30 frames a second is recommended (movies generally also play around these speeds), however faster frame rates are generally perceived as smoother.
- Lag: Input or graphics running with a delay. This can be caused by a bad internet connection, outdated hardware or an error in the game.
- Glitch/Bug: An unexpected event triggered by an error in the game. These can potentially break the game and make progressing further impossible, or have some unintended result that was not foreseen by the developers.
- HP (Hit points): An indication in games that is often used to indicate how many health or lives the player has before losing/dying and having to restart.
- XP (Experience points): Progressing in games is often visualized with experience points. These are granted to the player for completing certain tasks or missions, often these are represented as levels which will increase when the player gets better or plays more.
- Loot: Random items that can be found throughout the game. Can either be found by exploring the environment or granted to the player for completing certain tasks. Certain items can often be used to increase the player’s stats, or sold for in-game money.
- Grinding: Repeating a task or mission over and over in order to gain more XP or items to help you continue within the game or make later levels easier.
- RNG (Random number generator): A term often used in multiplayer games, where items are given by chance. Meaning that you won’t get an item or similar items for doing the same repeated task.
- Walkthrough: A guide detailing all steps you have to do to complete a game. This can be both text with instructions or a video showing you how to proceed. This can be very useful for players who aren’t sure what to do next to continue a game, or have trouble completing a specific section.
I hope this list will already help you understand video games more, and will take away some frustration while trying to start with your gaming adventure. For a more complete list of all video game terms, I highly recommend you to take a look at this wikipedia article containing a summary of all gaming terms:
Selecting a game that suits you best for you
By now you should have more or less an idea of how you would like to play games in terms of hardware, and you should be able to understand more about games when you read about them.
But how do you know what games would appeal to you?
Well this is a question even hardcore gamers have troubles with. You only know if you like a game after you have played it. Over time you do get better at knowing what times of games you do and do not like, but you only learn that by trial and error. Most games do have a score that is given by other gamers of how much they enjoyed it, but since personal taste varies this doesn’t always mean you will also enjoy the same things.
Another way of getting recommendations of what game you should play is by asking people online or friends who are gamers, but for first time gamers I find this particularly a bad approach. Most of the time other people are going to recommend games that they really liked, and there’s two problems with that.
First off, everyone’s personal taste is different like I explained above. And second, the most important reason. It’s not because it’s a good game, that it’s a good game for beginners.
When you are still getting started with games, you will struggle to learn the controls. You will struggle understanding what to do, and you will need a lot more time to succeed in common tasks that for the average gamer will breeze through.
So it’s important to pick a game that is more forgiving to newer players, and isn’t time sensitive. Otherwise you will just needlessly frustrate yourself, and have no fun at all.
So this brings us to game genres. Like movies and books, games are generally categorized in different genres. While not all games in a single genre will be suited or not suited for beginners, it does already give a better idea of what to expect of a game. Genres with a lot of time pressure are typically bad for beginners. This generally includes shooters, fighting or any type of action games. Other genres that aren’t as suited for beginners are most online games, as the pacing often depends on other players. So you don’t always have the time to learn the game properly.
For a full list of all different kinds of video game genres, take a look at this wikipedia article:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_video_game_genres
In general I can always recommend casual games for beginners, these often include sandbox/creative games, puzzle games, a lot of platformers or story heavy games. The best way to find them is just by having a look around the store of your platform or in online game communities for anything that catches your eye.
Just don’t make the mistake of thinking that each game intended for children is immediately easy and perfect for beginners. Fortnight is a popular game amongst children, but I don’t see a lot of adults who can match the speed and accuracy that is needed to play this.
Another thing I discourage for beginning gamers is playing games where you need to walk and look around at the same time, even though a lot of games have this mechanic. Especially if you are still struggling with a controller and the button layout.
There are lots of games that are played from a top or side perspective, or have another way of interacting as the player, which might be better suited for beginners. Though the key take-away here is to try out different games and see what works best for you. Don’t worry too much if at the start the controls don’t work out exactly how you want. With a bit of practise everyone can master them.
If you still don’t have any idea of a game you might want to play. Here are some games that are typically good for starting players. I tried to pick a nice balance of different game genres so there is something for everyone.
- Minecraft
Platform: Most platforms
Genre: Sandbox, creative
Minecraft is a casual building game where you are free to build whatever you want and explore a procedurally generated open world with a lot of different cool places to discover.
Minecraft is by far the most recommended game for beginners, and that is not without reason. Not only does this game offer endless amounts of fun, it’s also very easy to pick up. You do play it in first person mode, so it might be tricky if you aren’t used to that. In that case, I recommend starting off in creative mode, so you don’t have any enemies to worry about.
- Stardew valley
Platform: Most platforms
Genre: Farming, Casual
Stardew valley is a casual farming game. The goal of the game is to simply tend to your farm. There is of course a lot more that you can do in the game, such as collect items, chat with the locals and even fight against monsters during cave exploration. But the best part of this game is that you play it at your own pace, and nothing is mandatory.
Not only is this game great for beginners because you can take everything slow, but since this is played in a top down perspective you don’t have to worry too much about the controls since you don’t have to both move and look around at the same time.
- Life is strange
Platform: Most platforms
Genre: Story-heavy
Life is strange is a story based game where you play as a girl who receives the special powers of time rewinding, and suddenly the lives of everyone around you lies in your hands while you try to uncover the mysterious disappearance of a fellow student in the small town of Arcadia Bay.
Though this is definitely not the easiest game to play, with a third person camera and some quick time events. In general the pacing is slow enough that most people will be able to play this without much trouble. And is definitely recommended if you like to play a game with a strong storyline, where you have a say in how you want it to end.
- Plants vs zombies
Platform: Most platforms
Genre: Tower defense
Plants vs zombies is a cute and simple tower defense game, where waves of zombies try to invade your garden. And the only stopping them is your garden where you can plant different types of plants in order to keep all the zombies out.
The great thing about this game is that it’s super easy to play. It’s also a great game to just play for a couple of minutes when you want to play something, but don’t have a lot of time.
- Animal crossing
Platform: Nintendo consoles, mobile
Genre: Social, Casual
Animal crossing is a social simulation game with very cute graphics. Though there isn’t really a main goal in the game, you can interact with the villagers, go fishing, collect a bunch of cool stuff, decorate your house and so much more.
The strong points of this game that it’s super casual to play. You decide how to play and what to do. So it’s a great game for those who just want to relax.
- The witness
Platform: Pc, Most consoles
Genre: Puzzle
The witness is an open world puzzle game, where you interact with puzzles throughout the environment to unlock new areas and more challenges. The casual atmosphere together with the non-linear approach makes this a very peaceful game perfect for people who don’t mind an intellectual challenge.
- Pokemon games
Platform: Nintendo consoles
Genre: Turn-based strategy, adventure
Who doesn’t know pokemon right? The pokemon game series is known for its child friendly adventure in which you need to collect all pokemon, and fight against other trainers in it’s unique turn based strategy gameplay.
Underneath the cute designs for the creatures, there’s a well designed game that is fun for both beginners and expert gamers alike.
- Beat saber (VR)
Platform: Pc, Playstation
Genre: Rhythm game
Beat saber is a music rhythm game that is played in virtual reality. On the beat of the music the player needs to cut blocks in a specific direction. The game starts off easy, but as you progress songs start to become a lot faster and more challenging. One of the benefits of this game is how great it makes you feel while playing.
Since the entire game is played in vr, you control the game by just moving your hands. This is great for people who aren’t used to regular controllers and don’t mind having a bit of a workout. Just make sure you don’t smash your tv in the progress.
- The sims
Platform: Most platforms
Genre: Life simulation
The sims, another classic game series with many different entries in the series. In this game you control a character or family in day to day activities, in which you build your house, get a job, or go completely crazy and terrorize the neighbourhood. The options are limitless.
The game is definitely not the easiest to play, because it can get a bit a bit overwhelming with options of things you can change to best fit your playstyle. But once you get into the main gameplay, it’s a really fun and intuitive experience.
- Planet zoo
Platform: Pc
Genre: Management simulation
In Planet zoo you build and manage your own zoo. The goal of the game is to expand your zoo as big as you can, while still keeping your visitors happy and satisfied.
The game is great if you want to play at your own pace, but similar to the Sims it can be a bit overwhelming at the start by the many options you have.
- The room
Platform: Pc, Mobile, Nintendo Switch
Genre: Puzzle
The room is a dark puzzle game in which you try to find the truth behind a mysterious note left to you by a distant companion. You interact with objects and small rooms by searching for the clues in order to find the exit.
The puzzles and controls in this game are definitely easier than your average puzzle game, which makes it a great entry title for beginners.
- Little nightmares
Platform: Most platforms except mobile
Genre: Horror, Platformer
Little nightmares is a horror platformer with a very unique and atmospheric art style. You play as a small girl stuck in what seems your worst childhood nightmares. The goal of the game is to find more information about your surroundings and escape whatever monsters lurk in the dark.
The controls of the game are pretty simple with just moving, climbing and jumping in a sideway view, but as the game goes on you do need to have at least a bit of reflexes. Though I’m confident that everyone can beat the game with a little bit of practice.
Hundreds of new games get released each week, so if these recommendations didn’t seem interesting to you. Don’t be afraid to have a look around yourself for games that appeal to you. The gaming community is great in trying to find new and fun games to play, so if you feel stuck don’t worry too much about interacting with the gaming community and ask some questions. We are all here to have some fun.
Conclusion
I hope this article was useful for you to get a better grasp of the world of video games. Whether you want to start gaming yourself, or just want to understand the hobby of a loved one better.
If you have more questions about getting started with gaming or want some personal advice, feel free to send me a message. I’m always open to help people get into the wonderful hobby of gaming.
Good luck, and thank you for reading.
~Vincent
