Cat HicksI'm teaching my mom to play video games (first time ever) and she is STRESSED
The deep game design questions coming at me right now. "In video games, is it typical that you can use a resource and then when you go back to it will it be there again?"
We've tackled why different consoles have their own controllers, "you're supposed to use your thumbs the whole time?", what completionism is
I am getting a lot of why questions lmao 😩 doing my best here like "sometimes people enjoy playing in this kind of way..."
I made the mistake of telling her jumping is often a hard part for people "in video games" (every question is like "in video games are you supposed to...") and now she's like HERE'S A JUMP every time
Questioning my choice to make a highly exploratory artsy little game (Journey) my mom's first video game but I think it's right 🙈🙈
We've graduated from "where do I go" to "oh I'm going to follow these" 🥳🥳
The huge gasp and SHOOT coming out of this woman's mouth every time she tries to jump and turn at the same time are killing me 😂 same tho Mom
One interaction is now named "The O" for the button you need to press to invoke it. "Was I supposed to use The O??"
Omg she made a jump from a far platform that I did not think was the right one and it was the solution, the smugness in this house right now
She just asked me how much a PlayStation is 🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹 we're winning fam
"I'm riding it! I'm riding it! Woo! Aaaah sand!!" May the people who made this game enjoy perfect cups of coffee, cool pillows, and ideal weather for their preferences for the rest of their lives
So fun to listen to developing game literacy in real time. "Hm it's making sure I saw the light"
She's putting the controller on my hand every time it vibrates to show me it's doing it 😂 "what does it MEAN" the things you never realize you don't have a verbal answer for...I looked at her and was just like "emotion??"
I have the best update after teaching my mom to play her first video game a month ago 😂
My little brother and I were catching up and he said "Can you please explain to me why I called our mother and she started talking about "superior graphics" in the choice between gaming consoles?!"
My bro: is mom.......a........gamer........????
Me, knowing FULL well mom was repeating word for word something I said to her: I mean sounds like it
My bro: she started asking me about games and I suggested she get a Switch and she SCOFFED
Me: I mean some of us like graphics, you know, those of us who are ACTUAL gamers
(saying this sitting next to my switch because it's about the top tier sibling gaslighting opportunity 🥰)
Omg. My mom just sent me a picture of HER GAMING SETUP. THERE'S AMBIENT LIGHTING IN TWO COLORS
"I'm really bad at everything but who cares" words to live by
This is really making my night
She's finished Journey and she's planning to play it all the way through again after she's "figured out more about playing video games" she has figured out she likes "chill games where I don't have to shoot anyone" mood
Shannon Quinn 
@grimalkina Oooh I need more chill games where I don’t have to shoot anyone, that sounds nice
Raven667@grimalkina soo many good choices, she is going to need a nice curated steam wishlist
Brit@grimalkina this is a 10/10 thread, would read again, also keep us posted. I may try your experiment 🤞🙏
Trisha Lynn 🇵🇭 🇺🇸 🇨🇦@grimalkina There are way so many games out there that are all about not shooting people that are fun and cute and bubbly and sometimes challenging, like Lil Gator Game, which actually has a speedrunning community.
(Huge nod to Dan Floyd and Carrie Floyd and their YT channel Play Frame for their playthrough vids.)
rhempel@grimalkina Check out Unravel and Unravel 2 if you like puzzle games - The Bridge is also good
Florian Idelberger@grimalkina maybe she’ll like Gris?
Ilya Zverev@grimalkina I would recommend Sky from the Journey developers, which also has the Moomin season on right now.
But.
It will take thousands of hours from her on idle flying and slow talking with people while watching sunsets, so idk if it's wise to start the game. After a year and a half, I'm struggling to leave.
Nathan Lowell (he/him) 📎
Ashe Dryden 🙆🏼♀️🐈🐈⬛@grimalkina your mom rules lol
Jenniferplusplus@grimalkina i love this whole saga. I can't wait to find out she's become a speed runner or something
Mark Levison@grimalkina being of a similar age (or course enough) to your mother I’ve been cheering for this entire thread.
Your mum gives me hope.
Ruth [☕️ 👩🏻💻📚✍🏻🧵🪡🍵]@grimalkina this update left me cackling
Nick has moved to Mathstodon@platypus @grimalkina Definitely brought a smile to my face as well.
bearbob ☭@platypus @grimalkina fully agree, well played and thanks for sharing to lighten up my day!
Ali Smith@grimalkina Top tier trolling 😂
@grimalkina I’m imagining you texting your bro with “4090 or gtfo” and it’s… pretty easy to imagine, actually
Jago@grimalkina this whole thread is warming my heart
Gabriel Pettier@dayglojago @grimalkina it's wholesome indeed :)
mhoye@grimalkina Untitled Goose Game! Co-op horrible goosing!
@grimalkina Got all teary reading down this thread. I love it! I played Journey pretty early in my game-playing days, before I'd gotten enough design sense that I wasn't constantly puzzling and it was an extraordinarily beautiful experience.
Jaycie@grimalkina This is so very utterly wholesome. Cheering y'all on. 💜
zenkat@grimalkina this thread files me with joy. so awesome. what game?
@zenkat Journey!
shom 🐧📷🤿🏔️🪚✊🏽@grimalkina this thread was so delightful, thanks for sharing your mom's Journey with us!
Marcos Huerta@grimalkina I love Journey - I think it’s a great choice for a first game.
My wife has played very few games, but she finished Flower by thatgamecompany, their game right before Journey.
@marcoshuerta Flower is the very first video game I ever played! 🥰
Caitlinmonster@grimalkina Journey is such a beautiful game
Dan Sugalski@grimalkina they do such lovely work. I recommend Flower (an older game of theirs) if it’s still available. It’s got similar vibes.
Morten@grimalkina This thread made me think of this very lovely article in the Guardian about parents and kids and computer games
r0k@grimalkina tell her if she saves up her allowance for a long time, she might be able to get one. or there's always the classic "Christmas is comiiiinggg..."
@r0k literally on the tip of my tongue... She will probably need a surgery recovery distraction relatively soon...
Caio Faustino@grimalkina get her a steam deck instead 😁
@grimalkina Congrats!!
Dawn Ahukanna@grimalkina Mama knows … 😉😆😜
Grant@grimalkina This reminds me of a few years ago when i watched someone introduce their non-gamer partner to the tutorial section in Breath of the Wild, without coaching her on what to do. It was really interesting to see how someone without the “gamer instinct” approached such an open ended game.
@grimalkina Also, it sounds like your mom could have a very lucrative career as a streamer.
@GrantRVD @grimalkina My IG reel has been recommending this one channel that’s a dad and his 7? 8?ish year old daughter playing video games together, where they’re always the first time for his daughter. They’re absolutely wonderful and are becoming a model for how I hope to introduce my kid when it’s time.
Could definitely see Cat’s mom also hitting a streaming sweet spot with this!
@grimalkina @magsol The algorithm has you dead to rights, man
(moved)Galbinus Caeli 🌯@grimalkina can we know how old Mom is?
@SkipHuffman late 60s :)
@grimalkina Thanks. So about the age of my wife and I, both video gamers. Though we are less restrained with our swearing.
@SkipHuffman I love that!