Tuesday, February 04, 2014

Video Games

I played a lot of videogames as a kid (mostly on the Apple II, and then later on the Mac). At the time, of course, I just thought of it as fun, but now I realize I learned a lot doing so. Problem solving and resilience/determination are high on the list. You can't get anywhere in this world without being willing to try and fail and try again. Video games are great way to instill that instinct.

Of course Caitlyn has been playing games on the iPad for years now, but computer games are a different beast. In the past, we've focused on puzzle games; they make you think, but there's no time pressure, and not much need for eye/hand coordination. That was good for when she was younger, but now she's ready for more of a challenge.

We started with Return to Dark Castle, which is a remake of one of my favorite games from when I was kid. Now we're playing FEZ, which is delightful. Platformers seem like a good point on the videogame spectrum at the moment. They provide exploration and puzzle solving, but with an added level of arcade action, but not too intense yet.

I'm on the lookout for the next game. Any suggestions?

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posted by Ian Gilman at 9:30 AM  -  5 Comments