Five games for children and parents

SOME parents roll their eyes when their children play on the tablet or console all day. But they might do better to pick up a controller and start playing themselves. We look at five family-friendly games for the Nintendo Switch.

Luigi ‘s Mansion 3

The latest edition of this popular titles sees Mario’s somewhat less fortunate but nonetheless lovable brother Luigi take on the leading role as he goes ghost hunting in a haunted hotel. He’s accompanied by a copy of himself made of slime called Gooigi.

The game is ideal for cooperative play: One player controls Luigi, the other Gooigi as they solve puzzles and battle ghosts. Luigi’s Mansion 3 is bound to keep younger players engaged and has something for adults too.

Chuchel

This game is ideal for young and old fans of absurd humour. Behind the cryptic name is a very crazy adventure, without any text or dialogue, but with plenty of creativity.

The disadvantage is that it can only be played by one person while others watch and make suggestions. The process of trial, error, amazement and laughter is at least half the fun.

Rocket League

This car-based soccer game has been around for a few years and still has plenty of loyal fans. Beginners, however, will have to put in some time to learn the game as the control system is rather complicated.

It works well for families because parents and children can choose to play with or against each other. There’s also an online mode to play against other people and a mode where you can play against the computer.

Overcooked

Getting the right balance of chaos and coordination is the focus of Overcooked and Overcooked 2. Four players have to solve tasks together, only this time not in an abyss, but in a commercial kitchen.

A good division of tasks is required: one player cuts the meat, another cooks it, a third puts everything together on the plate, and someone has to wash up afterwards.

Everything is complicated by the fact that the types of kitchen becomes more and more difficult from level to level, which range from the back of a truck to a space station. It all makes for quite a demanding game. – dpa

Heave-Ho!

If Chuchel is funny, then Heave-Ho! is almost 100% slapstick. The task is deceptively simple: One to four players have to cross an abyss.

However, their characters consist only of heads and long, flexible arms. The solution is to hold on tight, form long chains, and swing across the abyss.

This requires some coordination, with each other and with the controller. The funniest thing in this skill-based, child-friendly game is when plans fail spectacularly.