New Episode! Why Abzu Might Be the Most Important Game for Kids in Years (Patreon)

Just to let you know that a new video is now available!

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After playing games with my four-year-old nephew for a long time, I found that even supposedly 'kid-friendly' games like Minecraft caused him frustration due to their surprising mechanical complexity. I wondered why there weren't any games that could do the same thing the writing in Pixar's films manages to achieve, for example - provide kids with an experience perhaps different but equally as valid as the experience of their adult counterparts.

As it turns out, Abzu fills that gap very nicely - not only is it a non-combat focused, somewhat educational experience for children, the game has relatively simple controls which reward even imprecise movement with beautiful fluid animations. As such, for me, the game was a break from mechanically intense games - for him, it was the first experience he'd had with a game in which he felt truly in control.

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Patron rewards will be sent out tomorrow - thank you so much for your continued support, and I really hope you all enjoy the episode!

Hamish

Writing on Games