Written by Debbie Hughes, who is ADHD and Autistic and a modmin for Aucademy.

Here lies a comprehensive list of videogames that we recommend, sorted into categories that we may appreciate. Gaming is important for many of us, and we game for many reasons such as to chill out, to have fun, to socialise, for a challenge, to learn, etc.

Disclaimer: although I have played most of these games myself, I haven’t played all of them, so there may be mistakes in category placements (like a game not being in co-op category when it should be, for example.)

Devices key:

  • Switch = Nintendo Switch
  • PS = PlayStation platforms (3, 4, Vita)
  • Xbox = Xbox platforms (360, One, Series X/S)
  • PC = Windows, macOS, Linux, etc.
  • Phone = Android, iOS, Windows Phone

Categories:

  • Easy controls/simple controls
  • Sandbox modes available/open world
  • Co-op/Multiplayer available
  • Child-friendly
  • Calm/chill
  • Sub-category: Calm/chill games that are particularly low anxiety/consequences
  • Mental health and/or disability themed (warnings)
  • Collecting stuff
  • Puzzle-based
  • Driving
  • Exploration
  • Angry gaming (mostly Shooters)
  • Horror/ High intensity (for thrill/sensory seekers)
  • Executive functioning heavy (have to remember story)/Spoons-heavy/Story-heavy/Consequence
  • Difficult to play – for those that want a challenge

Easy controls/simple controls

These games use mostly the mouse or pointer/cursor to move the player/complete actions. Other controls like buttons on the keyboard are either entirely optional or limited to one or two keys in addition to the pointer. For example, in Coffee Talk, the game is mostly dialogue so the main action is to click through the dialogue and select coffee ingredients. In games like A Bird Story and To the Moon you simply click where you want the character to go, and they will go to that spot. Night in the Woods has a few more controls that are 4 directions, jump, and interact (on PC this would be w, s, a, d, space, E).

  • Untitled Goose Game (Switch, PS, Xbox, PC)
  • Beyond Eyes (PS, Xbox, PC)
  • A Bird Story (PC)
  • Finding Paradise (PC)
  • Broken Age (PC, Phone, PS, Xbox, Switch)
  • Coffee Talk (PC, Switch, PS, Xbox)
  • Monument Valley (PC, Phone)
  • Night in the Woods (PC, PS, Xbox, Switch, Phone)
  • The Night of the Rabbit (PC)
  • Samorost 3 (PC, Phone)
  • This War of Mine (PC, Phone, PS, Xbox, Switch)
  • To the Moon (PC, Phone, Switch)
  • Little Mouse’s Encyclopaedia (PC, Switch, Xbox, Phone)
  • Civilisation games (PC, Switch, PS, Xbox, Phone, Facebook Platform)
  • Animal Crossing (Wii, Switch, Phone)
  • Little Inferno (PC, Wii U, Phone, Switch)

Sandbox modes available/Open world

In gaming, sandbox basically means a mode of the game without storyline or fixed limits, usually creative, the player can interact without any predetermined goal. For example, in Minecraft, you can explore and create anything in the game world. Open world means you can explore the game world freely – e.g., in The Long Dark survival mode you can explore any part of the game world for an infinite amount of time.

  • Don’t Starve (Phone, PC, PS, Wii U, Switch)
  • The Long Dark (PC, PS, Xbox, Switch)
  • This War of Mine (PC, Phone, PS, Xbox, Switch)
  • Minecraft (PC, Phone, Switch, Xbox, PS)
  • Civilisation games (PC, Switch, PS, Xbox, Phone, Facebook Platform)
  • Terraria (Phone, PS, Xbox, Switch, Wii U)
  • Townscaper (PC, Switch, Phone, Xbox)
  • No Man Sky (PC, PS, Xbox, Switch)
  • Surviving Mars (PC, PS, Xbox)
  • Animal Crossing (Wii, Switch, Phone)

Co-op/Multiplayer available

Some are local co-op (not online), some are online, most have co-op as an option in addition to single player.

  • Untitled Goose Game (Switch, PS, Xbox, PC) (LOCAL)
  • Don’t Starve (Phone, PC, PS, Wii U, Switch)
  • Any LEGO game (most consoles/PC) (LOCAL?)
  • Rayman Legends (PC, Switch, PS, Wii U, Xbox)
  • Spiritfarer (PC, PS, Xbox, Switch) (LOCAL)
  • Minecraft (PC, Phone, Switch, Xbox, PS)
  • Journey (PC, Phone, PS)
  • Roblox (PC, Phone, Xbox) (not a game, but all co-op games on there, many free to play)
  • Phasmophobia (PC)
  • Star Trek Online (PC, PS, Xbox)
  • Gartic phone (PC, Phone)
  • Splatoon (Switch, Switch)
  • Animal Crossing (Wii, Switch, Phone)
  • Call of Duty series (PC, PS, Xbox, Wii U, Phone)
  • Genshin Impact (PC, Phone, PS, Switch)
  • Grand Theft Auto series (PC, PS, Phone, Switch, Xbox)

Child-friendly

  • Untitled Goose Game (Switch, PS, Xbox, PC)
  • Beyond Eyes (PS, Xbox, PC)
  • Broken Age (PC, Phone, PS, Xbox, Switch)
  • Any LEGO game (most consoles/PC)
  • Monument Valley (PC, Phone)
  • The Night of the Rabbit (PC)
  • Ori and the Blind Forest (PC, Xbox, Switch)
  • Rayman Legends (PC, Switch, PS, Wii U, Xbox)
  • Minecraft (PC, Phone, Switch, Xbox, PS)
  • Little Mouse’s Encyclopaedia (PC, Switch, Xbox, Phone)
  • Roblox (PC, Phone, Xbox) (not a game, but plenty of child-friendly games on there, many free to play)
  • Animal Crossing (Wii, Switch, Phone)

Calm/chill

  • A Bird Story (PC)
  • Finding Paradise (PC)
  • Forgotten Anne (PC, PS, Xbox, Switch, Phone)
  • Spider-Man (PC, PS)
  • Terraria (Phone, PS, Xbox, Switch, Wii U)
  • Goat simulator (PC, Phone, Xbox, PS, Switch)
  • Stardew Valley (PC, PS, Xbox, Switch, Phone)
  • Harvest Moon (PC, Phone, Switch, PS, Xbox)
  • Story of Seasons (PC, Switch, Wii, PS, Xbox)
  • Firewatch (PC, OS X, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch)
  • Never Alone (Kisima Ingitchuna) (PC, OS X, PS3, PS4, Wii U, Xbox One, iOS, Android, Switch)
  • Any LEGO game (most consoles/PC)
  • Euro Truck Simulator 2 (PC)
  • Firewatch (PC, OS X, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch)
  • Journey (PC, Phone, PS)
  • Little Inferno (PC, Wii U, Phone, Switch)
  • The Long Dark (PC, PS, Xbox, Switch) (can alter settings to peaceful)

Sub-category: Calm/chill games that are particularly low anxiety/consequences

Many of these games have no death of the player or fall damage (you can fall far and not lose health), if they do the consequences are very minimal (simply going back to a close-by checkpoint, for example). And they aren’t scary or anything. There may be some others on this page that fit into this category but I don’t know all of them well enough.

  • Monument Valley (PC, Phone)
  • Coffee Talk (PC, Switch, PS, Xbox)
  • Beyond Eyes (PS, Xbox, PC)
  • Untitled Goose Game (Switch, PS, Xbox, PC)
  • Animal Crossing (Wii, Switch, Phone)
  • Stray (PC, PS)
  • Night in the Woods (PC, PS, Xbox, Switch, Phone)
  • Professor Layton games (Switch, Phone)
  • Mario games (Switch, Wii)
  • Spiritfarer (PC, PS, Xbox, Switch)
  • Little Mouse’s Encyclopaedia (PC, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, iOS, Android)
  • The Night of the Rabbit (PC)
  • Samorost 3 (PC, Phone)
  • Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture (PC, PS)
  • Explore Fushimi Inari (PC)
  • Myrdalssandur, Iceland (PC)
  • Gris (PC, Switch, PS4, Phone)

Mental health and/or disability-themed (warnings)

Some of these are very intense or heavy, some are more positive and light-hearted.

  • Beyond Eyes (PS, Xbox, PC)
  • Finding Paradise (PC)
  • To the Moon (PC, Phone, Switch)
  • Gris (PC, Switch, PS4, Phone)
  • Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice (PC, PS, Xbox, Switch) (TW: Depictions of psychosis, voice-hearing)
  • Life Is Strange (Phone, PC, PS, Xbox, Switch) (TW: mentions of suicide, bullying, SA)
  • Night in the Woods (PC, PS, Xbox, Switch, Phone)
  • Spiritfarer (PC, PS, Xbox, Switch) (CW: topics of death)
  • This War of Mine (PC, Phone, PS, Xbox, Switch) (CW: war)

Collecting stuff

  • Spiritfarer (PC, PS, Xbox, Switch)
  • Minecraft (PC, Phone, Switch, Xbox, PS)
  • Animal Crossing (Wii, Switch, Phone)
  • Slime Rancher (PC, Xbox, PS, Switch)
  • Animal Crossing (Wii, Switch, Phone)
  • Don’t Starve (Phone, PC, PS, Wii U, Switch)
  • Genshin Impact (PC, Phone, PS, Switch)
  • Little Inferno (PC, Wii U, Phone, Switch)
  • The Long Dark (PC, PS, Xbox, Switch)

Puzzle-based

  • Monument Valley (PC, Phone)
  • Broken Age (PC, Phone, PS, Xbox, Switch)
  • Untitled Goose Game (Switch, PS, Xbox, PC)
  • Professor Layton games (Switch, Phone)
  • Big Brain Academy (Switch, Wii)
  • Myst (PC, PS, Xbox, Switch, Phone)
  • Tomb Raider series (mostly 1-9 for puzzles, which I think are just PC, Xbox)
  • Portal (PC, Switch)
  • The Vanishing of Ethan Carter (PC, PS, Xbox, Switch)
  • Batman: Arkham series (PC, Phone, PS, Wii U, Xbox)
  • The Night of the Rabbit (PC)

Driving

  • Wreckfest (PC, PS, Xbox, Switch)
  • Need For Speed series (PC, PS, Wii, Xbox, Phone, Switch)
  • F1 games (PC, PS, Xbox, Phone, Wii)
  • Euro Truck Simulator 2 (PC)

Exploration

Lots of exploration of the game world

  • Death Stranding (PC, PS)
  • The Long Dark (PC, PS, Xbox, Switch)
  • Minecraft (PC, Phone, Switch, Xbox, PS)
  • No Man Sky (PC, PS, Xbox, Switch)
  • Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Switch, Wii U)
  • Grand Theft Auto series (PC, PS, Phone, Switch, Xbox)
  • Shadow of the Colossus (PS)
  • The Last Guardian (PS)
  • Red Dead Redemption 2 (PC, PS, Xbox)
  • Far Cry series (PC, Xbox, PS)
  • Genshin Impact (PC, Phone, PS, Switch)
  • Watch Dogs (PC, PS, Xbox, Wii U)
  • Elden Ring (PC, PS, Xbox)
  • Skyrim series (PC, Phone, PS, Xbox, Switch)
  • World of Warcraft (PC)
  • Explore Fushimi Inari (PC)
  • Myrdalssandur, Iceland (PC)
  • The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (PC, PS, Xbox, Switch)
  • Assassin’s Creed series (PC, PS, Xbox)
  • Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor/War (PC, PS, Xbox)
  • Just Cause series (PC, PS, Xbox)
  • Spiritfarer (PC, PS, Xbox, Switch)
  • The Vanishing of Ethan Carter (PC, PS, Xbox, Switch)
  • Animal Crossing (Wii, Switch, Phone)
  • Don’t Starve (Phone, PC, PS, Wii U, Switch)
  • The Last of Us (PS)
  • Tomb Raider series (10-12, PC, Xbox)

Angry gaming (mostly shooters)

  • Call of Duty series (PC, PS, Xbox, Wii U, Phone)
  • God of War (PC, PS)
  • Days Gone (PC, PS)
  • Mass Effect (PC, Xbox, Phone, PS, Wii U)
  • Destiny 2 (PC, PS, Xbox)
  • Injustice series (Phone, PS, Xbox, PC)
  • Wolfenstein series (Phone, PC, Switch, PC, Xbox)
  • Left 4 Dead (PC, Xbox)
  • Little Inferno (PC, Wii U, Phone, Switch)
  • Battlefield (PC, PS, Xbox, Phone)
  • Metro 2033 series (PC, Xbox, PS, Switch)
  • Grand Theft Auto series (PC, PS, Phone, Switch, Xbox)
  • Batman: Arkham series (PC, Phone, PS, Wii U, Xbox)

Horror/High intensity (for thrill/sensory seekers)

  • The Last of Us (PS)
  • Alien: Isolation (PC, PS, Xbox, Switch, Phone)
  • Phasmophobia (PC)
  • Until Dawn (PS)
  • Little Nightmares (PC, PS, Xbox, Switch)
  • The Binding of Isaac (PC)
  • Bioshock series (PC, PS, Xbox, Switch)
  • Deadlight (PC)
  • Detention (PC, PS, Switch, Android)
  • LIMBO (PC, PS, Xbox, Switch, Phone)
  • Inside (PC, Xbox, PS, iOS, Switch)
  • Blasphemous (PC, PS, Xbox, Switch)
  • Call of Duty series (PC, PS, Xbox, Wii U, Phone)
  • Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice (PC, PS, Xbox, Switch) (TW: Depictions of psychosis, voice-hearing)

Executive functioning heavy (have to remember story)/Spoons-heavy/Story-heavy/Consequence

  • The Last of Us (PS)
  • Life Is Strange (Phone, PC, PS, Xbox, Switch)
  • Tales from the Borderlands (PC, Xbox, PS, Phone, Switch)
  • Detroit: Become Human (PC, PS)
  • Heavy Rain (PC, PS)
  • Beyond: Two Souls (PC, PS)
  • Fahrenheit: Indigo Prophecy Remastered (PC, PS, Phone) (for those who want to be frustrated)
  • The World Ends with You (Phone, Switch)
  • Bioshock series (PC, PS, Xbox, Switch)
  • Resident Evil games (PC, PS, Xbox, Switch, etc.)
  • Shelter 1 & 2 (PC)
  • The Stanley Parable (PC)
  • Tomb Raider 7-12 (PC, PS, Xbox, Switch, Wii, etc.)
  • Telltale’s The Walking Dead (PC, PS, Xbox, Switch, Phone)
  • What Remains of Edith Finch (PC, PS, Xbox, Switch, iOS)
  • Batman: Arkham series (PC, Phone, PS, Wii U, Xbox)
  • Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice (PC, PS, Xbox, Switch) (TW: Depictions of psychosis, voice-hearing)
  • The Last Guardian (PS)
  • The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (PC, PS, Xbox, Switch)

High difficulty – for those that want a challenge

  • The Binding of Isaac (PC)
  • Super Meat Boy (PC, PS, Switch, Wii U)
  • Blasphemous (PC, PS, Xbox, Switch)
  • I Am Bread (PC, PS, Xbox, Phone)
  • Tomb Raider 1-6 (PC, Xbox)
  • Dark Souls series (PC, PS, Xbox)
  • The Long Dark (PC, PS, Xbox, Switch) (challenges and difficult modes optional)
Screenshot from The Long Dark

A-Z List:

A

A Bird Story (PC)

Alien: Isolation (PC, PS, Xbox, Switch, Phone)

Animal Crossing (Wii, Switch, Phone)

Any LEGO game (most consoles/PC)

Assassin’s Creed series (PC, PS, Xbox)

B

Batman: Arkham series (PC, Phone, PS, Wii U, Xbox)

Battlefield (PC, PS, Xbox, Phone)

Beyond Eyes (PS, Xbox, PC)

Beyond: Two Souls (PC, PS)

Big Brain Academy (Switch, Wii)

Bioshock series (PC, PS, Xbox, Switch)

Blasphemous (PC, PS, Xbox, Switch)

Broken Age (PC, Phone, PS, Xbox, Switch)

C

Call of Duty series (PC, PS, Xbox, Wii U, Phone)

Civilisation games (PC, Switch, PS, Xbox, Phone, Facebook Platform)

Coffee Talk (PC, Switch, PS, Xbox)

D

Dark Souls series (PC, PS, Xbox)

Days Gone (PC, PS)

Deadlight (PC)

Death Stranding (PC, PS)

Destiny 2 (PC, PS, Xbox)

Don’t Starve (Phone, PC, PS, Wii U, Switch)

Detention (PC, PS, Switch, Android)

Detroit: Become Human (PC, PS)

E

Elden Ring (PC, PS, Xbox)

Euro Truck Simulator 2 (PC)

Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture (PC, PS)

Explore Fushimi Inari (PC)

F

F1 games (PC, PS, Xbox, Phone, Wii)

Fahrenheit: Indigo Prophecy Remastered (PC, PS, Phone)

Far Cry series (PC, Xbox, PS)

Finding Paradise (PC)

Firewatch (PC, OS X, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch)

Forgotten Anne (PC, PS, Xbox, Switch, Phone)

G

Gartic phone (PC, Phone)

Genshin Impact (PC, Phone, PS, Switch)

Goat simulator (PC, Phone, Xbox, PS, Switch)

God of War (PC, PS)

Grand Theft Auto series (PC, PS, Phone, Switch, Xbox)

Gris (PC, Switch, PS4, Phone)

H

Harvest Moon (PC, Phone, Switch, PS, Xbox)

Heavy Rain (PC, PS)

Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice (PC, PS, Xbox, Switch)

I

I Am Bread (PC, PS, Xbox, Phone)

Injustice series (Phone, PS, Xbox, PC)

Inside (PC, Xbox, PS, iOS, Switch)

J

Journey (PC, Phone, PS)

Just Cause series (PC, PS, Xbox)

L

Left 4 Dead (PC, Xbox)

Life Is Strange (Phone, PC, PS, Xbox, Switch)

LIMBO (PC, PS, Xbox, Switch, Phone)

Little Inferno (PC, Wii U, Phone, Switch)

Little Mouse’s Encyclopaedia (PC, Switch, Xbox, Phone)

Little Nightmares (PC, PS, Xbox, Switch)

M

Mario games (Switch, Wii)

Mass Effect (PC, Xbox, Phone, PS, Wii U)

Metro 2033 series (PC, Xbox, PS, Switch)

Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor/War (PC, PS, Xbox)

Minecraft (PC, Phone, Switch, Xbox, PS)

Monument Valley (PC, Phone)

Myrdalssandur, Iceland (PC)

Myst (PC, PS, Xbox, Switch, Phone)

N

Need For Speed series (PC, PS, Wii, Xbox, Phone, Switch)

Never Alone (Kisima Ingitchuna) (PC, OS X, PS3, PS4, Wii U, Xbox One, iOS, Android, Switch)

Night in the Woods (PC, PS, Xbox, Switch, Phone)

No Man Sky (PC, PS, Xbox, Switch)

O

Ori and the Blind Forest (PC, Xbox, Switch)

P

Phasmophobia (PC)

Portal (PC, Switch)

Professor Layton games (Switch, Phone)

R

Rayman Legends (PC, Switch, PS, Wii U, Xbox)

Red Dead Redemption 2 (PC, PS, Xbox)

Resident Evil games (PC, PS, Xbox, Switch, etc.)

Roblox (PC, Phone, Xbox) (not a game, but all co-op games on there, many free to play)

S

Samorost 3 (PC, Phone)

Shadow of the Colossus (PS)

Shelter 1 & 2 (PC)

Skyrim series (PC, Phone, PS, Xbox, Switch)

Slime Rancher (PC, Xbox, PS, Switch)

Spider-Man (PC, PS)

Spiritfarer (PC, PS, Xbox, Switch)

Splatoon (Switch, Switch)

Stardew Valley (PC, PS, Xbox, Switch, Phone)

Star Trek Online (PC, PS, Xbox)

Story of Seasons (PC, Switch, Wii, PS, Xbox)

Stray (PC, PS)

Super Meat Boy (PC, PS, Switch, Wii U)

Surviving Mars (PC, PS, Xbox)

T

Tales from the Borderlands (PC, Xbox, PS, Phone, Switch)

Telltale’s The Walking Dead (PC, PS, Xbox, Switch, Phone)

Terraria (Phone, PS, Xbox, Switch, Wii U)

The Binding of Isaac (PC)

The Night of the Rabbit (PC)

The Last Guardian (PS)

The Last of Us (PS)

The Long Dark (PC, PS, Xbox, Switch)

The Stanley Parable (PC)

The Vanishing of Ethan Carter (PC, PS, Xbox, Switch)

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (PC, PS, Xbox, Switch)

This War of Mine (PC, Phone, PS, Xbox, Switch)

The World Ends with You (Phone, Switch)

Tomb Raider series (PC, Xbox, Phone, PS, Wii)

To the Moon (PC, Phone, Switch)

Townscaper (PC, Switch, Phone, Xbox)

U

Until Dawn (PS)

Untitled Goose Game (Switch, PS, Xbox, PC)

W

Watch Dogs (PC, PS, Xbox, Wii U)

What Remains of Edith Finch (PC, PS, Xbox, Switch, iOS)

World of Warcraft (PC)

Wolfenstein series (Phone, PC, Switch, PC, Xbox)

Wreckfest (PC, PS, Xbox, Switch)

Z

Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Switch, Wii U)

Author bio:

Debbie Hughes (She/her), I’m Autistic and ADHD, I facilitate/modmin for Aucademy and I work for Gecko Community. I have an undergraduate degree and a Master’s degree in English Literature (Kent, Cardiff), so safe to say I like books. My other interests include: gaming, tea, wildlife and conservation, and The Lord of the Rings.

My favourite games to play right now (as of August 2022) are The Long Dark, Spiritfarer, Genshin Impact, and Tomb Raider 7-9 (Legend, Anniversary, Underworld). I have a PC and a PS4, but I just got a Switch as well so I can play Zelda.