5 ms·

Taking a segue, I am a 50+ man who hasn't played any games in my working life. I did play Prince of Persia 2 but never crossed level 1. Played Doom in the netwo

Taking a segue, I am a 50+ man who hasn't played any games in my working life. I did play Prince of Persia 2 but never crossed level 1. Played Doom in the network mode with classmates. Now I want to start exploring games. I am on Ubuntu with Intel graphics. I am ready to invest in a joystick or gamepad. What games do you guys recommend to me? Also any hardware accessories, other than GPU's, that is? I just tried Steam, and was completely overwhelmed by choice.

qudat 1y ago
Hands down one of the best games I have ever played was Subnautica and I highly recommend it without knowing your preferences. It’s a deep sea exploration / builder with a story that gets crazier and crazier. It’s also very approachable and mostly easy to play.
- unsui 1y ago
  Subnautica in VR (with the Submersed VR mod) is easily the most immersive environment I have ever encountered.
- bhattisatish 1y ago
  Thanks. Looks interesting... Will definitely try this one
brianjlogan 1y ago
I wouldn't buy a joystick if you're into Flight sims. I'd look into a Hotas setup or a virtual reality setup where the whole cockpit is simulated (VTOL VR). I started out on Microsoft Flight Simulator back in 99-2000. I feel like that was the peak joystick purchase era. Get a monitor with a good refresh rate, get a good gaming keyboard and mouse, potentially look into mechanical keyboards if you watch some videos and find it interesting. Watch some YouTube PC gaming channels. Also there's SO many games you're right it is overwhelming. You could easily go ten years back. And buy the top ten games on some gaming site rank list. Obligatory mentions: - Red Dead Redemption 2 - The Last of Us - BioShock Infinite - The Witcher 3 - City Skylines (Sims City like) Really depends on what category of game you like. Highly highly subjective thing these days. You can almost make friends by aligning on the types of games you like because it's a bit of a personality litmus test. I'd imagine a lot of people in HackerNews play Factorio quite seriously.
- bhattisatish 1y ago
  Oh I have a good monitor, but I don't have an high end GPU. I do have couple of mechanical keyboards, and split keyboard which I use for my programming. Any youtube channels you can recommend? Especially for older people with RSI :-) As for what genere I like, I am not sure. I am looking for something that is immersive, where I can spend some long hours during my downtime. But that does not require any mouse. This is a deal breaker I will try out some of your recos.
Levitating 1y ago
It depends on what games you like. One game that I recommend to anyone is Firewatch. It's a beautiful, linear story game with easy to understand mechanics. And it only lasts a few hours, so it's a small time investment. I can also recommend Outer Wilds. It's a puzzle story game. It gives you a lot of freedom, with the downside that it's somewhat easier to get stuck. For this game you should buy a gamepad. If you like single player shooters, I recommend Half-Life 2. Hope this helps! PS. As for peripherals, a keyboard+mouse should be plenty. Some vehicle driven games require a gamepad to play comfortably. As for a GPU, the games I mentioned here will run on anything semi-modern. No need to buy something brand new.
- bhattisatish 1y ago
  Thanks for the reco. Anything that requires mouse is out. I have a RSI on my wrist, and anytime i use the scroll wheel it flares up. I am ready to buy a gamepad. I guess I will need to explore which one I should buy. Outer wilds looks interesting. Something I will explore one of these weekends.
  - renjimen 1y ago
    Outer Wilds is amazing if you like puzzles and/or sci fi.
    - bhattisatish 1y ago
      Noted. Is on my definite list now :-)
  - seventhtiger 1y ago
    PC games generally assume you have an Xbox controller. I'm not sure about Linux compatibility but based on a quick search it should work fine.
seventhtiger 1y ago
It's hard to recommend games when you don't have a baseline taste. The past couple of years having a demo became very common on Steam, so I suggest trying some demos. You've played a 2D platformer and a multiplayer shooter, two very popular genres with massive offerings. If you're interested in more along the same lines, just off the top of my head I'll say try Hollow Knight as a 2D platformer, and Overwatch 2 as a multiplayer shooter (this one is free). Overwatch 2 may be overwhelming for someone new to gaming. There is a genre called cozy games for more relaxed experiences, like Journey. There are also turn-based roguelikes, and for those I would recommend Balatro. I don't know about Ubuntu or Linux compatbility so look into that, but I know Steam's OS and Proton have made massive strides.
- bhattisatish 1y ago
  Journey seems something I will like to try :-) I wasn't aware of cozy games, but I guess that's what I am looking for. Thanks for the keyword
  - seventhtiger 1y ago
    Then more along those lines is the walking simulator genre. It's called walking simulator generally because combat is not emphasized, with focus on immersion, exploration, and narrative. How puzzly it is varies from not at all to all about the puzzles. Steam has awesome genre pages so you can search by tag then go to the tag's page and you can see what's hot right now in the genre, what's top selling of all time, what has demos etc. that's why I'm mentioning all the genres.
    - bhattisatish 1y ago
      Thanks for providing another keyword :-) Walking Simulator genre looks interesting.
uxcolumbo 1y ago
You might want to try out the Steam Deck - https://store.steampowered.com/steamdeck https://store.steampowered.com/steamdeck You might like story driven games, like Read Dead Redemption 2, Witcher 3, Mass Effect... all on sale on Steam currently. You can also install emulators on the Steam Deck, so you can play those games before you started your working life. Otherwise look into how to install Valve's Proton on Ubuntu to play the games available on Steam. Alternatively get yourself a cheap PS4 pro on eBay, which usually come with plenty of games bundled. Don't need the latest and greatest console. PS4 still has a huge library of games and you can get those cheap on eBay too.
- bhattisatish 1y ago
  I installed Steam for Ubuntu after reading the parent article :-) But I was completely overwhelmed by the choices, that's why I asked for some reco.
namr2000 1y ago
There are still a HUGE number of games you can play with Intel integrated graphics all of which are extremely good. Many of the greatest games of all time are quite old or 2D which means you don't need anything special to run them. At most I'd invest in a controller (both Xbox & PS5 controllers are compatible) but you don't even need that to play almost all games on Steam. Some cheap but great games: Hollow Knight, Celeste, Hades, Outer Wilds, Undertale, Rimworld.
- bhattisatish 1y ago
  Thanks for the reco. Will explore couple of these titles.
petderek 1y ago
Regarding gamepads: you can use the xbox/playstation ones with your computer. Bluetooth is hit or miss for me (windows), but they both work really well with a USB cable. Its subjective of course, but the console manufacturers do a pretty good job with comfort and quality. If you liked Doom, it might be fun to play through some of the newer doom games like Doom 2016 and Doom Eternal and see how they've evolved over the years.
- bhattisatish 1y ago
  Oh I wasn't aware that I could use the xbox/playstation controllers on Ubuntu. I guess that makes it easier to buy one. I did not play much of Doom in a single player mode. It was typically in a LAN party my friends used to organize. I don't have much nostalgia for the game as such, more for the time and friends during those period :-) I am not sure I wanna explore the newer versions. But I might try...
kibwen 1y ago
The problem is that I could recommend a hundred wildly different games that you might like, but playing a hundred games just to figure out which one is right for you doesn't sound like a good use of your time. Can you give more information? You like single-player games? Classic card games like solitaire (rec: Zachtronics Solitaire Collection)? Postmodern card games (rec: Balatro)? Deckbuilding roguelikes (rec: Slay The Spire)? Actual roguelikes (rec: Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup)? Postmodern roguelikes (rec: Caves of Qud)? There's so much out there, even the cream of the crop is overwhelming to a newcomer. If you're a programmer, maybe look at the best games from Zachtronics (Spacechem, Opus Magnum, Shenzhen I/O, TIS-100, Last Call BBS... they're all pretty good).
- bhattisatish 1y ago
  As I haven't tried many games, I am not sure what I really like. Card games are out unless I am playing in real life ;-) I haven't played board games much. I tend to zone out pretty fast. First shooters, feels immersive enough, but when they become fast paced and need quick reaction, I get overwhelmed and zone out. I guess I am looking for something that is immersive, but forgiving in it's gameplay. As I have RSI injury on my wrist, any mouse based games are out. Your reco on Zachtronics, looks interesting, will definitely try out the publisher.
  - lantry 1y ago
    I highly recommend Caves of Qud. It's great for keyboard-only. I think it's got controller support too. The game is very confusing at first, but once you get the hang of it you can really get sucked in. Runs great on ubuntu.
    - kibwen 1y ago
      Though if they play Caves of Qud, I'd recommend playing in either Roleplay mode (which enables autosave checkpoints at settlements) or Wander mode (where most enemies in the game start off neutral to you, and you gain XP by exploring rather than fighting). Classic mode would be intolerable for anyone but a hardcore gamer.
metabagel 1y ago
Can't go wrong with Portal, although I had to look up a walkthrough from time to time in order to get past a puzzle, especially the end puzzle. I think it should play pretty well for you on Ubuntu and be a lot of fun. Portal 2 is even better than the first one, but play them both.
- renjimen 1y ago
  Seconded. And play Half Life 1 and 2. They’re arguably the best single player FPS games of all time.
  - bhattisatish 1y ago
    I watched couple of Half life videos/movies and I found the story line engaging. I haven't tried playing the games though. I guess next step will be that, in case they support controllers as I don't use mouse.
pie_flavor 1y ago
There isn't really a good way to recommend a game to someone who's never played a game before - preferences regarding immersion, complex mechanics, turn-based vs live-action, etc. vary wildly. Someone who likes Europa Universalis 4 frequently does not like Assassin's Creed Valhalla, and vice versa. With these constraints I would probably recommend Cyberpunk 2077 (no gamepad), and if you decide you like live-action, Hades, and if you don't, Slay the Spire.
- pie_flavor 1y ago
  Ah, I just saw your adjacent comment about RSI. First-person games like CP77 can be played with gamepad, they're just better with mouse. But without a mouse, I'd switch my initial recommendation to A Hat In Time.
  - bhattisatish 1y ago
    Hat in time sounds quirky and interesting. Will give it a go
tmtvl 1y ago
I'm gonna recommend Final Fantasy VI. The FF games generally aren't sequels to each other (the ones that are have titles like Final Fantasy X-2) and FF6, while on the older side, is not only very beginner-friendly, but also has quite good writing. So-called JRPGs (Japanese Role-Playing Games) tend to offer decent bang-for-buck and are generally more controller-friendly than CRPGs (Computer Role-Playing Games). Besides the Final Fantasy games you could also check out the Persona series.
- bhattisatish 1y ago
  Man the genres and sub-genres I am discovering here is just awesome! JRPG's is another discovery. Seems like I am opening myself up to a whole new world :-)
bhattisatish 1y ago
Thanks everyone for the recos. I asked chatgpt to summarize the conversation, and this is what it came up with. https://chatgpt.com/share/68752971-9e78-8012-bb83-5586a81d4d59 https://chatgpt.com/share/68752971-9e78-8012-bb83-5586a81d4d...

qudat 1y ago

Hands down one of the best games I have ever played was Subnautica and I highly recommend it without knowing your preferences. It’s a deep sea exploration / builder with a story that gets crazier and crazier. It’s also very approachable and mostly easy to play.

unsui 1y ago
Subnautica in VR (with the Submersed VR mod) is easily the most immersive environment I have ever encountered.
bhattisatish 1y ago
Thanks. Looks interesting... Will definitely try this one

brianjlogan 1y ago

I wouldn't buy a joystick if you're into Flight sims. I'd look into a Hotas setup or a virtual reality setup where the whole cockpit is simulated (VTOL VR). I started out on Microsoft Flight Simulator back in 99-2000. I feel like that was the peak joystick purchase era. Get a monitor with a good refresh rate, get a good gaming keyboard and mouse, potentially look into mechanical keyboards if you watch some videos and find it interesting. Watch some YouTube PC gaming channels. Also there's SO many games you're right it is overwhelming. You could easily go ten years back. And buy the top ten games on some gaming site rank list. Obligatory mentions: - Red Dead Redemption 2 - The Last of Us - BioShock Infinite - The Witcher 3 - City Skylines (Sims City like) Really depends on what category of game you like. Highly highly subjective thing these days. You can almost make friends by aligning on the types of games you like because it's a bit of a personality litmus test. I'd imagine a lot of people in HackerNews play Factorio quite seriously.

bhattisatish 1y ago
Oh I have a good monitor, but I don't have an high end GPU. I do have couple of mechanical keyboards, and split keyboard which I use for my programming. Any youtube channels you can recommend? Especially for older people with RSI :-) As for what genere I like, I am not sure. I am looking for something that is immersive, where I can spend some long hours during my downtime. But that does not require any mouse. This is a deal breaker I will try out some of your recos.

Levitating 1y ago

It depends on what games you like. One game that I recommend to anyone is Firewatch. It's a beautiful, linear story game with easy to understand mechanics. And it only lasts a few hours, so it's a small time investment. I can also recommend Outer Wilds. It's a puzzle story game. It gives you a lot of freedom, with the downside that it's somewhat easier to get stuck. For this game you should buy a gamepad. If you like single player shooters, I recommend Half-Life 2. Hope this helps! PS. As for peripherals, a keyboard+mouse should be plenty. Some vehicle driven games require a gamepad to play comfortably. As for a GPU, the games I mentioned here will run on anything semi-modern. No need to buy something brand new.

bhattisatish 1y ago
Thanks for the reco. Anything that requires mouse is out. I have a RSI on my wrist, and anytime i use the scroll wheel it flares up. I am ready to buy a gamepad. I guess I will need to explore which one I should buy. Outer wilds looks interesting. Something I will explore one of these weekends.
- renjimen 1y ago
  Outer Wilds is amazing if you like puzzles and/or sci fi.
  - bhattisatish 1y ago
    Noted. Is on my definite list now :-)
- seventhtiger 1y ago
  PC games generally assume you have an Xbox controller. I'm not sure about Linux compatibility but based on a quick search it should work fine.

seventhtiger 1y ago

It's hard to recommend games when you don't have a baseline taste. The past couple of years having a demo became very common on Steam, so I suggest trying some demos. You've played a 2D platformer and a multiplayer shooter, two very popular genres with massive offerings. If you're interested in more along the same lines, just off the top of my head I'll say try Hollow Knight as a 2D platformer, and Overwatch 2 as a multiplayer shooter (this one is free). Overwatch 2 may be overwhelming for someone new to gaming. There is a genre called cozy games for more relaxed experiences, like Journey. There are also turn-based roguelikes, and for those I would recommend Balatro. I don't know about Ubuntu or Linux compatbility so look into that, but I know Steam's OS and Proton have made massive strides.

bhattisatish 1y ago
Journey seems something I will like to try :-) I wasn't aware of cozy games, but I guess that's what I am looking for. Thanks for the keyword
- seventhtiger 1y ago
  Then more along those lines is the walking simulator genre. It's called walking simulator generally because combat is not emphasized, with focus on immersion, exploration, and narrative. How puzzly it is varies from not at all to all about the puzzles. Steam has awesome genre pages so you can search by tag then go to the tag's page and you can see what's hot right now in the genre, what's top selling of all time, what has demos etc. that's why I'm mentioning all the genres.
  - bhattisatish 1y ago
    Thanks for providing another keyword :-) Walking Simulator genre looks interesting.

uxcolumbo 1y ago

You might want to try out the Steam Deck - https://store.steampowered.com/steamdeck https://store.steampowered.com/steamdeck You might like story driven games, like Read Dead Redemption 2, Witcher 3, Mass Effect... all on sale on Steam currently. You can also install emulators on the Steam Deck, so you can play those games before you started your working life. Otherwise look into how to install Valve's Proton on Ubuntu to play the games available on Steam. Alternatively get yourself a cheap PS4 pro on eBay, which usually come with plenty of games bundled. Don't need the latest and greatest console. PS4 still has a huge library of games and you can get those cheap on eBay too.

bhattisatish 1y ago
I installed Steam for Ubuntu after reading the parent article :-) But I was completely overwhelmed by the choices, that's why I asked for some reco.

namr2000 1y ago

There are still a HUGE number of games you can play with Intel integrated graphics all of which are extremely good. Many of the greatest games of all time are quite old or 2D which means you don't need anything special to run them. At most I'd invest in a controller (both Xbox & PS5 controllers are compatible) but you don't even need that to play almost all games on Steam. Some cheap but great games: Hollow Knight, Celeste, Hades, Outer Wilds, Undertale, Rimworld.

bhattisatish 1y ago
Thanks for the reco. Will explore couple of these titles.

petderek 1y ago

Regarding gamepads: you can use the xbox/playstation ones with your computer. Bluetooth is hit or miss for me (windows), but they both work really well with a USB cable. Its subjective of course, but the console manufacturers do a pretty good job with comfort and quality. If you liked Doom, it might be fun to play through some of the newer doom games like Doom 2016 and Doom Eternal and see how they've evolved over the years.

bhattisatish 1y ago
Oh I wasn't aware that I could use the xbox/playstation controllers on Ubuntu. I guess that makes it easier to buy one. I did not play much of Doom in a single player mode. It was typically in a LAN party my friends used to organize. I don't have much nostalgia for the game as such, more for the time and friends during those period :-) I am not sure I wanna explore the newer versions. But I might try...

kibwen 1y ago

The problem is that I could recommend a hundred wildly different games that you might like, but playing a hundred games just to figure out which one is right for you doesn't sound like a good use of your time. Can you give more information? You like single-player games? Classic card games like solitaire (rec: Zachtronics Solitaire Collection)? Postmodern card games (rec: Balatro)? Deckbuilding roguelikes (rec: Slay The Spire)? Actual roguelikes (rec: Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup)? Postmodern roguelikes (rec: Caves of Qud)? There's so much out there, even the cream of the crop is overwhelming to a newcomer. If you're a programmer, maybe look at the best games from Zachtronics (Spacechem, Opus Magnum, Shenzhen I/O, TIS-100, Last Call BBS... they're all pretty good).

bhattisatish 1y ago
As I haven't tried many games, I am not sure what I really like. Card games are out unless I am playing in real life ;-) I haven't played board games much. I tend to zone out pretty fast. First shooters, feels immersive enough, but when they become fast paced and need quick reaction, I get overwhelmed and zone out. I guess I am looking for something that is immersive, but forgiving in it's gameplay. As I have RSI injury on my wrist, any mouse based games are out. Your reco on Zachtronics, looks interesting, will definitely try out the publisher.
- lantry 1y ago
  I highly recommend Caves of Qud. It's great for keyboard-only. I think it's got controller support too. The game is very confusing at first, but once you get the hang of it you can really get sucked in. Runs great on ubuntu.
  - kibwen 1y ago
    Though if they play Caves of Qud, I'd recommend playing in either Roleplay mode (which enables autosave checkpoints at settlements) or Wander mode (where most enemies in the game start off neutral to you, and you gain XP by exploring rather than fighting). Classic mode would be intolerable for anyone but a hardcore gamer.

metabagel 1y ago

Can't go wrong with Portal, although I had to look up a walkthrough from time to time in order to get past a puzzle, especially the end puzzle. I think it should play pretty well for you on Ubuntu and be a lot of fun. Portal 2 is even better than the first one, but play them both.

renjimen 1y ago
Seconded. And play Half Life 1 and 2. They’re arguably the best single player FPS games of all time.
- bhattisatish 1y ago
  I watched couple of Half life videos/movies and I found the story line engaging. I haven't tried playing the games though. I guess next step will be that, in case they support controllers as I don't use mouse.

pie_flavor 1y ago

There isn't really a good way to recommend a game to someone who's never played a game before - preferences regarding immersion, complex mechanics, turn-based vs live-action, etc. vary wildly. Someone who likes Europa Universalis 4 frequently does not like Assassin's Creed Valhalla, and vice versa. With these constraints I would probably recommend Cyberpunk 2077 (no gamepad), and if you decide you like live-action, Hades, and if you don't, Slay the Spire.

pie_flavor 1y ago
Ah, I just saw your adjacent comment about RSI. First-person games like CP77 can be played with gamepad, they're just better with mouse. But without a mouse, I'd switch my initial recommendation to A Hat In Time.
- bhattisatish 1y ago
  Hat in time sounds quirky and interesting. Will give it a go

tmtvl 1y ago

I'm gonna recommend Final Fantasy VI. The FF games generally aren't sequels to each other (the ones that are have titles like Final Fantasy X-2) and FF6, while on the older side, is not only very beginner-friendly, but also has quite good writing. So-called JRPGs (Japanese Role-Playing Games) tend to offer decent bang-for-buck and are generally more controller-friendly than CRPGs (Computer Role-Playing Games). Besides the Final Fantasy games you could also check out the Persona series.

bhattisatish 1y ago
Man the genres and sub-genres I am discovering here is just awesome! JRPG's is another discovery. Seems like I am opening myself up to a whole new world :-)

bhattisatish 1y ago

Thanks everyone for the recos. I asked chatgpt to summarize the conversation, and this is what it came up with. https://chatgpt.com/share/68752971-9e78-8012-bb83-5586a81d4d59 https://chatgpt.com/share/68752971-9e78-8012-bb83-5586a81d4d...