Three games to watch someone else play for once
If I’d have to rank one of my worse qualities as a human being it would be my lack of ability to sit and watch anything, especially watching people play video games. There is nothing more painful to me than watching other people play games I’m not somehow involved in. Seriously, if I’m ever interrogated and forced to watch a Twitch Stream of any kind I will sing like an operatic canary, or promptly bash my head into any available hard surface.
But so much of the gamer culture has expanded into an entire subculture of voyeuristic gamers around the world. I blame this on blazing-fast internet speeds and access to cheap webcams. Nowadays misanthropic basement-dwelling hobgoblins are being sponsored by energy drink companies and big-name brands.
What we are witnessing here is the dawn of the next generation of gamer: the Venatus Vicarius or “vicarious gamer”. These are gamers who have no qualms of vegging for hours watching other gamers game, so much so that entire fandoms are cultivated for their favorite streamer or channel.
I cannot wrap my head around this bizarre behavior of paying money to willingly be a backseat gamer. So, I devised an experiment with my fiancée, who loves my gaming life as much as a trip to the dentist, and against her will and my better judgement begrudgingly became a backseat gamer.
These titles are perfect for the non-gamer in your life to torture you with.
What Remains of Edith Finch. If you’re good about not spoiling things for yourself then this little Indy gem may have slipped off your radar, but if you know what a suspenseful treat it is then you know that this is an interactive story that demands to be shared with the world. For any player not accustomed to first-person sleuthing, What Remains is a perfect starting point to understanding how to navigate and interact and how to adapt to different game mechanics.
Each heart-wrenching story is played with a different set of controls and mechanics. The mood is slow and spooky but not overwhelming or jarring to the newbie. Also, the art style and visuals are a marvel to behold and I felt myself lured in watching my fiancée creep herself out at every turn. It’s a quick but sweet starting point and even if you know what will happen next, watching someone uncover the mysteries in one evening is very entertaining.
Hollow Knight. There is nothing more devastating than handing a spatially challenged adult a controller to a 2D side-scrolling platform game. Devastation and hilarity mixed with tangible fear. While Hollow Knight is a glorious example of throwback gaming in a beautiful hand-drawn world, it can be a brutal test of resilience and reflexes. This one was rollercoaster to watch just because my significant other is horribly bad at platformers and I’m horribly bad with patience.
To top it off, Hollow Knight sucks you into the world of gorgeous animation and exploration, so watching your partner die over, and over, and over, and over, and over can be torturous. I cannot give this game a high enough recommend, especially if you haven’t argued over something trivial for a while like concepts such as jump timing.
BunnyBuns. HyperBeard Games may have created the cutest mobile games in the entire world. Although I’ve played three mobile games my entire life I can (and with some measure of guilt) say I actually like watching my fiancée play this. Mobile gaming flies over my head, mostly because I loathe cell phones and fantasize about a day when I can drop this pocket nightmare into the ocean forevermore. But until that day comes, I can get my fill of mobile games through witnessing others futz around with them.
That being said, this mix the shape with the color in order to appease cartoony clients is nothing short of pure catharsis. There is no inane squealing or annoying beeping or booping, just a chill accordion music and sometimes gleeful tweets from the Bunny Baker. If you’re seeking a break from real life to drool over ersatz pastries while looking over your partner’s shoulder, then I give this cute confectionary app a recommend.
All-in-all the experiment was a success. Instead of rolling her eyes when I pick up a controller, my fiancée now tries to bite me when I tell her it’s my turn. I guess I should start enjoying the view as passenger a lot longer than I anticipated.
When not vaporizing zombies or leading space marines as a mousepad Mattis, Brandon Watson is making gourmet pancakes and promoting local artists.