Video game gifts for a parent or grandparent who has never played
The best first video game gift for a parent or grandparent who has never played is a gentle game on a device they already use, such as a phone or tablet. If they would like to play on the TV, or with the grandchildren, give a Nintendo Switch 2 with one easy game to start.
Start with what they already enjoy
If they enjoy cards, crosswords or jigsaws, pick a game built on that pastime. Rules they already know make the first few minutes much easier.
| If they enjoy | Give | Plays on | Beginner level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crosswords and word puzzles | Wordscapes | Phone and tablet | 1 of 5 |
| Jigsaws and pretty puzzles | Monument Valley | Phone, tablet and consoles | 1 of 5 |
| Card and board games | Clubhouse Games: 51 Worldwide Classics | Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 | 1 of 5 |
| Gardening and pottering | Animal Crossing: New Horizons | Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 | 1 of 5 |
| Murder mysteries | The Case of the Golden Idol | Phone, tablet and consoles | 2 of 5 |
| Brain teasers | Professor Layton and the Curious Village | Phone and tablet | 2 of 5 |
| Tidying and arranging | Unpacking | Phone, tablet and consoles | 1 of 5 |
| Staying active | Nintendo Switch Sports | Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 | 1 of 5 |
Wordscapes is free to download, with ads and optional in-app purchases. The other games in the table are bought once. Each game page lists the platforms it plays on and links to the stores that sell it.
If they do not own a console
Give a phone or tablet game first. It costs little, it plays on a screen they already know how to use, and it shows you whether they enjoy games before you spend more.
If they want to play on the TV, or to play with grandchildren when they visit, a console is the bigger gift. Our guide to giving a first console helps you choose one.
How to give a game you cannot wrap
Phone games and most console games are downloads, so there is nothing to put in a box. You can give one in three ways:
- Buy the game and set it up on their device yourself, before or on the day.
- Give a gift card for their store: the App Store, Google Play or the Nintendo eShop. Write the name of the game on the card so they know what to get.
- Give a boxed copy, if the game is sold on a game card or disc. Many Nintendo Switch games are.
Setting the game up yourself is the kindest choice for someone new. A gift card means they have to find the store, sign in and download the game on their own.
Set it up before you hand it over
Set the game up before you give it, so they can start playing without downloads, updates or account screens.
- Download the game and any updates.
- Start the game once and get past the opening menus and the account screens.
- Turn on the easiest settings. Many games for beginners have an assist mode or an easy mode. Our guide to making games easier lists the settings to look for.
- Set the text size so they can read it comfortably.
- Turn on a PIN or password for purchases, so nothing gets bought by accident. Look in the device’s settings for family or parental controls.
Then sit with them for the first game. Let them hold the phone or the controller, and help only when they ask.
Games to leave for later
Some of the best-known games are hard for someone new: they need quick reactions, a moving camera and a lot of buttons at once. If you have heard of a game and wonder whether it would suit them, look it up in Am I ready?, which gives each big game a beginner level from 1 to 5.
Free phone games with lots of in-app purchases can also be a poor first gift. They tend to ask the player to pay to keep going. Our game pages say when a game does this.
Next steps
- Look at one game from the table and check it plays on a device they own.
- Not sure where to start? The Game finder asks a few questions and suggests a first game.