The issue is that I think there are Steam bundles that can’t be gifted, such as the Valve pack and that kind of thing. That also makes something like Civ 6 less likely, just because of the DLC bundles. I can also use Fanatical or Humble but frankly the region thing might be an issue.
This guy has played every console-available game under the sun before around 2020. So I’m focusing more on what he’s not likely to have played. He’s more of a soulslike/fighting game guy and I’m more of a simulation and eurojank enjoyer, so the recommendations don’t always carry across.
That said, I’ve been thinking newer games like Animal Well that are sure to be received well, but it’d suck if he already played it on something else. Would be a funny inclusion as well, a 35 megabyte 2D platformer for his new gaming desktop.
Any suggestions?
Deep Rock Galactic
He can get used to mouse and keyboad, while you cover him.
As mentioned before, gift cards are good way to go.
DRG is a fantastic place to start with moving from a controller to mouse/keyboard.
I would personally T-up some classics like portal and Half-life 2 for solo “history lessons” after that. Only then would I make some harder recomendations like long RPGs, MOBAs, 4X, and would shy away from MMOs unless you have an organized group to introduce them to.
Portal 2 has coop 👍
Rock and stone!
Helldivers 2 for similar reasons.
Honestly, we all can’t be much more useful than any of the “Top 10 games of 2024” YouTube videos because we don’t really know your friend or his tastes.
A Steam gift card seems like a good idea? Let him pick his own games?
It’s not as elegant, but you might be able to give them some Steam Gift Cards and recommend some games.
https://store.steampowered.com/digitalgiftcards/selectgiftcard
In my personal opinion, the steam starter pack should be:
- Portal 1+2
- Terraria
- Gary’s Mod
- Tabletop Sim
- Fallout New Vegas
- Stardew Valley
Add factorio to this and it’s perfect
Agreed in my case, but I don’t think Factorio is for everyone realistically
Plus, all those games regularly go on sale for super cheap and factorio has and will never go on sale
True. But it’s an introduction to a genre that is very satisfying for the people that do enjoy it. But yeah, I haven’t played it for years and haven’t looked at the current price tag
So, most of my recommendations are going to be FPS or first person. For Valve related stuff:
- Half-Life 2 is pretty much a must have along with Episodes 1 and 2.
- Black Mesa is a remake of the original.
- Entropy : Zero 2 is a fantastic fan made mod that’s a good follow up after finishing Half-Life 2 and the episodes.
- The original Entropy : Zero is pretty good, but the default difficulty is hard as hell.
- Portal 1 and 2 are also a must have
- Portal: Revolution is an independent mod that’s a good follow up after 2.
As for non-Valve games and related:
- Crab Champions - fast paced, third-person, rogue-like shooter.
- Talos Principle 1 and 2 - first-person puzzles with a serious philosophical scifi story. It actually gets a bit heavy when it discusses mortality and death. 1 is being remade into a “definitive edition”.
- Untitled Goose Game - Honk!
- Gnorp Apologue - fun little game
- Pineapple on pizza - it’s free. I would describe it as games-as-art.
- Any of the Serious Sam games. They were made for PC.
- Fallen Aces is still in early access, but a good story driven retro FPS with sprites and multiple ways of navigating each level.
- Trepang2 - a bit of an odd FPS with bullet time.
- Roboquest - rogue like FPS
- Exit 8 - horror walking simulator. Kinda short once you figure it out.
- APE OUT - Ape smash! Top down “shooter”.
- Hotline Miami 1 and 2 - top down shooters with fast deaths and excellent soundtracks
- The Binding of Isaac - has always been popular if a little dated
- Gunpoint - stealth puzzle third person. Came out a decade ago, but a good game.
- Party Hard - little indie murder-everyone-and-don’t-get-caught.
- The Stanley Parable - walking simulator with some interesting dialog and interactions. 9-to-5 office people can relate.
- Dusk - awesome boomer shooter
- Antichamber - came out a decade ago, but it’s mind bending first-person puzzles.
- Hades and Hades 2 which is in early access. Third person isometric rogue-like.
- The Invincible - Story driven walking simulator based off the book of the same name. Good story.
- Firewatch - story driven walking simulator
- Deep Rock Galactic - wasn’t my pint of beer, but a lot of people like it.
ROCK AND STONE!!!
Get them a month (or 3) of PC Gamepass so they can play everything and find out what they like.
This is probably the best way to go. You won’t be able to beat the flexibility for the price.
Shower With Your Dad Simulator
Came here to post this! Every new Steam account gets a copy, it’s the law.
It was the first game I was gifted! My second recommendation is “I Love You Colonel Sanders!: A Finger Lickin’ Good Dating Simulator”. Who needs more satisfaction than that?
Oh that game is CRAZY. Free too!
That sounds disturbing
You could add them to your steam family to give them access to your library?
Otherwise, seeing as he’s played a lot of console games, maybe an RTS would be a good option? Something where kB+m is a better controller layout.
Outer Wilds is one of my favorite games. If he likes the explorey/other worldly feel of souls games, he might like it, but it certainly doesn’t have any combat.
As for fighting, I’ve recently started replaying Returnal, and I really enjoy that. It’s a well known console game, but I think it came out after 2020. It’s a roguelike format so slightly different from souls, but I love it.
Unfortunately he’s never been able to get into Outer Wilds despite it being one of my favorite games that I always shill. I’ll still push for him to play it.
Orange box?
Half-Life 2 is pretty much a must have. Black Mesa is a good remake of the original.
My first purchase on Steam
I usually gift Wallpaper engine. Not a game but it’s a fantastic tool for personalization.
One of the first things I add to any PC. I just bought a copy for someone a few days ago.
Games with lots of mods for sure. It may be a generic recommendation but Minecraft with mod packs and gorgeous shaders is an amazing experience for someone who never got around to trying them.
Also if he’s a souls-like fan, I highly recommend Elden Ring’s convergence mod and Dark Souls 3’s convergence mod (they’re by the same team). It adds like a hundred new spells, new weapons and equipment, overhaul of some mechanics like having actual classes with game-changing effects, completely overhauls areas with new geometry, adds new enemies and bosses, etc. It’s a very fun time.
The souls games weren’t on sale, but I’ve passed the message along about the mods. I think he’s taking a break after pushing those games to the absolute limit but I’m glad something like that exists.
Portal
Minecraft
Something shooty: TF2. Overwatch.
RTS game like Age of Empires 2Big shout out to Beyond All Reason. It’s an RTS game that’s free and open source that I’ve been playing with my friends for a few weeks now. Not even a fan of RTS games, but it’s a lot of fun to play co-op matches against AI.
https://www.beyondallreason.infoUntitled Goose Game
