The Best Video Games for Beginners (Start Here)

Gaming can look intimidating from the outside — the jargon, the 200-hour epics, the teenagers with lightning reflexes. But some of the best games ever made are perfect for absolute beginners: gentle learning curves, no twitch reflexes required, and stories that pull you in. I’ve introduced plenty of non-gamers to gaming over the years, and I know which games convert people. So what are the best video games for beginners? The welcoming ones: cosy adventures, clever puzzles, and story-driven games that teach you as you play.

A note on platforms: you don’t need an expensive console. Many of these are on phones, tablets, the Nintendo Switch (the most beginner-friendly console by miles), or modest PCs. Start with what you’ve got.

The Best Video Games for Beginners: Where to Start

The cosy starters (zero stress)

Stardew Valley is the ultimate beginner game: you inherit a farm, grow crops, befriend villagers, explore at your own pace. No fail state, no reflexes needed, endlessly charming. It’s about £10 on every platform including phones, and it’s the game that has converted more non-gamers than any other. Animal Crossing: New Horizons (Switch) is similarly gentle — decorate an island, chat with animal neighbours, live your best life. Untitled Goose Game — you’re a horrible goose causing mischief in a village — is short, hilarious, and mechanically simple. All three teach you game controls without you noticing you’re learning.

Puzzle games (think, don’t twitch)

Portal and Portal 2 are first-person puzzle games with no enemies and no time pressure — just clever spatial puzzles and some of the funniest writing in gaming. They’re the perfect introduction to 3D game controls. The Witness is a beautiful island of line puzzles that starts simple and becomes profound. Monument Valley 1 & 2 (phones, a few pounds) are gorgeous Escher-like puzzles you play with one finger. And Tetris Effect is Tetris as a transcendent audio-visual experience — timeless, meditative, perfect.

Story adventures (games as films you steer)

Life is Strange is an episodic story about friendship and time travel — you mostly walk, talk and make choices. It’s a brilliant first “proper” game: emotional, gripping, and mechanically undemanding. Firewatch — you’re a fire lookout in Wyoming having radio conversations — is two hours of beautiful, melancholic storytelling. What Remains of Edith Finch is a walking story about a family, each chapter a tiny different game. These prove games can move you like great novels.

Gentle action (a little challenge, fairly given)

When you’re ready for something with a bit more game to it: Minecraft (Creative mode first — no monsters, just building), LEGO games (any of them — funny, forgiving, co-op), Super Mario Odyssey (Switch — joyful, generous with checkpoints), and Journey (two hours, wordless, one of the most beautiful things in any medium). All respect the player and never punish curiosity.

What to Avoid (For Now)

• Competitive online shooters (Call of Duty, Fortnite multiplayer) — you’ll be destroyed by teenagers and learn nothing. Come back later if you want.
• Souls-like games (Elden Ring, Dark Souls) — masterpieces, but brutally difficult. They’re for your second year, not your first week.
• 200-hour RPGs — save Baldur’s Gate 3 until you know you like the hobby. It’s incredible but overwhelming as a first game.
• Anything with a battle pass — if a “free” game is selling you seasonal passes, it’s designed to extract money, not to welcome you. See free mobile games with no ads for the honest ones.

How to Actually Start

1. Use what you have. Phone? Start with Stardew Valley mobile or Monument Valley. Switch? Animal Crossing or Mario Odyssey. Old laptop? Portal and Stardew Valley run on anything.
2. Play on easy. There’s no shame in it — difficulty settings exist so everyone can enjoy the story. “Story mode” is a valid and honourable choice.
3. Give it two hours. Most games teach their controls in the first hour. If you’re still lost after two, try a different game — not every game is for every person.
4. Watch someone first. YouTube “let’s plays” (without spoilers) show you what a game actually feels like better than any review.
5. Play with someone. LEGO games, Stardew Valley (co-op) and Untitled Goose Game (two-player mode) are all better shared. A patient friend is the best tutorial.

What Should You Play On? The Honest Breakdown

The platform question stops a lot of beginners. Here’s the no-nonsense version:

• Your phone (free–£7 per game): the zero-commitment start. Monument Valley, Stardew Valley mobile, Mini Metro — superb beginner games for less than a coffee. If you only ever play on your phone, that’s a complete gaming life.
• Nintendo Switch (£200–280): the beginner’s console. Animal Crossing, Mario Odyssey, Pokémon, Stardew Valley — the friendliest library in gaming, playable handheld or on TV. The Switch Lite (~£200) is cheaper if you’ll only play handheld.
• An old/cheap laptop (free–£10 per game): Portal, Stardew Valley, Minecraft and thousands of indies run on ancient hardware. Check GOG.com for DRM-free classics that run on anything.
• PlayStation/Xbox (£250–480): the “proper” consoles — worth it if you get hooked, overkill for testing the waters. The subscription services (Game Pass, PS Plus) are excellent value once committed.
• Don’t buy first: try phone games and free PC games before spending hundreds. The hobby will still be there when you’re ready.

The right platform is the one you’ll actually use. A £5 phone game played for 50 hours beats a £400 console gathering dust — start small, follow the fun, upgrade when the hobby demands it.

The Takeaway

The best video games for beginners are Stardew Valley, Animal Crossing, Portal, Life is Strange and Monument Valley — welcoming, well-designed games that teach you as you play and never punish you for learning. Start on the device you already own, play on easy without shame, and give each game two hours before judging. Gaming is the biggest entertainment medium on earth, and there’s a whole world waiting past the intimidation barrier. The goose game alone is worth the trip.