All games, easiest first

Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Life on an island at your own pace. Real-time clock encourages a short daily visit.

Nintendo Switch

Big Brain Academy: Brain vs. Brain

Short brain games; handicap settings let grandkids and grandparents compete fairly.

Nintendo Switch

Candy Crush Saga

Free on phones but pushes in-app purchases; set a spending limit.

Phone and tablet

Clubhouse Games: 51 Worldwide Classics

51 familiar card and board games with simple rules screens.

Nintendo Switch

Cozy Grove

Designed for 30-60 minutes a day of gentle tasks.

Nintendo Switch · PlayStation · Xbox · PC · Phone and tablet

Dorfromantik

Place hexagon tiles to build peaceful villages. Calm, no time limits.

Nintendo Switch · PlayStation · Xbox · PC

Dr Kawashima's Brain Training for Nintendo Switch

A few minutes a day of maths and memory drills.

Nintendo Switch

Fitness Boxing 2: Rhythm and Exercise

Daily boxing workouts to music with a virtual trainer; adjustable intensity.

Nintendo Switch

Flower

Tilt the controller to guide petals on the wind. Short and calming.

PlayStation

Just Dance 2025 Edition

Copy the dancer on screen. Phone can be used as controller.

Nintendo Switch · PlayStation · Xbox

Lego Builder's Journey

Short, calm Lego building puzzles.

Nintendo Switch · PlayStation · Xbox · PC

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

Smart Steering and Auto-Accelerate stop you crashing. A family favourite.

Nintendo Switch

Monument Valley

Beautiful optical-illusion puzzles; about two hours.

PC · Phone and tablet

Nintendo Switch Sports

Swing the controller like a real racket or ball. The modern Wii Sports.

Nintendo Switch

Peggle 2

Aim and fire one ball. Very forgiving and cheerful.

PlayStation · Xbox

Pokémon Go

Gets you walking outside; popular with grandkids. Watch spending and road safety.

Phone and tablet

Super Mario Party Jamboree

Digital board game with short mini-games. Great with grandkids.

Nintendo Switch

Townscaper

A toy rather than a game: click to build pretty towns. No goals, no failing.

Nintendo Switch · PlayStation · Xbox · PC · Phone and tablet

Two Dots

Connect same-coloured dots; free with in-app purchases.

Phone and tablet

Unpacking

Unpack boxes into rooms; tells a life story with no words.

Nintendo Switch · PlayStation · Xbox · PC · Phone and tablet

Wii Sports

Original Wii only. Point people to Switch Sports for a current console.

Wordscapes

Make words from letter wheels; free with ads and in-app purchases.

Phone and tablet

Level 2 · Easy (41 games)

A Short Hike

Climb a mountain in an afternoon. Very gentle introduction to 3D movement.

Nintendo Switch · PlayStation · Xbox · PC

Abzû

Swim through gorgeous oceans. No danger, about two hours.

Nintendo Switch · PlayStation · Xbox · PC

Among Us

A group mystery game where you work out who is secretly sabotaging the crew. Mostly talking.

Nintendo Switch · PlayStation · Xbox · PC · Phone and tablet

Balatro

Poker-hand scoring with joker cards. No real money, but casino imagery.

Nintendo Switch · PlayStation · Xbox · PC · Phone and tablet

Beat Saber

Slice blocks to music in virtual reality. Easy settings are gentle; harder ones are very fast.

PlayStation · PC · VR

Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker

Can't jump; rotate tiny puzzle worlds. Perfect practice for 3D cameras.

Nintendo Switch

Disney Dreamlight Valley

Cosy village life with Disney characters. Optional paid extras.

Nintendo Switch · PlayStation · Xbox · PC · Phone and tablet

Everybody's Golf

Friendly arcade golf (PS4, plays on PS5).

PlayStation

Firewatch

Story about a fire lookout in the woods. Contains strong language.

Nintendo Switch · PlayStation · Xbox · PC

Forza Horizon 5

Open-world driving festival with rewind and heavy assists. Very welcoming.

Xbox · PC

Golf Story

Golf mixed with a funny story adventure. Lots of reading.

Nintendo Switch

Gris

Gentle 2D platformer about grief. No dying.

Nintendo Switch · PlayStation · Xbox · PC · Phone and tablet

Journey

Two-hour wordless trip across a desert. No way to fail.

PlayStation · PC · Phone and tablet

Kirby and the Forgotten Land

Gentle 3D with an automatic camera. Spring-Breeze mode is extra easy.

Nintendo Switch

Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe

Side-scrolling and gentle, with a helper character and a very easy mode for the second player.

Nintendo Switch

Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga

You can't really lose; ideal co-op with grandkids.

Nintendo Switch · PlayStation · Xbox · PC

Mario Golf: Super Rush

Arcade golf; motion swing option.

Nintendo Switch

Mario Kart World

Switch 2 only. Same assists as Mario Kart 8 plus open-world driving.

Nintendo Switch

Minecraft

Creative or Peaceful mode removes danger. Great for playing with grandkids.

Nintendo Switch · PlayStation · Xbox · PC · Phone and tablet

Mini Metro

Draw tube lines as a city grows. Endless mode removes pressure.

Nintendo Switch · PlayStation · PC · Phone and tablet

Mini Motorways

Draw roads to keep traffic flowing.

Nintendo Switch · PC · Phone and tablet

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy

Defence-lawyer mysteries. Lots of reading; no reflexes needed.

Nintendo Switch · PlayStation · Xbox · PC · Phone and tablet

Pikmin 4

Command tiny plant creatures. Rewind feature undoes mistakes.

Nintendo Switch

Plants vs. Zombies

Plant defenders to stop cartoon zombies crossing your lawn. Easy to learn, with a calm pace on early levels.

PC · Phone and tablet

Pokémon Legends: Arceus

Forgiving open-area Pokémon catching.

Nintendo Switch

Pokémon Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!

Designed as a gentle Pokémon starter: catching is a simple throw and battles are turn-based.

Nintendo Switch

PowerWash Simulator

Slow, calm and no way to fail. First-person view takes a little getting used to.

Nintendo Switch · PlayStation · Xbox · PC

Professor Layton and the Curious Village

A gentle mystery built from classic brain-teaser puzzles; hints available.

Phone and tablet

Ring Fit Adventure

Real exercise with a resistance ring; adjustable intensity. Check with your doctor if unsure.

Nintendo Switch

Roblox

A platform of millions of games made by players, popular with children. Difficulty varies by game, and in-game spending is common.

PlayStation · Xbox · PC · Phone and tablet

Sackboy: A Big Adventure

A bright, forgiving platformer that is best with a friend beside you.

PlayStation · PC

Spiritfarer

A cosy boat-management game about saying goodbye; themes of death handled gently.

Nintendo Switch · PlayStation · Xbox · PC · Phone and tablet

Spyro Reignited Trilogy

Three classic 3D platformers with a camera that is easy to manage. Gentle fire-breathing combat.

Nintendo Switch · PlayStation · Xbox · PC

Stardew Valley

Restore a farm and befriend villagers. Lots to learn but no rush.

Nintendo Switch · PlayStation · Xbox · PC · Phone and tablet

Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury

3D Mario with a helpful fixed camera; great with others.

Nintendo Switch

Super Mario Bros. Wonder

Pick Yoshi or Nabbit and enemies can't hurt you. Best 2D starting point.

Nintendo Switch

Tetris Effect

Classic Tetris with music and visuals; has relaxed 'chill' modes.

PlayStation · PC

The Case of the Golden Idol

Work out whodunnit from frozen crime scenes. Point and click; hints available.

Nintendo Switch · PC · Phone and tablet

The Sims 4

Design homes and run people's lives. Many paid expansions.

PlayStation · Xbox · PC

Two Point Hospital

Run a silly hospital. Light-hearted management.

Nintendo Switch · PlayStation · Xbox · PC

What Remains of Edith Finch

Explore a family home; each room is a short story. Themes of death.

Nintendo Switch · PlayStation · Xbox · PC · Phone and tablet

Level 3 · Moderate (32 games)

Astro Bot

Delightful 3D platformer that shows off the PS5 controller.

PlayStation

Cities: Skylines

Build and manage a city. Unlimited-money mode removes pressure.

Nintendo Switch · PlayStation · Xbox · PC

Civilization VI

Build an empire through history, turn by turn. Big learning curve, no reflexes.

Nintendo Switch · PlayStation · Xbox · PC · Phone and tablet

Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy

A cartoon platformer with tough jumps. You may need to retry a level many times.

Nintendo Switch · PlayStation · Xbox · PC

Dave the Diver

Dive for fish by day, run a sushi bar by night. Varied but needs some quick reactions.

Nintendo Switch · PlayStation · Xbox · PC

Disco Elysium

Detective role-play with no combat. Very heavy reading and adult themes.

PlayStation · Xbox · PC

Donkey Kong Bananza

Switch 2 only. Full 3D with free camera; check assist options.

Nintendo Switch

Euro Truck Simulator 2

Calm long-haul driving across Europe. PC only; a wheel helps.

Fall Guys

A silly obstacle-course game show played online against strangers. Fast and chaotic.

Nintendo Switch · PlayStation · Xbox · PC

Farming Simulator 25

Realistic farm machinery and crops. Slow and calm, lots to learn.

PlayStation · Xbox · PC

Final Fantasy VII Remake

Classic/Easy modes let you pause to choose actions.

PlayStation · PC

Gran Turismo 7

Realistic driving with strong assists (braking help, racing line).

PlayStation

Into the Breach

Chess-like battles where you see every enemy move in advance.

Nintendo Switch · PlayStation · PC · Phone and tablet

It Takes Two

Must be played with a partner. Inventive and forgiving checkpoints.

Nintendo Switch · PlayStation · Xbox · PC

Luigi's Mansion 3

Comic ghost-hunting; mildly spooky.

Nintendo Switch

Mario Tennis Aces

Fun but fast; use Swing Mode for motion controls.

Nintendo Switch

Marvel's Spider-Man

Swinging through New York is easy and joyful; fights are busier.

PlayStation · PC

Overcooked! 2

Frantic co-op cooking. Assist mode slows timers.

Nintendo Switch · PlayStation · Xbox · PC

PGA Tour 2K23

Realistic golf sim with adjustable assists.

PlayStation · Xbox · PC

Persona 5 Royal

Turn-based; around 100+ hours and very text-heavy. Safe difficulty available.

Nintendo Switch · PlayStation · Xbox · PC

Planet Zoo

Build zoos and care for animals. Sandbox mode removes money worries.

Portal 2

First-person puzzles with a portal gun. Very funny. 3D movement needed.

Nintendo Switch · Xbox · PC

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart

A cartoon shooter and platformer with gentle difficulty settings and lots of weapons to try.

PlayStation · PC

Return of the Obra Dinn

Work out the fate of a ship's crew. Brilliant but demanding logic.

Nintendo Switch · PlayStation · Xbox · PC

Slay the Spire

Card battles, turn by turn. You restart from scratch when you lose.

Nintendo Switch · PlayStation · Xbox · PC · Phone and tablet

Super Mario Odyssey

Full 3D with camera control. Assist Mode adds arrows and extra health.

Nintendo Switch

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

A party fighting game where anyone can win. Easy to start by mashing buttons, hard to master.

Nintendo Switch

Tetris 99

Fast online battles. Try Tetris Effect first.

Nintendo Switch

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Go anywhere fantasy world; Novice difficulty is forgiving.

Nintendo Switch · PlayStation · Xbox · PC

The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening

Top-down camera with no camera control. Ideal Zelda starting point.

Nintendo Switch

Uncharted 4: A Thief's End

Like playing an adventure film. Very Light difficulty and accessibility options.

PlayStation · PC

Unravel Two

Two yarn characters tied together. Best played with a partner.

Nintendo Switch · PlayStation · Xbox · PC

Level 4 · Challenging (23 games)

Baba Is You

Push words to change the rules. Unlimited undo, but fiendish later on.

Nintendo Switch · PC

Baldur's Gate 3

Turn-based (no reflexes) but complex rules and lots of reading. Explorer mode helps.

PlayStation · Xbox · PC

Celeste

Very hard platforming, but Assist Mode can slow the game and add invincibility.

Nintendo Switch · PlayStation · Xbox · PC

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

Turn-based battles with timed dodges; Story mode softens them.

PlayStation · Xbox · PC

Cyberpunk 2077

A big futuristic role-playing game with shooting, driving and a huge amount to read. Strong violence and adult themes.

PlayStation · Xbox · PC

Diablo IV

A dark fantasy action game where you fight monsters and collect gear. Always online.

PlayStation · Xbox · PC

Fortnite

A free online battle game with shooting and building, hugely popular with younger players and often what grandkids ask about.

Nintendo Switch · PlayStation · Xbox · PC · Phone and tablet

Ghost of Tsushima

Stunning; Easy mode helps but sword fights need timing.

PlayStation · PC

God of War

'Give Me a Story' mode helps, but combat is intense. Strong violence.

PlayStation · PC

Grand Theft Auto V

Huge crime sandbox. Strong violence and adult content.

PlayStation · Xbox · PC

Hades

Fast action; God Mode makes you stronger each time you fail.

Nintendo Switch · PlayStation · Xbox · PC · Phone and tablet

Horizon Zero Dawn

Story mode makes combat much easier.

PlayStation · PC

Mass Effect Legendary Edition

Three-game sci-fi saga with choices that matter; Narrative difficulty available.

PlayStation · Xbox · PC

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024

The whole world to fly over. Assists help, but proper flying is complex.

PlayStation · Xbox · PC

Outer Wilds

Space-flight mystery with a 22-minute time loop. Disorienting zero-gravity flying.

PlayStation · Xbox · PC

Red Dead Redemption 2

Slow, cinematic Wild West epic. Strong violence; many controls.

PlayStation · Xbox · PC

Split Fiction

Follow-up to It Takes Two; faster and more demanding.

PlayStation · Xbox · PC

The Last of Us Part I

Exceptional story with huge accessibility options. Very violent and tense.

PlayStation · PC

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

A landmark open world. Free camera and real-time combat.

Nintendo Switch

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Sequel to Breath of the Wild with building tools. Play BOTW first.

Nintendo Switch

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

'Just the Story' difficulty helps. Mature themes.

Nintendo Switch · PlayStation · Xbox · PC

The Witness

Hundreds of line-drawing puzzles; no fail state but very hard thinking.

PlayStation · Xbox · PC

World of Warcraft

A huge online fantasy world with a subscription fee. Slow to learn because of the many abilities and menus.

Level 5 · Tough (9 games)

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6

A fast first-person shooter with a story campaign and online multiplayer. Strong violence.

PlayStation · Xbox · PC

Cuphead

Gorgeous and brutally hard boss fights. 'Simple' mode only partly helps.

Nintendo Switch · PlayStation · Xbox · PC

Dark Souls Remastered

Famously punishing. Try Elden Ring first.

Nintendo Switch · PlayStation · Xbox · PC

Elden Ring

Very hard bosses, no difficulty setting. Spirit summons and exploring help.

PlayStation · Xbox · PC

Hollow Knight

2D, but bosses and platforming are very demanding.

Nintendo Switch · PlayStation · Xbox · PC

League of Legends

A free online team strategy game. The most competitive game on our list: ranked matches against experienced players, with a steep learning curve.

Monster Hunter: World

Deep, complex systems and long boss fights. Best with experienced friends.

PlayStation · Xbox · PC

Overwatch 2

A free team shooter with colourful heroes. Online matches against other players, with quick reflexes needed.

Nintendo Switch · PlayStation · Xbox · PC