The Best Games to Play With Non-Gamers

Be it a friend, partner, or family member, every video game fan on the planet has tried and either failed or succeeded in getting a loved one into gaming. It’s hard not to share a passion with somebody else, and this goes to all hobbies from collecting stamps to hiking to getting into race car driving.

It used to be difficult to find a game nearly anyone could play, but thanks to the mid-2000s, more casual games started to arise along with indie experiences. Now, more so than ever before, there are games out there for everyone. So, if you want to convince someone to get into gaming, these are some good starters to play specifically together to help ease them in.

The Jackbox Party Starter

Everyone Has A Phone

The easiest game to get any non-gamer into is the Jackbox games because they are essentially just board games that appear on a TV. The Jackbox Party Starter has three mini-games that are easy to learn and perfect for popping out during a party.

Trivia Murder Party 2 is a trivia game with a Saw-like twist, Tee K.O. lets players design their own shirts to be funny, and Quiplash 3 is just a way for players to write jokes and compete for who is funnier. Players can use their phones as controllers, so it’s very inviting.

Just Dance 2026

Losen Up

Just Dance 2026 is the latest entry in the series, which is also good for a party. What’s fun is that there is a great mix of old and classic songs, and music fit for all ages if players want to do some dancing with their kids or younger cousins.

With a controller or phone, players just have to match their bodies to the dance instructions on screen, which can be easy or complicated depending on the song. It can become quite a workout, and there’s no denying the ability music has to make players let their hair down, metaphorically speaking.

Donkey Kong Bananza

Right On My Shoulders

Donkey Kong Bananza is a good two-player co-op game for the Switch 2 because the non-gamer doesn’t have to do a lot of input on their controller. As player one, players will control Donkey Kong to platform around and bash enemies and the environment up while looking for treasure.

As Pauline, the second player will ride on his shoulder, and with the power of her voice, they can make Pauline’s lyrics smash foes and the world as well. It’s another good example of a game made for all ages, with not a lot of offensive stuff for any age group.

The Dark Pictures Anthology: House Of Ashes

For The Horror Fans

The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes, or any of the games in this series, are perfect for horror movie fans out there. The game follows five characters, who are soldiers, who wind up in an ancient ruin, followed by bizarre happenings. In co-op mode, players can pass one controller around to control their character or a set of characters, depending on how many people are around.

Inputs rely on movement, clicking around to collect stuff, and having quick responses with hectic moments on screen. It can be quite the adrenaline rush for someone unaccustomed to the controller, but it’s a learning experience, and interesting, as characters can die, thus affecting the story.

Pac-Man Championship Edition 2 Plus

Everyone Has Played Pac-Man, Right?

Pac-Man Championship Edition was a great resurgence of one of the most iconic gaming characters ever, which brought forth new ways to play in a competitive online market. Pac-Man Championship Edition 2 Plus is the edition that added co-op for two players to tackle mazes and ghosts together.

Anybody who is anybody has played or at least watched someone play the original Pac-Man before. It’s inescapable and simple to learn, even in a newer game like this, so it’s still perfect for a newbie.

Split Fiction

A New Game Every Minute

Split Fiction is a bit more intense, but still relatively easy to learn with a good partner teaching them the ropes. It’s a co-op only game featuring two writers who get trapped in a virtual reality game that keeps stealing their ideas for stories.

On one level, players could be racing digital bikes like they were in Tron, while in others, they could be raiding dragons in a fantasy world. The clash between sci-fi and fantasy ideas makes for some inventive levels, and no one motif stays around for long, almost creating a sense of whiplash.

Portal 2

Train Your Mind

Portal 2 has a single-player campaign, which most Valve fans have played, but then there is a co-op-only campaign that takes place after the main story’s events, which doesn’t get talked about enough. While it involves more brain activity than most co-op games, it is a simpler game to control, as players essentially just have to solve a series of physics-based puzzles in rooms together to move on.

Shoot portals to create doorways, move cubes to activate switches, jump around pads to get past long gaps, and so on. It can be a fun activity that will challenge both players to come up with solutions, so it’s best to play this game only with fresh eyes between both players.

Marvel Cosmic Invasion

Introduce MCU Fans To Brawlers

The MCU has been a part of Pop culture since Iron Man dropped in 2008, making comic fans of nearly everyone on the planet. So, anyone into the MCU movies, but not into video games, can appreciate the sweet nature of beating up enemies in a brawler like Marvel Cosmic Invasion.

With up to four players, they can choose between familiar MCU characters like Iron Man, Captain America, Rocket Raccoon, and many others. Scrolling from left to right, anyone can mash buttons and move a directional button to beat the snot out of enemy soldiers or alien bugs.

Overcooked 2

Order Up!

Overcooked 2 can be played alone, but it’s more fun with a full party of four players. Each mission brings a new challenge to the table as players have to actively decide who does what in the kitchen. There is cooking to do, vegetables to chop and prep, dishes to clean, and so on.

This is all timed too, as guests want their food served fast and perfect. It can be stressful as players yell out commands to each other, but as long as everyone keeps it together and reminds themselves that it’s just a game, then it should be all right.

Windjammers 2

A Retro Versus Match

Windjammers 2 is a great versus game to test out reflexes and to have fun in the sun with an oddball extreme sport that could only exist in a video game. It can be likened to frisbee meets air hockey as players pass a disc between each other, trying to score a goal each round.

The playing field can get hectic as the more skilled players become adept at blocking, countering, and using special moves like creating a wave of fire. Without a lot of controls to learn, it’s one of the better sports games to get someone into competitive gaming.