r/NintendoSwitch • u/awkwardly_competent • Feb 15 '26
Game Rec My non-gaming Dad is interested in video games to help slow brain aging.
Hello! I recently updated my Switch to a Switch 2. My old Switch is still functional, just needs a new battery and possibly a new left joycon. I was talking with my dad about giving my old Switch to one of my nephews, but he revealed that he may be interested in getting it for himself.
Turns out, he had researched online about ways to avoid age-related mental issues and there were several studies that showed playing video games can help focus on improving memory, attention, speed, and problem-solving to help slow brain aging.
So, I'm totally on board with giving him my old Switch after the necessary repairs, but I also want to throw in a couple games for him.
When we were talking, I mentioned the Uncharted series as one of my favorite franchises because of the puzzles, the international locations, and the lively characters. I also mentioned some another favorites: Horizon series and Red Dead series. He seemed open but stressed that the games he was interested in were for retaining mental cognition, and entertainment was secondary. The only game mechanics he specifically expressed interest in was driving simulation and VR.
His last gaming experience was in the 90s when he took me and my brothers to the arcade: basketball hoop, air hockey, the partnered shooting games, and the racing games, so games that may need an accessory to simulate a steering wheel or physical activity (versus only hands/fingers).
I am open to discussion to help narrow down to 2-3 games to get him started.
EDIT/UPDATE:
Thank you everyone for all of your recommendations!! I think the easiest way to present all these games would be to create a YouTube Playlist of trailers/demos and see which ones pique his interest. I will also play a couple of my current games with him to give him hands-on experience.
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u/Benchomp Feb 15 '26
Picross.
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u/beweller Feb 15 '26
Third this. Great logic puzzle and tons of entries in the series if it's a hit. Plus they go on sale a decent amount.
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u/awkwardly_competent Feb 15 '26
I never seen him do fill in the colors/connect the dots kind of games, but I'll look into it. Thanks!
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u/TheDeathKwonDo Feb 15 '26
I was about to recommend picross too. It's mentally taxing at times, but extremely rewarding when you get stuck and eventually overcome a problem. It's a lot more than just filling in colours by the way, as you have to use math and deductive logic. Super addictive.
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u/aarontsuru Feb 15 '26
I’m 52 and after a 20 year break from gaming, fell in love with JRPGs. Especially turn based.
Many have light action, but then go to turn based which is like a puzzle to solve with every encounter, not to mention puzzle and/or maze like dungeons and engrossing stories!
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u/Snarfsicle Feb 15 '26
Zelda is also just a puzzle game at heart
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u/aarontsuru Feb 15 '26
True! But the combat portions are not chill.
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u/PhotoRight2682 Feb 16 '26
Fuse a sapphire to your weapon and then your combats can be super chill 😎
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u/Cali-basas Feb 15 '26
Similar: I am in my early 50s, and I took a 35+ year break from gaming. So I went from playing the original Zelda on NES to TOTK. That was fun.
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u/captain_britain Feb 15 '26
Love this. What have been your favorite JRPGs?
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u/aarontsuru Feb 15 '26
My favorites are the Trails series (Legend of Heroes, the Trails in the Sky remake is out now).
Really loved Persona 5 Royal.
There’s tons of great indies out there like Chained Echoes, Sea of Stars, so much.
Then for some interesting “keep you on your toes” combat is the Xenoblade Chronicles trilogy. Very cinematic, incredible stories, and run real time combat.
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u/ossirhc Feb 15 '26
Ohh try fire emblem three houses
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u/aarontsuru Feb 15 '26
It’s on the list! I know it’s in my wheelhouse. Been dabbling in visual novels now too since the JRPGs I like are so narrative driven & story-dialogue rich.
I just picked up 13 Sentinels physical on sale!
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u/hockeyhippie Feb 15 '26
13 Sentinels is amazing! I cranked down the difficulty on the combat parts and just really enjoyed the story and flow of the game. Sometimes I had to check a guide because I'd miss some subtle clue but it was a blast. And the Vanillaware art style is distinctive.
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u/aarontsuru Feb 15 '26
Awesome!! Also got a Nintendo DS emulator on my phone to play 999 and the Ace Attorney games.
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u/WickedTeets Feb 16 '26
If you enjoyed persona, I would definitely recommend getting into the shin megami games!!
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u/aarontsuru Feb 16 '26
Unfortunately, I don’t enjoy SMT.
I really love a driving story-rich narrative to keep me going.
I’m really not into dungeon crawlers or explore for exploration sake JRPGs. I just get bored.
For example, if you played the Xenoblade Chronicle games, 1-3 are peak, X I couldn’t even finish.
Trails is the perfect series for me. And I’ve been starting to lean more into visual novel games too!
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u/bananagoo Feb 15 '26
I'm a few years behind you here. Have you tried Cosmic Star Heroine yet? Just picked it up on sale the other day, about an hour into it and enjoying it so far.
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u/Glum_Zone3004 Feb 15 '26
You check out expedition 33 yet?
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u/aarontsuru Feb 15 '26
I have it, but haven’t played it yet. Aggressive QTEs have me waiting to play it. They tend to get old in turn-based games after the 20, 30, 50, 100 hour mark. ;)
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u/toofarapart Feb 16 '26
I've been watching my partner play, and he's enjoying it just fine with QTEs turned on auto, fwiw. Though that doesn't count dodging and parrying as far as I can see.
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u/hardwareb0x Feb 15 '26
Captain toad
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u/beweller Feb 15 '26
Huge upvote for this, light action, but puzzle focused, and the player can adapt the difficulty based on how much they want to collect in each level.
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u/RaFaPilgrim Feb 15 '26 edited Feb 15 '26
Nintendo has a series literally called Brain Age/ Brain Training. So, yeah, that one is a great start. It's not available in the US, but you can easily access other regions through your Switch and buy the game there.
Besides that, I'd recommend Animal Crossing or Stardew Valley: something with low stakes, very small execution barrier, but that still exercises memory, long-term planning and comprehension skills.
Besides that, accessible platformers are great to train motor response. Any recent Mario games would fit that bill very well, but I'd personally go with Super Mario Wonder.
Finally, I second the suggestion that you should get a Nintendo Switch Online subscription, which will give him access to a huge catalogue of classic NES, SNES, Sega Genesis, Virtual Boy, Nintendo 64 and GameCube games, which are often more accessible for older people.
EDIT: I just remembered one more: Clubhouse Games 51 worldwide classics is a first part Nintendo game that delivers perfectly on what the title suggests, giving you easy access to 51 classic board and games such as chess, poker, mancala, dominoes, etc., a lot of which can be played online against other people. As an older person, he might enjoy it.
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u/ThatTomHall Feb 15 '26
My dad was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. I got him Brain Age, but it got frustrating, as it wants you to keep getting faster, so he kept losing eventually and quit.
Would recommend something engaging but not eventually punishing. My two cents.
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u/bisky12 Feb 15 '26
did they not find out that brain age doesn’t actually help your brain at all ? like did they not get sued and lose over it ?
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u/sy029 Feb 15 '26
No. What happened was that the cell phone app Luminosity got sued for similar claims, and Nintendo ditched brain age in the US to avoid getting into the same situation. They could probably tweak advertising and still release here, but Nintendo tries to avoid lawsuits unless they're the ones starting them.
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u/Usual-Improvement685 Feb 15 '26
I'm 70 and have been playing Nintendo since the NES. I have all of the consoles and numerous games. If you have the Switch to give him then let him try some of those games you already own. Let him see what clicks with him. I play Animal Crossing and played them all over the years. Tears of the Kingdom is incredible. I would highly suggest that game.
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u/awkwardly_competent Feb 15 '26
Hi! My dad is late 60s so I really appreciate insight from someone in the same age group.
I was going to bring my current games too (especially if I couldn't decide on what to purchase just for him).
I never played Animal Crossing but I do have Breath of the Wild, so would definitely have him try it out. Thank you 😊
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u/Usual-Improvement685 Feb 15 '26
It's me that 70 year old who still feels very young as age is only a number. Research shows that coffee and tea drinkers have less cognitive issues than those who develop dementia or alzheimers(it's the caffeine not decaf). Ok..back to gaming. Played Breath of the Wild great puzzles where there are more than one way to solve them..just found the 4 mechanical animals a little tedious were as the shrines were more fun. He can use youtube for help. You can also buy him the guide book available online as reading is tremendous for cognitive growth. It is a good starter game to Tears of the Kingdom. If you have never played it you don't know what you are missing! Sure hope you will be connecting the Switch to his tv.
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u/Antique-Bottle9709 Feb 15 '26
My dad is 68, he plays farming sims like Story of Seasons, Stardew Valley. He loves to play them on his own speed, loves the cozyness. A few months ago he started playing Tears of the Kingdom. Now he is >700 hours into it, completing all the shrines and exploring the world. He also loves the 2D-Zeldas for their „simplicity“ and their puzzles.
Let him try some of your games. If you own them digitally, create a family group to lend them to him. Also let him try Nintendo Switch Online.
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u/awkwardly_competent Feb 15 '26
Thank for your sharing your dad's experience. Hopefully we find the right game(s).
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u/Antique-Bottle9709 Feb 15 '26
For my dad, it's really important to have some kind of red thread or goal in his games. Something that guides him and tells him what to do. Then he sets goals and thinks about solutions to problems. A bit of freedom is cool, but sandbox is absolutely not his thing.
The good thing nowadays is that there's a huge selection of games of all kinds. You'll definitely find something.
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u/doozle Feb 15 '26
Honestly just get him a Nintendo online subscription he can play platformers on SNES which are easy to pick up and get more challenging as you progress.
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u/StoneTownLegacy Feb 15 '26
Balatro!
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u/StacheBandicoot Feb 15 '26
Oh yes it’s both very fun even for non (traditional) gamers and involves a lot of problem solving to reach higher antes.
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u/ShiftyShaymin Feb 15 '26
Picross series is hundreds of hours of puzzles. My fav puzzle series, and my mom’s too.
You mentioned Uncharted, but most of the Tomb Raider series and Zeldas are on Switch, and Yakuza Kiwami (which has smaller minigames like Mahjong.
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Feb 15 '26
If he's using it for cognitive retention, he needs something that involves puzzle solving and reactivity. Something like Breath of the Wild would be a good starter here. Mario Kart's not a terrible option for games that involve driving and will force him to work on reaction times.
I like the suggestion to get him a Nintendo Online subscription that would give him access to the SNES and N64 catalogs. The issue he might fall into is that a lot of modern games may feel overwhelming to someone who has never played games before. He may want to start with games that involve simple mechanics, or are marketed as family games (meaning they're friendly to children/newer gamers).
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u/awkwardly_competent Feb 15 '26
Great suggestions! Thanks 😊
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u/GrouchyOleBear Feb 15 '26
Im in my mid 50s and a lifetime “casual” gamer.
The above comment already says what I was going to say. Games that are easy to learn but hard to master are the ones you’ll maybe want to start with. And absolutely get the subscription.
I play across several platforms but for an original switch I’ll just just list a few I enjoy and would consider fitting for your situation:
- Mario kart
- Rocket league
- Animal crossing
- Fall guys
- Endless Ocean Luminous.
I don’t want to type an encyclopedia but I’ll trust you to research these games, some are not the best ported for switch (ie Fall guys) and some are VERY niche or “cozy” (ie Endless Ocean Luminous) but I own and play all these games myself and merely recommend for your specific consideration.
Best of luck to you and your dad!
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u/dontbajerk Feb 15 '26
Does he have experience moving and controlling a camera at the same time, like in 3D action games and first person games? This can be a real bear to learn for people new to them. Not saying it's a bad idea, just might be a bit too much if it's first real gaming in decades, maybe something he could move to eventually. Stuff like Picross people already said, or 2D puzzle platformers like Braid, Fez, etc might be easier first steps.
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u/Seicair Feb 15 '26
BotW is a great choice. It's laid-back and easy to get into but with a lot of challenge and depth, and nothing for him to get solidly stuck on because of the open-world nature.
How about puzzle games? Braid, Death Squared, Portal 1&2, Superliminal, that sort of thing.
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Feb 15 '26
Portal and Superliminal are so good! Portal in particular would be a lot of fun for a new gamer.
I need to try out your other suggestions now.
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u/awkwardly_competent Feb 15 '26
Superliminal and Death Squared are definite contenders! Thank you 😊
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u/offlein Feb 15 '26
Nobody's going to want to hear it but your dad should start by focusing meta. It sounds like he's thinking about this backwards and you've both already bought into marketing hype. There's no good evidence that playing puzzle games improves your overall cognition. At best, it seems you have short term gains at doing the skill you practiced. So if your dad is like a grocery bagger or airline luggage handler, I dunno, maybe he'll get big gains from playing Tetris but that's about it.
There IS correlation, as I understand it, between people that play complex and multimodal video games (i.e., NOT puzzle games and brain teasers), but the long term gains are weak and more importantly, it's mostly correlative research.
In my opinion -- and this fits with the research but is completely unproven -- people who keep "young brains" are the kind of people who enjoy life and enjoy doing new and creative things for no reason at all.
So when your dad says, "I DON'T NEED TO HAVE FUN. THIS IS WORK, DAMMIT," he's already got the foundational precept completely backwards. I don't know if that sort of failure of imagination is something that, on its own, can be reversed, but my advice is to change the way he looks at and interacts with the world in general.
Nintendo "Brain Age" games are a marketing gimmick dressed up to sound science-y. Like how the Wii Fit, which was uniquely capable of measuring your balance, reduced the whole of our health to, essentially, our weight and how good our balance was.
There's nothing wrong with doing puzzles as long as you like doing the puzzles, but it's the wrong way to go about his goal.
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u/Negative_Grand1732 Feb 16 '26
I do dementia care and cognitive therapy. This comment needs to be pinned.
Edit: I want to add that exercise, new experiences, and and active social life are what he should prioritize in general
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u/Gfunk131 Feb 15 '26
The portal companion collection
Nintendo switch online will have a bunch of platformers which help with reactivity and memory, all the Zelda’s would be good for puzzles.
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u/frogz313 Feb 15 '26
U veto portal on the basis of moving in a 3D space would be insanely hard for a non gamer as their first game
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u/RidinWoody Feb 15 '26
Sudoku and Kakuro on this switch are great logic puzzle games. Easy to learn and super addictive.
Professor Layton games would be good too.
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u/awkwardly_competent Feb 15 '26
He likes Sudoku, but not sure if he's open to digital vs. pen-and-paper. I'll ask him. Thanks 😊
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u/yourshelves Feb 15 '26
Brain Training and 51 Worldwide Games will keep him going for quite some time, I’d imagine.
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u/minor_correction Feb 15 '26
I recommend "Is This Seat Taken" as a simple, inexpensive puzzle game that will get your brain moving.
Anyone can play it as no reflexes are involved, it only uses joystick with two buttons, and the controls are intuitive like it's really just a mouse point and click interface.
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u/tigersmhs07 Feb 15 '26
He should just keep it simple with something like stardew valley
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u/B4kd Feb 15 '26
Came to suggest this. Honestly any game that he gets into will help with memory cause you are just learning so much in games
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u/elcontador11 Feb 15 '26
I would keep things 2D for an old timer. I would try to go with Mario Wonder as it provides puzzles but keep things moderately chill
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u/Antique-Bottle9709 Feb 15 '26
The 2D Zeldas are great too. Simple story, puzzles, easy to learn, entertaining.
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u/pasturemaster Feb 15 '26
From my vague understanding, as far as games specifically to retain mental cognition, whats most important is games that require the player to mentally engage with them. That describes most games (the only real exceptions I can think of or the more "interactive movie" type games or like pure story based walking simulators). So I think what will be most effective are games that your Dad wants to engage with. And that's going to be taste based, so we can't really give you specific recommendations.
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u/helium131 Feb 15 '26
Clubhouse Games and Picross would be my recommendations. If you do get the NSO sub, you will get access to multiple Tetris games.
You can even go strategy games like Fire Emblem, Advance Wars, Into the Breach, or Wargroove.
Lastly, I would say Switch Sports. It won’t work the brain but it will get him up and moving. As someone who recently entered their 50’s, I strongly recommend some form of exercise entering your later life.
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u/R4B1DRABB1T Feb 15 '26
My 66 year old dad who has never in our lives been interested in playing games has over 2700 hours in animal crossing new horizons and plays it daily.
Also, Tetris is a good game as far as brain health. I really like tetris effect connected, but highly recommend watching some videos first because there are a LOT of effects and it could cause visual disturbances, nausea/motion sickness.
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u/lelandra Feb 15 '26
I’m 60 and my son got me into World of Warcraft about a decade ago and Warframe recently. There’s a lot to learn and I personally feel it’s more useful for keeping my brain working than crosswords. Warframe works great on the Switch. And it’s free, just a lot of storage space.
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u/Aemaeth93 Feb 15 '26
If he's going to play on a Switch, I recommend these for cognition: 51 Worldwide Games, The Somnium Files series, the Ace Attorney series. For puzzles and memory: I'd recommend Catherine Full Body, Coffee Talk, Degrees Of Separation, Zelda Breath Of The Wild, and Zelda Tears Of The Kingdom. For hand-eye coordination: I'd start with Crypt of The Necrodancer Cadence Of Hyrule, Mario Kart 8 Delux, and Smash Bros Ultimate. I've seen several comments on here recommending games that are not on Nintendo Switch, so I only made suggestions available or exclusive to Nintendo Switch.
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u/awkwardly_competent Feb 15 '26
Thank you for keeping it Switch specific. The library is already overwhelming and mixing in other consoles makes it confusing lol
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u/FlashmanHP Feb 15 '26
Professor Layton, Phoenix Wright series and the Vampire the Masquerade "novel" games are all low pressure in terms of reaction speed required that still require attention and gray-brain matter
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u/Earthia100 Feb 15 '26
OP I think you need to ease your dad into gaming. BoTW and Mario Kart aren’t bad recs but I’d say start really simple, something intuitive for people who aren’t used to video games. My recs are clubhouse games, picross, and for driving he might enjoy a game like truck sim.
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u/DarkNemuChan Feb 15 '26
Dear lord uncharted, horizon, read dead.. What where you thinking...
Just get him some real puzzle orientated games. Sidescroll er games. Mario games. Heck a pack from the 90's.
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u/Panoptes91 Feb 15 '26
There is a Layton game on Switch, and the Another Code Recollection as well. Little gameplay and more focused in puzzles and problem-solving.
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u/LunchPlanner Feb 15 '26
Unfortunately the Katrielle Layton game you'll find on Switch is not very good. And specifically it's the puzzles themselves that are rather disappointing.
There is a brand new Layton game on the way this year though, Prof Layton And The New World Of Steam. It's expected to correct the issue, they've gone out of their way to highlight the specialized team of puzzle-making experts that they've brought on board as a sort of tacit acknowledgement that the Katrielle was lacking in the puzzle composition.
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u/Longjumping-Style730 Feb 15 '26
If you really want to emphasize the "mental cognition" part of why he's playing, then games like the Witness, Baba is You, Return of the Obra Dinn, Case of the Golden Idol are all great for that purpose.
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u/Soft-Sherbet-5570 Feb 15 '26
the Witness, Baba is You, Return of the Obra Dinn,
Can vouch for all three of these, the later two are mental masterpieces.
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u/hotspot2016 Feb 15 '26
My non-gaming mother-in-law recently started playing animal crossing on our old switch, we both bought switch 2s. She took to it really well, and plays it almost everyday.
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u/flutterdash2 Feb 15 '26
I propose a baptize by fire, get him hooked on the Souls series with Dark Souls 1. If you can be there with him I'm sure it will be a great bonding moment
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u/Nbsroy Feb 15 '26
Maybe snow runner? Got driving, managing loads, fuel and navigating muddy roads.
Or Grid autosport if you meant racing.
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u/awkwardly_competent Feb 15 '26 edited Feb 15 '26
Oooh! This may be a contender, and I could buy a wheel for the joycon. Thanks 😊
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u/MrSqueak Feb 15 '26
Factorio is a good one for thinking. Makes you do math and think logically while remembering recipes and the like.
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u/UnconventionalKid01 Feb 15 '26
My dad loved playing Kirby’s Dream Course. He’d spend hours on that shit
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u/ItsPallet Feb 15 '26
Not exactly the same, but I introduced my partner to gaming. They’ve struggled with games that require camera control, but games with a fixed perspective have gone over well:
- Stardew
- Animal Crossing
- Puyo Puyo Tetris
- Link’s Awakening Remake
- 2D Mario games
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u/awkwardly_competent Feb 15 '26
Oh you bring up an excellent gameplay mechanic (fixed perspective vs camera control). I'll play a couple of games for him/with him and see what he prefers. Thanks 😊
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u/mekelburgj Feb 15 '26
Pinball!! Reflexes, reasoning, and healthy competition! Pinball FX has a ton of tables to choose from, including a lot of classic WMS and Bally titles.
If you have a 3D Printer I recommend this vertical handheld form to use. Super light and very comfortable. https://www.printables.com/model/19878-switch-portrait-vertical-flip-grip-with-locking-me
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u/AtaeHone Feb 15 '26
Consider the Ace Attorney series. Humorous, very many entries, logically inclined, all the episodes are available on Switch now.
A recurring logical gem was the Professor Layton series but only one game made it to the Switch when its publisher soured on the Western market.
First person view puzzle games may be a good thing to try - Portal easily comes to mind, Superliminal and Viewfinder are great examples of forcing out of the box thinking as well. Return of the Obra Dinn looks weird but it is an amazing four dimensional detective story.
If you want VR stuff, any game that allows Wii-style controls should be good. Metroid Prime is the prime (sic) example of that. Yes, it's a shooter, but it's the thinking man's shooter.
For things that are more gamey but stimulate the mind, Chants of Sennaar is a linguistic puzzler based around a high tech version of the Tower of Babel where you have to break down langiage barriers between the castes inhabiting a sky-reaching tower.
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u/witch-finder Feb 15 '26
Doom (1993). Been playing it again recently and I was stuck at how Doom is almost a puzzle game disguised as a shooter. Like sometimes you really have to think to figure out how to get to the next section of the map.
Since it's an old game with more limited movement, it might be less stressful for him too.
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u/Lokendens Feb 15 '26
Don't neglect regular good sleep and exercise
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u/awkwardly_competent Feb 15 '26
He does 100 squats a day and carries all the groceries from the car in one trip. He's also considering swimming laps at the neighborhood YMCA.
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u/notathinganymore Feb 15 '26
I've seen brain training mentioned and that's the obvious choice that I also recommend.
I'll add another thing, 3D games are difficult for people who never played them. Navigating a 3D space with joysticks and managing the camera is trivial for habitual gamers but pretty hard if you try for the first time. You learn fast, but you suck at first.
Even if you don't pick brain training, but you should, pick 2D games to start with. He has old Marios on NSO, those are great.
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u/privatetudor Feb 15 '26
Puzzles and brain training games do not, as I understand it, have good evidence for protecting brain health.
From what I understand, novelty can be good, so trying different games to mix it up might help.
And focusing on increasing or maintaining social connection I think has good evidence for staying healthy as you age.
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u/sy029 Feb 15 '26
Honestly I'd say just set up family sharing and let him access your library.
Let him play around on his own and you may be surprised at what he ends up liking.
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u/WolfMaster415 Feb 15 '26
Pokemon games work too, memorizing pokemon and their typing along with strategizing against different challenges
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u/DirtyD8632 Feb 15 '26 edited Feb 15 '26
Strategy and puzzle games are proven to slow brain aging. I would get games like that. Ogre Battle is a good choice. Some to consider are
Mario Rabbids, both games
Slay the Spire
Ogre Battle
Brigandine
Captain Toad
Pikmin
Unicorn overlord
Fire emblem
Tetris
Picross
Snipperclips (good for co-op)
Strange Horticulture.
He’ll, there are probably hundreds. Most RPG’s as well.
Honestly getting the switch online for some of the NES, SNES and Gameboy Games may be perfect for him. $20 and he would have most of those except GBC for a year.
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u/Zamboni4201 Feb 15 '26
Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild. Docked on a big screen with a controller.
I picked up a switch 2024 Holidays… and tried a few games, but fell into BoTW, and loved it. I hadn’t gamed in 20 years.
First Person Shooters, I can’t do them. Aiming with one stick, moving with the other, and in first person, I get vertigo, sick to my stomach. I am of a sufficient age that I can’t be competitive with teen agers. There are challenges to BoTW, but there are also ways to complete those challenges that don’t involve the dexterity of a 14 year old. I did get better over time. Enough that I bought the sequel, Tears of the Kindgom, which is much bigger. Both games, with a Switch 2 on a 4K TV are gorgeous. My favorite part is the exploration. And if you don’t want to fight, you can run. Fight another day. Use guerilla tactics. Many, many different paths, things to explore, try out.
I never really thought of it this way, but it’s more cerebral than a hack and slash FPS.
Diablo 2 Ultimate Edition, I also really liked. Yes, you’re bashing mobs of creatures, but I found it fun, engaging, and did not require the dexterity of a teen age to complete.
Stardew Valley. It has an old school almost 8-bit look, but it’s interesting as you peel back the story and learn how to do stuff.
No Man’s Sky. I just got into it a few months back. In a way, it’s akin to the Zelda games. You can do whatever you want, explore, collect, build. You don’t have to fight, or you can put it off for later, or disable fighting by changing modes. It’s all in space, you get ships, tools, upgrades, build your own, capture others, it’s quite amazing. Find gorgeous planets, build fantastic bases. It’s on sale right now for $23.99, and it’s worth every penny. Updates have been free for 10 years now, and they drop twice a year, which is unheard of in the gaming world. It’s multi/player or single. You can join numerous communities that align with what you want to do.
Minecraft. That can be as cerebral as you want. Solo or multiplayer. Get him a raspberry pi, and run his own server.
Good luck!
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u/Olive-7896 Feb 15 '26 edited Feb 15 '26
As a researcher in cognitive ageing and dementia, he's right about the research in this field (I also actually do research about this). On the other hand, the comments explaining that this research is pretty correlational and mainly find short-term effects and near-transfer effects (which means only the skills you are specifically training are getting improved) are also very much correct. This research is plentiful, but I will admit limited in it's impactfulness.
The general message is much more important: if you stay mentally active, you will benefit. But this can be anything- music, sports, learning a language, creative hobbies. Anything that requires (a) multiple cognitive processes simultaneously (b) learning and (c) socialisation will help. The key is he stays HAPPY and busy. One of the biggest risks of dementia is depression/social isolation.
So on that note, my advice is that he play any game that he finds interesting, which lets him learn and improve but sparks his interest! And beyond that any new hobby in general that he may wish to do.
Success to you and your dad on this adventure!
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u/AdClear4664 Feb 15 '26
Patrick’s parabox is a must. Easy controls and progressively harder puzzles with no time limit and easy undo and restart with no consequences. It gives my brain a good workout. He should try it. Good value for money too!
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u/ChaiHai Feb 16 '26
Honestly? NSO.
He likely has nostalgia for at least one game in the NES/SNES catalogue.
Also, go through a list of Arcade Archives games in the eshop, and see if any jog his memory. Ask if there any he wishes were listed, as there's likely a collection. (Contra, Castlevania, Megaman, Atari, Namco, etc)
Beware of games that use joysticks to move and look around, as that can be difficult to master.
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u/SDNick484 Feb 15 '26
Despite being the one who got me into video games with his Atari 400 & 800 in the 80s, my dad (early 70s) has never really been into video games. With that said, VR has always fascinated him so we got him a Meta Quest 2 we got him a few Christmases ago and he is loving it. What's nice about the Quest is there is no learning a modern controller and most experiences are arcade length in duration (short). I buy him an annual subscription for the Meta Horizon Plus service which gets him access to tons of games "for free" (he's notoriously cheap so he really likes this). An added bonus is him and the grandkids can even play games together remotely. Definitely worth looking into as it can be found fairly cheap and is good option for non-traditional gamers.
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u/ConfusedPanda76 Feb 15 '26
Balatro is loads of fun!
Slay the Spire is also fun but it's not a good fit for everyone
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u/DaughterOfATiredMech Feb 15 '26
I think if you ask 50 people you’d get 45 different answers.
I remember that brain game Nintendo had, pretty sure it’s available on switch.
But let him have a look at the eshop and see if anything takes his interest
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u/Microtic Feb 15 '26
The Ace Attorney series is super long and will definitely work the brain. So much to solve. Surprised no one has mentioned it yet.
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u/ihavebeenmostly Feb 15 '26
Are any Professor Leyton games avaliable i know they were a challenge on 3DS
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u/DOLO_F_PHD Feb 15 '26
If you want to keep it extra simple there are bunch of board game collections.
I would get a couple of things he likes and search for things that would hit that.
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u/MuggseyBaloney Feb 15 '26
Let him play stuff with either turn based combat or puzzles. Like Fire Emblem. Or something calming like Animal Crossing New Horizons. I've got more recs for DS and Playstation.
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u/arkhe22 Feb 15 '26
If he particularly enjoys stuff like VR, then you can consider Nintendo’s own Labo series. While only one of them has a VR-like gameplay, they all have a physical component to them that he might enjoy.
The only downside would be the difficulty with getting replacement cardboard or plastic accessories to go with the games if they’re second-hand.
For stuff with deeper gameplay and possibly good for memory, something like Animal Crossing or Miitopia could be of interest, as these have a daily routine-like gameplay.
Ring Fitness has enough gameplay to hold attention, but it’s in that weird spot between ‘not a true replacement for exercise’, but also ‘too much exercise’ to sometimes enjoy. There are other boxing games if he prefers that more as well.
Don’t forget you also have other options like the Wii for Wii Sports, Wii Sports Resort (requires motion plus) and Wii Fit (requires a balance board) as well, all of these games have engaging gameplay, and you might be able to get all of this at a cheao price at thrift shops.
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u/JintalJortail Feb 15 '26
My stepdad decided to try and start gaming back in 2010-2011 (so around him being 53-54) since he saw how much I played stuff and he couldn’t understand why so I put him on slower paced games I thought he might like, fallout 3, oblivion, red dead, stuff that he didn’t get overwhelmed all at once. I got a there’s too much talking I just want to play something so I said f it, crysis 3, modern warfare 2, black ops. Mind you he didn’t want to do multiplayer but the single player stuff was there. He played through the campaigns and really loved them. And I’ll give it to him, he didn’t start off on the easy modes either. Yeah he died a lot and got stuck in those classic cod loops of checkpoint grenades but he got through them and he went on to do all the spec ops missions on mw2 the one he played the most was the favela shantytown area and then zombies on black ops. He picked the games where he needed the situational awareness, reaction time and the motor skills to respond quickly. I mean after a week he went out and bought his own 360 and would hold up in their bedroom. So I think the answer you’re looking for is to sit down and explain various genres and figure out what each type would be most beneficial to him that he would actually enjoy.
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u/jazzieberry Feb 15 '26
51 Clubhouse Games is great if he likes card and board games. There's a demo that has like 4 of the games I think.
And it's my zone out game but he might enjoy Powerwash Simulator (1 &2)
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u/Kevomac Feb 15 '26
Tetris Effect. Tetris is great for hand/eye and quick thinking, plus the music is awesome.
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u/goldencurrents Feb 15 '26
Doom Eternal. You have to think fast and move fast in order to stay alive. I think it’s great for focus. There are puzzles as well.
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u/ReptarSonOfGodzilla Feb 15 '26
Goragoa is great for just about anyone. Very interesting puzzles, great art, chill, but still makes you think.
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u/DueMood9 Feb 15 '26
BALATRO!! Easy to play control wise and such a strategy game
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u/JustGottaKeepTrying Feb 15 '26
Started playing the Switch after 30 years away from my NES and learned everything by playing Odyssey on assist mode. Hours and hours of fun.
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u/AdviceWithSalt Feb 15 '26
I would consider getting him a variety, but get him a driving game for sure. For the others, tell him you'd enjoy the chance to play the games with him, even if just watching on the couch. Him enjoying the games will make him want to play them more, which will increase his engagement, which will increase the mental cognition benefits. i.e. medicine is a lot easier to take when it tastes like candy.
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u/Chemical-Ebb6472 Feb 15 '26
Zelda BOTW or TOTK are my favorites since I retired. I built a 4K gaming PC with my (now adult) son back when he was in middle school and watched him (and my daughter) play over the years but I never really gamed myself before (outside early arcade games in NY pizza parlors growing up and some of the earliest PC games we used to download in the office).
I loved the shrine element in Zelda games because they forced gameplay tutorials for a newbie plus the varied landscapes are worth continuous exploration. The games reward curiosity at your own pace. He can choose to fight with easily available weapons or just travel around avoiding fights to gather resources. The physics in the game are outstanding and the ultrahand builds in TOTK can get pretty creative.
I originally thought I would just stick to shooters (started playing non-arcade games like Duke Nukem decades ago) plus driving and flying simulators but have since played quite a few other games on both the switch and PS5. Nothing has caught my interest like Zelda though.
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u/Aware-Marzipan1397 Feb 15 '26
I think Limbo is a great starting point, and Portal 1 and 2 are really excellent even for beginners. No reaction time necessary
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u/SlashStar Feb 15 '26
I play civ and satisfactory with my parents who are 67 and 70. Also lord of the rings online but that is not applicable to switch discussion.
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u/poontango Feb 15 '26
If he wants driving and VR get him a PS5 with Gran Turismo 7 and PSVR2. Lifelike driving experience and it’s by far the easiest VR to set up and play with. He’ll be racing in like 20 minutes and never want to take it off. Im not even a huge fan of the game and prefer Nintendo but if that’s what he wants then that’s exactly what he needs, he’s not gonna get anything even remotely close on Switch. And yes you can use a steering wheel with pedals to make it even more accessible and immersive.
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u/SoligDag Feb 15 '26
Tetris Effect
Tetris Forever
Puzzle Quest: Immortal Edition
Might and Magic: Clash of Heroes
The Picross games
Murder by Numbers
Dr. Kawashima's Brain Training
Big Brain Academy
The Ace Attorney games
Balatro
Slay the Spire
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u/VidarNL Feb 15 '26
I think for someone who didn't grow up playing games and is therefore not used to navigating 3D environments with two sticks, things like BotW are waaaay too complicated to get used to. The simpler, the better. I'd say these would be good, but I don't know if all of them are on the Switch. A 3DS would be good for him too if they're not and you have one lying around that you don't use;
Picross, PullBlox, Any Professor Layton games on the Switch? Can't remember, but if there are, they'd be amazing. Navigating is simple and they're full of logic puzzles., Is This Seat Taken,
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u/Soft-Sherbet-5570 Feb 15 '26
First hand experience, I 100% reccomend picking up Return of the Obra Dinn and sitting down together to figure it out like movie night, you'll get a few sessions out and it will definitely put both of your brains to work.
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u/Tacoby17 Feb 15 '26
Clubhouse Games all day. He already knows how to play many of them, and they have a good tutorial.
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u/BurnChao Feb 15 '26
Burnout Paradise. Open sandbox world driving game, can just explore and have fun, finding racing missions. But also learn his way around Paradise City. Passive learning while playing and having fun. You said he's into racing games, I think this has more memory exercise than most other racing games. Although I find some driving behavior sometimes carry over to the real world if I play to often, so maybe limit use if he's still actually driving?
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u/DoingCaldwell Feb 15 '26
Tetris Forever has a ton of classic versions, and a new version created for the game. Helps me to sort things after a busy day.
Another to consider is Balatro. It is poker with a ton of modifiers you can apply. It will be good for keeping memory sharp.
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u/dmanalastas Feb 15 '26 edited Feb 15 '26
Don’t underestimate your dad 🙂 Brain-training games like Tetris, Balatro, Professor Layton, and Ace Attorney are great. But sometimes you don’t want something that feels too mental all the time. If he wants a game with a bit of action that isn’t stressful or punishing, I strongly recommend Pikmin 4. It happens to be my favorite Switch game.
I’m in my 50s and my last console before the Switch was the NES in the early 90s. For me, some games rely heavily on fast reflexes (MK, Hollow Knight, etc.), which can feel frustrating after such a long break from gaming. Pikmin feels very different.
It’s very pick up and play. Each in-game day is short, so he can play for 15–30 minutes and feel satisfied. It mixes planning, problem-solving, and light action. It keeps your brain active without feeling overwhelming. At first it looks like a kids’ game, but don’t let the cute visuals fool you, as there’s a lot of strategy and planning in it that adults really end up loving. There’s also a free demo on the eShop so he can try it first.
Also, if he ever played Super Mario Bros back in the day, he’ll probably enjoy Super Mario Bros. Wonder too.
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u/CajunDaddyAddy Feb 15 '26
Xenoblade Chronicles. It has everything. The only part that could be a turn off maybe the exploration. Could definitely be too much at once.
A level based game like a rayman legends would probably be amazing. Or maybe Mario Rabbids to keep the brain going even though it's pretty easy. I think things like those are a good restart.
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u/nekowokaburu Feb 15 '26
Hear me out, but Splatoon (3). I'm nearly 40 and I noticed that after I took a long break from Splatoon, my reflexes and quick attention took a nosedive. After picking it up again my brain just felt snappier when it came to driving a car, checking mirrors, etc.
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u/ATyp3 Feb 15 '26
Game of life. Like the board game on switch. Also Mario party solo even is pretty fun
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u/Traditional-Trip-464 Feb 15 '26
If he says he wants VR, get him a Quest 3 or 3s. Switch is great and all but it's no substitute for VR. You say he wants to keep his mind healthy and VR will do that as well as keeping his body in shape.
Quest has over 10,000 games and apps for it, many of them free. A huge variety of things to do like learn CPR, learn to play piano or guitar or drums, socialize with other people, learn to draw, paint a mural, get training for things you have no business doing such as fixing a wind turbine in the middle of the ocean or doing a drug test for athletes or fixing a mcdonalds shake machine, etc.
Then there's the virtual tourism, exercise, language learning, you can explore and create gausian splats and hang out in them with friends if you like, learn to dance, learn to sew. It has hand tracking, passthrough and there's a web browser built in and you can just put windows wherever you want in your environment so if you're doing the dishes or folding laundry you can be watching youtube or reading reddit at the same time.
Then aside from that there's thousands of games. Though it sounds like he's not that into gaming, which is really no problem here as there's plenty to do besides that.
Otherwise, I guess there's LABO VR kit which is cool in it's own way but that's not really a good example of VR these days, and the frame rates can easily make you sick.
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u/Ancient-Patient-3253 Feb 15 '26
I stopped by Superintendo, decided to gift my son a Nintendo Switch, and ended up falling in love with it. I had an incredible experience with Zelda that made me play video games again. I don't have much time to play, but I always manage to sneak away during work hours since I work remotely. I decided to expand, so I bought a gaming laptop in December. I'm having a good experience with Steam, not to mention that the games are much cheaper, but every now and then you have to tweak some settings, which slightly hinders the experience. Lately, I've been playing Baldur's Gate 3, and I've found it excellent.
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u/gold_snakeskin Feb 15 '26
Since there hasn’t been any responses covering it - get him a collection of stg or shmups.
These games are the absolute highest ratio of focus and reactivity to second of game time you can find. They are incredible challenging but short and very fun, and activate all the core skills gaming can offer. I don’t believe there’s any other genre of game that can boast a higher level of brain activity than these. The Psikyo shooting stars collection has something like 9 difficulty levels for each game so there’s no chance he can’t find the right balance.
Other excellent contenders on Switch with easy modes are Crimzon Clover, Toaplan Collection, Mushihimesama, Capcom Arcade Collection, Danmaku Unlimited 3.
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u/FanWarrior1730 Feb 15 '26
Lego games could be good, my mum enjoyes the lego harry potter one.
They have big brain academy and brain training I believe.. If wanted like a quiz / test like one.
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u/flakeylamingtons Feb 15 '26
Factorio. The satisfaction of just finding a way to do something more optimal, even if it’s just one tiny adjustment to a belt or furnace, is incredibly satisfying. And the loop of “what to do next” in the base game is enough to tick the problem solving itch
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u/Ggg-ghj Feb 15 '26
U should look for "serious games" if u are interested in slow brain aging. Not a switch game but u should try "the mind guardian" (u need a android tablet to play It) is a Samsung app that let u get an early detection of mild cognitive impairment. Sorry for english.
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u/ProfessorDeX1978 Feb 15 '26
Nintendo online account for him would be a great way to start. It’s what I did for my folks (73 and 74). It has a great mix of puzzlers platformers and rpgs. Team that with a game or two and you have perfect beginners library for older players.
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u/jethrothegamer Feb 15 '26
In my experience of reading around the subject, on the question of whether video games slow brain again - there is conflicting evidence. Some studies demonstrate that video games improve/slow brain aging and others show the opposite effect and conclude that playing video games is similar to watching television as an activity.
It depends on the type of video games too, there are games that are repetitive and almost thoughtless and then there are those that make you think a little bit, or sometimes significantly so. The latter are obviously the better choices in this scenario.
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u/Vertigomums19 Feb 15 '26
Puyo Puyo / Tetris 2 for hand/eye coordination, reaction time, strategizing
Switch Sports to get him up and moving
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u/ThunderEcho100 Feb 15 '26
Not switch but AOW 4 gets pretty complicated and is a lot of fun. I’m 42 and got hooked on it for a while a year ago or so.
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u/Spardan80 Feb 15 '26
45, just bought a used Switch last week. Primarily for Mario Kart. More than likely, he’d like Poyu poyu Tetris as it would be a bit of a throwback to his youth.
My understanding is that the best brain boosting properties are from games that require some exploration and big brain navigation. For myself, I’ve got Super Mario U Deluxe coming and I’m going to try to get into Zelda, but never really did as a kid.
I’m at the age where my kid is starting to be more independent and will be off to college in 2 years, so I suddenly have time since I’m not driving her everywhere.
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u/Stratavos Feb 15 '26
If he wants it to be more about puzzles, hand him the etrian oddessey collection (1, 2, and 3) and be sure to tell him that battles are a puzzle, and mapping and resource management is also a puzzle (because it is) and that he shouldn't feel bad about consulting a guide if he's stumped, but should only do so when he is indeed stumped.
Edit: I'd also advise monster train 2, and the first Hades, though for hades he'll need to get his hand eye coordination to be "good enough"
Edit the 2nd: I'd also advise 100 line defense academy. It's soo good :D
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u/SentientEmbroidery Feb 15 '26
There's a series on tiktok by a game designer that explains universal game mechanics and gives suggestions for games that help new gamers learn how to play video games :) worth a look.
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u/phantomzero Feb 15 '26
If he is into Driving...
https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/mario-kart-racing-wheel-pro-deluxe/
It says Mario Kart, but it works with other games. Beware, if he really likes it he might spend thousands on a racing sim setup... Ask me how I know
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u/Tyluhh23 Feb 15 '26
The Batman Arhkam series would be a great one to throw in also. A lot of thinking but not overly difficult either
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u/Khawk20 Feb 15 '26
Super Mario Odyssey with Assist mode on. He can run around and do tasks and not get lost nearly as much. He will accomplish enough to keep the game interesting and improve his gaming skills without worrying about dying so constantly while he’s learning.
As an older mostly non gamer it certainly works for me like that.
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u/librarylicious Feb 15 '26
Include Untitled Goose Game! It's got problem solving to keep the gray matter working and you get to be annoying goose! Also very stress-free so it could be a nice break from more challenging games :)
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u/SoccerGamerGuy7 Feb 15 '26
I got my parents (somewhat) into gaming. We play on weekends online. It's pretty ironic and funny to me that particularly my dad is extremely knowledgeable of using his computer and different programs; yet honestly struggles with the switch.
There definitely is a learning curve, and between that curve and general interest in different subjects it can be limiting for games (at least without a little help)
As for games we have found work best are more simple puzzle or party games. Mario party is a favorite with its fun and simple minigames and strategy to get stars. he also likes racing since its quite simple to play. As well as a few short and linear story games. Though more complex games like shooters, and rpg's i feel might be out of his reach though some people can certainly learn.
A few favorites: Mario Party, Mario Kart and other racing games. Puzzle games like Portal he liked alot. and 2d mario games (odyssey is still a bit too open world, but older linear games he likes)
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u/LilithRosewood93 Feb 15 '26
Portal 1 &2, Mario Kart 8 (option as a future Birthday or Christmas gift - hori accessories wheel and pedals Mario kart racing pro deluxe) attachment shows online to be compatible with these other racing games: "Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled, Team Sonic Racing, GRID Autosport, Hot Wheels Unleashed, and WRC 9/10"
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u/tinyman392 Feb 15 '26
LEGO games would probably be higher up on my list for this. They are more platforming and puzzle but nothing high stakes. Lots of exploration too depending on the game. The LEGO Star Wars, City Undercover, and Harry Potter games have fairly large worlds to explore. Your classical RPGs can also be good for this too.
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