The three things that decide whether this works
Is there a camera to control? If the answer is yes, put it back. Games that ask you to steer your own viewpoint with the right thumbstick are the single biggest reason older beginners give up, and no amount of interest in the subject survives it.
How many buttons does the game actually use? The best picks here use one or two. A board-game collection uses a pointer and a confirm button. A bowling game uses an arm swing. A racing game uses a steering stick and one accelerator, and it will happily hold the car on the track for you if you turn on the assists.
Can it be played in short sittings? Anything that requires remembering a story between sessions is a poor fit. Round-based games — a hand of cards, one race, one bowling frame — are perfect, because every session is complete in itself.
Turn the assists on before you hand it over
If you can, set the game up before it’s unwrapped, or sit down with them for the first ten minutes. Two settings do most of the work in a racing game: the automatic steering that keeps the car on the road, and the automatic accelerator. With both switched on, a first-time player finishes their first race in a respectable position instead of driving into a wall for four minutes.
The same principle applies everywhere. Nearly every family-friendly game now ships with some form of help built in, and none of it is switched on by default because the settings menu assumes you already know what you’re doing. Ten minutes of setup is worth more than a more expensive gift.
Which console, if they don’t have one
A Nintendo Switch, and it isn’t close. It’s the console with the deepest catalog of games that suit this list, it plugs into an ordinary TV, and its controllers can be used one in each hand or as a single small pad, which suits people who find a full-size controller awkward to hold.
If they’ll only ever play on their own, in a chair, the handheld-only model is smaller, cheaper and simpler — but it can’t be plugged into a television and it can’t use the detachable controllers, which rules out the sports game and anything played with a grandchild in the same room. Our Switch 2 versus Switch Lite comparison lays out that trade-off, and which console to buy as a gift covers the wider question.
Playing with grandchildren who live somewhere else
This is often the real hope behind the gift, so it’s worth being clear about what it takes. Playing together in the same room needs nothing but a second controller. Playing together from different houses needs both households online and, on a Switch, a Nintendo Switch Online membership — which is a separate yearly cost, though the family version covers up to eight accounts across a household. Our guide to gaming subscriptions explains what each one includes.
Be realistic about the setup, though. Online play across two households involves accounts, friend codes and a stable connection at both ends, and if you’re not there to help, it can be a frustrating first experience. The same-room version works perfectly on the day, every time.
What to avoid, however good the reviews are
Anything with a first-person viewpoint, anything with small text, anything where the tutorial expects you to already know what a shoulder button is. Also — and this one catches thoughtful buyers — puzzle or word games with timers. A crossword without a clock is a pleasure. The same crossword with a countdown is a test, and nobody wants a test for their birthday.
If you want the wider beginner version of this list, including a few games with more structure, our games to gift a beginner page covers it.
