Games for elderly folks

Discussion in 'General Game Discussion and Questions' started by spidey, May 14, 2011.

  1. spidey

    spidey Well-Known Member

    Jun 24, 2010
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    India
    Hi,

    I need to download some iPAD games for my parents. They are not at all computer savvy and would play only very simple games. For e.g. they love playing tetris on the 8 bit controller. I am guessing something like labyrinth they would like. And perhaps I can get my dad interested in a pool game if he is willing to go through menus. Any recommendations?
     
  2. triggywiggy

    triggywiggy Well-Known Member

    Jan 24, 2010
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    Freelance writer, Student, Casually employed in re
    Perth, Western Australia
    Axe In Face, Angry Birds etc, All easy to play but are fun
     
  3. Mivo

    Mivo Well-Known Member

    May 10, 2011
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    Germany
    How old is elderly?

    I think various match-3 games (Bejeweled being fairly accessible) might work, and the non-fancy majongg solitaire titles (Majongg Elements is a decent choice). Card games, like freecell, are also possible candidates. For something that really shows off the coolness of an iPad, the already mentioned Labyrinth is definitely a good pick. :)
     
  4. spidey

    spidey Well-Known Member

    Jun 24, 2010
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    Elderly is 65+... It's not so much about age, as it is about non-familiarity with electronics. Which is why Labyrinth is easy and fun. Angry Birds should be a nice game too. Match 3 games arent really something they would enjoy.
     
  5. Mivo

    Mivo Well-Known Member

    May 10, 2011
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    Germany
    Match-3 is something I could see my mother playing (also in that 65 category), but then again, she's at least a little familiar with electronics and curious enough to try out new things. My ex's mother, around 60, was totally into Peggles and mahjongg, and she was a computer illiterate. But yes, depends on the specific people -- and you know your folks better than anyone. :)
     
  6. Coldar

    Coldar Well-Known Member

    Dec 26, 2008
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    Upstate NY/USA
  7. medianotzu

    medianotzu Well-Known Member

    Nov 21, 2009
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    They might enjoy word games like Wurd, Hangman RSS, Guess the News, Bookworm, or Abca.
     
  8. secondtime

    secondtime Well-Known Member

    Oct 19, 2009
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    We got my folks an iPad and loaded it up as well. They even got wifi on their own after they got it! My mom enjoys Shanghai Mahjong a lot. We play Abble Dabble across the net (really quite a good scrabble game), and she also likes Card Shark as she can play many different card games. Also Crosswords (or Crux) for crosswords fans.

    Other games I loaded, but not sure how much she's played (she really likes Shanghai Mahjong and Abble Dabble) are: Art Puzzles (join it is also great, but requires a little more dexterity for the puzzle pieces), Boggle, Sudoku2 Pro, Touch Rummy, Angry Birds and Cut the Rope. You could always put the lite version on and if they like them, walk them through downloading the full. I've done that a few times to get them to d/l something I thought they'd like.

    Others could be Big Fish games, Zarik HD, Gears, Woozzle HD, match-3 games (something like Fishdom HD, Brickshooter Egypt HD)

    Just some ideas...
     
  9. bluecomb84

    bluecomb84 Well-Known Member

    Dec 16, 2010
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    Debt Collector
    Long Island, NY
    Scrabble, Phase 10, Uno, Monopoly, The Game of Life and PAC-Man/Mrs PAC-Man for starters. Perhaps Q*Bert.
     
  10. triggywiggy

    triggywiggy Well-Known Member

    Jan 24, 2010
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    Freelance writer, Student, Casually employed in re
    Perth, Western Australia
    Do get Axe in face. Really easy to play. My mum about 60ish loves the game and she don't use her device much and is not really good at game.
     
  11. gekkota

    gekkota Well-Known Member

    Jul 17, 2008
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    Eric Snider's Solitaire has a nice interface and animations. His Freecell is also pretty good. Spider:Bryce Manor would be another good choice.

    Games that they are already familiar with in a board game format would probably be good too, like Scrabble, etc.
     
  12. MidianGTX

    MidianGTX Well-Known Member

    Jun 16, 2009
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    Without a doubt, get them this:

    PathPix Pro HD

    PathPix Pro HD is for experienced PathPix players ONLY!
    ************************************************************…
    $2.99
    Buy Now
    Media
    Details
    PathPix Pro HD is for experienced PathPix players ONLY!
    **********************************************************************
    PathPix Pro HD contains 320 all new, beautiful puzzles, including 6 special sections with 20 puzzles each: Shapes Plus (with geometric shapes and classical illusions), Short Paths (lots of 3s, 4s, 5s etc-harder than you might think), Two Colors (just what it says), White Space (extra hard - not all squares contain paths), Long Paths (extremely difficult - designed to test the most seasoned PathPix player), and XLarge (with sizes ranging up to 65x45).

    When completed, all the colored paths in each puzzle form a miniature picture. Each puzzle also includes an appropriate quote, ranging from wry to witty to profound, as a reward for success.

    ******************
    Not sure which PathPix to get?
    Here's the lineup:

    There are 9 different PathPix HD apps, all optimized for iPad. All puzzles are different.

    ---PATHPIX LITE HD: Wondering if PathPix is for you? Start here, with 12 FREE puzzles.
    ---PATHPIX HD: Hooked? This is the next step, with 189 graduated levels, ranging from small, easy puzzles to large, advanced level puzzles.
    ---PATHPIX PRO HD: Are you an expert? Looking for a LOT of puzzles? Then PathPix Pro is for you, with 320 puzzles ranging from Medium difficulty to Extreme.
    ---PATHPIX ZEN HD: Relaxing and addictive! 99 beautiful puzzles, including an Advanced Levels section with 12 special challengers.
    ---PATHPIX JOY HD: Keep smiling! 99 puzzles = many happy hours of PathPix fun. Small to large, easy to advanced - you'll find it all here.
    ---PATHPIX MAGIC HD: Magic of all kinds! 99 puzzles, small to huge, easy to advanced.
    ---PATHPIX LAUGH HD: Lots more puzzles to tickle your funnybone. 202 puzzles, each with a silly joke or quote related to the puzzle picture. Small to large, easy to extreme.
    ---PATHPIX XMAS HD: 99 puzzles with a Christmas theme to get you in the mood for the holidays. Whether you are looking for sentiment or silliness, you will find it here.
    ---PATHPIX BOO HD: Silly - spooky - scary - fun! 99 puzzles for Halloween and other dark nights.

    What people say about PathPix
    ********************
    "Best Numbers Game - PathPix. In PathPix, the goal is to create a picture using numbers that connect to one another by bright, bold lines of color. Ranging from very simple images to sprawling and complex masterpieces, Pathpix is a logic game that rewards your dedication with an interesting bit of math-made art. You'll also get a nice historical or literary quote as a reward as well ... this game is so addicting you might just feel the need to solve them all." - www.slidetoplay.com
    "PathPix ... is a harmonious blend of drawing, connect the dots, and find the hidden picture. ... Touch controls are very intuitive and work well. PathPix offers a wonderfully addictive gaming experience." - by the AppSmileTeam
    "PathPix ... is a superb implementation of the numbers-linking puzzle for iPhone and iPod Touch users." - by JohnB, JayIsGames

    Simple rules - complex puzzles - hidden pictures!
    ********************
    Draw bright, bold lines of color, connecting pairs of colored numbers. The length of each path must match the numbers on the two endpoints. Draw backwards or double tap to correct mistakes. There's only one way to do it, and all squares will contain a piece of a path when the puzzle is solved.

    Two ways to navigate while solving:
    ---Tap the zoom button for an overview, then touch the screen where you want to play next.
    ---Pan to show another area of the board. Put your finger down any place WITHOUT A NUMBER and move it around. Simple, intuitive, fast.

    PathPix Pro HD is based on the PC game "PathPix" by Kris Pixton.
    Information
    Seller:
    Genre:Education, Board
    Release:Feb 21, 2011
    Updated:Nov 30, -0001
    Version:
    Size:0.0
    TouchArcade Rating:Unrated
    User Rating: (2)
    Your Rating:unrated
    Compatibility:HD Universal


    I freakin' love that game, my girlfriend loves it, my sister loves it and my mother loves it. Everyone I introduce to Pathpix just plays the crap out of it. No time limits, no game over screen, no math (despite the numbers), just a calm and leisurely experience. Extremely easy to learn and use, anyone can do it.

    And if they enjoy that there are two more Pathpix games on the store.
     
  13. crex

    crex Doctor of Game of the Week-ology

    Oct 18, 2010
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    Everywhere and Nowhere
    Topple is a fun and easy game to play. :)
     
  14. phattestfatty

    phattestfatty Well-Known Member

    Mar 9, 2010
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    my parents love: suduko, fruit ninja, cut the rope, solitaire, and angry birds.
     
  15. spidey

    spidey Well-Known Member

    Jun 24, 2010
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    India
    wow! Thanks for all the advice. Just gave them a tutorial at Angry birds and they loved it. Labyrinth they couldn't get in too much. And a bunch of good ideas here.

    Scrabble and other word games wouldnt work for them. English is not a language they are conversant in.

    I really want them to take the iPad and explore. They might end up liking games I can not imagine right now.
     
  16. alyfantis

    alyfantis Well-Known Member

    Nov 28, 2010
    90
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    Hokkaido, Japan
    My mother, around the same age as your parents, loves her iPad. She uses the free app Doodle Buddy to draw and send me pictures. Don't know if yours would like that.

    You should also try some of the many tangram apps, Peggle, the Tiki Totems games, Play Kalei (am loving this one), and the sliding blocks puzzles like Get Me Out.
     
  17. backtothis

    backtothis im in ur base killin ur d00dz
    Staff Member Patreon Silver Patreon Gold Patreon Bronze

    Jul 13, 2009
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    Houston/Austin, TX
    Yes, Peggle would be a very good one. Maybe Plants Vs Zombies as well?
     
  18. Pete the Geek

    Pete the Geek Well-Known Member

    Dec 27, 2010
    65
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    Math Teacher
    North-Western Ontario
    Check out Bubble Bust and Osmosis HD.
     
  19. 12yam

    12yam Well-Known Member

    Sep 30, 2010
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    Toronto
    well the screenshot looks very intimidating...
     
  20. MidianGTX

    MidianGTX Well-Known Member

    Jun 16, 2009
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    #20 MidianGTX, May 14, 2011
    Last edited: May 14, 2011
    Well I did link to the Pro version, it starts off much simpler or they could start with the first game which begins like this:

    [​IMG]

    Either way it doesn't take long before you're solving much bigger puzzles with relative ease.
     

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