My kid (age 8) and I like to play games together. He likes RPGs where you see your chosen character’s abilities get better over time, crafting where you can make new things with in-game items you find, combat and tactics, and playing together and with others. We’ve been playing Don’t Starve Together for close to a year now and I’m ready to move on to something more complicated. Playing over LAN (when we’re together) and online (when we’re not) is necessary. What you do you recommend? Part of me wants to introduce him to World of Warcraft but maybe there’s a gateway game that will get him ready for WoW?
Maybe try Lord of the Rings Online together instead? It’s much nicer in terms of world building, sense of calmness and it’s not as harsh as Wow, in my opinion 😀
I mean, isn’t this what Minecraft is all about? Building stuff with your kid in a kid-friendly environment?
Minecraft is a good suggestion. But I think he requires more structure than Minecraft provides (for example, he’d like to have achievable quests, a bit of character development, etc.). I never got into Minecraft, so maybe I’m missing something: does Minecraft have those elements? Or would I have to provide them?
My daughter got into WoW when she was 9. We used to play characters together and she used to love running quests, exploring the world and levelling up as a duo. You can play for free for the first 20 levels, but due to the free account restrictions, you really should subscribe to be able to group together and trade. So I certainly wouldn’t try and dissuade you from trying the game with your kid.
That said, LOTRO is a pretty cool choice too if Middle earth appeals.
I’m actually the one who got MMO fatigue first (because I’ve played a lot of them for many years before). She then got into Overwatch (having big brothers who play will do that to a little sister) and now headshots people when she is not on Minecraft or Roblox. Very wholesome hobby. :)
Wendelius
Honestly, I’d just chose WoW. Maybe wait for one of those sales when the Battle Chest is $5, but I think it’s only $20 for the 1-100 game.
LotRO is a good game, but I think WoW is a little more accessible than LotRO.
Consider Lego Worlds. I think it’s somewhere between Minecraft and the MMO choices. It has quests and a story, but also allows freeform building, and can be played locally without getting into MMO subscriptions or social requirements.
Wow is hard to beat, as it scales from super easy (questing) to very hard. The artwork is also hard to beat for a kid, it seems like it would be a pretty magical world for an 8 year old, but there are some real downsides.
My only question would be, do you really want your kid getting anywhere near MMOs. They are not only incredibly toxic from a community standpoint, they are also a fast trip to gaming addiction. WoW will take whatever innocence an 8 year old still has in this world, and dispatch it within 24 hours.
The unadulterated sense of discovery and joy of building things seems more than enough to satisfy most kids. In fact he’s more than likely going to just “show you his stuff” that he’s built in between playing sessions of you and he.
That wasn’t my experience with my daughter at all. Once you switch off unwanted guild invites from showing up, we found the community at low level to be pretty silent and not toxic when people were speaking. And, if anything, other players we encountered tended to be helpful.
My daughter has seen a lot more drama and abuse flying around in kids friendly Roblox than WoW. Unless the 8 year old is planning to go raiding with strangers, that shouldn’t change too much. You should definitely set their social setting preferences and chat filtering options though. Parents do need to pay attention when playing online with a kid, of course.
Wendelius
My daughter enjoys Lego Worlds in small bursts but doesn’t love it. The “quests” are incredibly simple and repetitive. There is satisfaction in travelling to new worlds and discovering new designs, but it’s a very lightweight game. I didn’t really find much to do playing it with her.
Same. Been playing for a couple of weeks with my daughter on WoW and it’s been wonderful. Low-pop server, no drama whatsoever. No hints of any addiction. She enjoys playing with Mommy and Daddy, and she can do daily cooking/fishing, but that’s it.
You guys! Part of the problem is I loved playing WoW and I still wax nostalgic looking at old screenshots. But it’s like the Cadillac of multiplayer worlds. Isn’t there a Honda I can test-drive? I didn’t get into Minecraft. It’s too ugly. My kid has a copy and he tinkers around in there from time to time but it doesn’t hold his interest as much as Don’t Starve Together (where he’s discovered mods) and the quests in Simple Rockets. And I don’t remember loving Lord of the Rings Online (I never played it, but watched my friend play it in the closed beta). It didn’t grab me like WoW. I don’t know what it is.
Thank you for the positive anecdotes, @malichai11 and @Wendelius. I’m glad there’s other folks out there playing WoW with their kids. Like @Ultrazen, I worry about addiction. Kids spend a lot of time processing what they experience and I’ve noticed that even with simpler games like FTL, when he’s super into it, the game occupies most of his thinking time. I wonder if that’s normal and where the line is between play and obsession.
Guild Wars 2? I mean the women all look like plastic models running around in combat lingerie … but it is kind of a MMO you can easily play. If you don’t mind the near-anime look to everything.
You’ve talked me into reinstalling.
What I didn’t like about GW2 are the changing skill combinations based on what you equip. Would definitely have been too much for my daughter. Also, the combat is generally more involved and demanding. WoW is pretty relaxing in comparison.
Oh hey that’s fun and all! It is a lovely game to look at, maybe even better at times than WOW, but there is a definite cheesecake factor to the art style - although to be fair not every single female models’ clothing style is revealing. Though I’m pretty sure the Mesmer class is essentially the class for runway models that defeat their enemies by looking fabulous. Just not sure what the OP may consider (or if) appropriate or not for her son at his age.
Also maybe Elder Scrolls Online? Elder Scrolls games have a much more grounded art style with less cheesecake and a range of aged NPCs - but it’s also pretty fun as well. Also like Guild Wars 2, no subscription.
Wow is a great Gateway game. It is simple, easy to play, and the redid the starting areas a few years ago. The elegance of it is that it can be simple and basic as you level but get hardcore much later, if you want. Guild Wars 2 and Lord of the Rings online are fine, but ultimately WOW is the king for a reason.
It’s just the nature of MMOs in general, they are built around creating addictive behavior. It’s one thing to deal with as an adult, but for a kid, I can easily see it becoming a problem. Of course you can always regulate what and when your kid does something, but to me, exposure to MMOs is pretty much like exposing your kid to gambling.
There are a ton of things I can think about WoW, that a kid would absolutely love. Being a hunter and collecting pets? That would probably be off the chart for an 8 year old me. The game itself is certainly an amazing playground for a kid, I just worry about the downsides of MMOs in general when it comes to someone that young. The addictive nature of gaming, combined with parental support seems like it would be a pretty nasty combo. If it was me, I wouldn’t let my kid near an MMO with a 10 foot pole, but that’s just my sensibilities and concerns.
WoW is the way to go! It has also been simplified to not be overwhelming to a pre-teen.