Guide · about 4 minutes
Short games to share with people who do not play
Our picks for partners, parents and friends who have never held a controller.
1Start with no fail states
Unpacking, Gris, Abzû and Florence cannot be lost. That removes the biggest worry for new players.
2Use touch or a mouse
Florence and Unpacking feel natural with a touch screen or mouse, which many people find easier than a controller.
3Watch together
Edith Finch and The Stanley Parable are brilliant with one player and one watcher. Swap halfway.
4Two-player comedy
Untitled Goose Game's two-player mode is a perfect first shared game. Honking is universal.
5Keep it short
End on a high. A complete two-hour story beats an unfinished forty-hour one.
Last updated 29 October 2026