This crop of party games are suitable for all the family
With autumn looming (and autumn weather already well and truly here) some fun family videogames are a great way to liven up a wet weekend afternoon. Here we’ve picked out some of the best games that are suitable for all ages – where adults can have just as much fun as the little ones. Who knows, you may even be able to lure any teenagers in the house away from FIFA and Call of Duty…
Yoshi’s Woolly World
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Not so long ago, Nintendo took over every living room in the country with the simple gameplay of the Wii and Wii Sports. It’s safe to say the Wii U hasn’t quite captured the public imagination in the same way, but its games still have that unique Nintendo fun to them. In this one, Yoshi becomes a character knitted from yarn who inhabits a woollen world. Gameplay centres around the way that world can be interacted with, by pulling and unravelling it. The imaginative gameplay will keep everyone interested and an ‘easy mode’ makes the game playable by even very small children.
£31.51, Amazon
Platform: Wii U
Splatoon
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Another Wii U title, this one is best played with slightly older children. It’s basically a family-friendly version of a third-person shooter, but instead of blowing away zombies with bullets you’re splattering the game world with paint guns. Oh, and your characters are all people that can turn into…squid. Still, it takes all sorts. Multiplayer options are mainly online, where you battle in four-on-four matches, but you can also play in offline one-on-one battles (winner stays on, anyone?).
£22.59, Amazon
Platform: Wii U
Lego Jurassic World
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When it comes to family gaming, Lego has got it pretty much wrapped up. Its fun movie franchise games are endlessly entertaining, and this is one of the latest. Despite the title, the game is actually based on the main events from all four of the Jurassic movies. Gameplay is either single-player or two-player co-op and as you go through the game you’ll be able to unlock extras that enable you to play as the dinosaurs. Let’s face it, you really can’t go wrong with this one. Lego + dinosaurs + video games? Sounds like any six-year-old’s idea of heaven.
£34.99, 365games.co.uk
Platform: Xbox One. Also on PS4, PS3, X360, PC, Vita, 3DS, Wii U
LittleBigPlanet 3
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This latest release in Sony’s LittleBigPlanet franchise includes four-player co-op gameplay, so if you’ve got enough controllers you can all team up. Gameplay will be familiar to anyone who’s played through previous titles in the series – for those who haven’t, this is a platform game that’s as much about creating your own game levels as it is playing through the ready-made ones. And even if you’re not playing, you’ll be entertained by the voiceovers provided by Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie.
£14.99, GAME
Platform: PS4. Also on PS3
Disney Infinity 3.0
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Everybody loves a bit of Star Wars, and that’s the focus for this latest instalment in the Disney Infinity series. Infinity gives gamers the chance to play within Disney’s world – and, since the purchase of Star Wars from Lucasfilm, that now includes Luke, Leia and co. If you’re new to Infinity you’ll need to know this is a toys-to-life game – it’s based around the concept of collecting real-world character models that can then be added to the game. Christmas sorted, then.
£29.99, Amazon
Platform: Xbox One. Also on X360, PS3, PS4
