7 Great Video Games For Kids Who Just Want to Have Fun and Push Buttons

We are living in a golden age of video games. But, as the world of gaming has evolved, the level of skill required to master popular games, such as Overwatch or Legend of Zelda, has evolved as well. This results in a fewer easy titles (not “Gamer easy” but “Regular Person easy” that let you just smash some buttons. If you have young kids and want them to feel the sweet, sweet touch of a video game controller (within reason, of course), finding games that are as fun as they are simple is essential. To that end, here are eight games that even the least coordinated of kids could enjoy, as they require little beyond mindlessly smashing buttons to have fun.

Grow Home

The main appeal of Grow Home? There’s no risk of anything going wrong. There are no levels to beat or bosses to destroy, just Red Robots freely running around their planet and growing space plants. It’s a game that is low-stakes and pleasant, but still playable in a way that young kids will absolutely love. It’s the video game equivalent of the Great British Bake-Off and for parents of younger kids, that’s not a bad thing.

Super Smash Bros.

No surprise that Super Smash Bros. is on the list, as it is one of the most iconic multi-player gaming experiences ever. Getting to fight with popular gaming characters like Link, Mario, and Samus never ceases to be a blast. While Super Smash Bros. is one of those games where a player can technically master a character’s secret attacks to dominate their opponents – the stalwart tournament scene surrounding the series is testament to this – the base game is every bit as fun for players who have no fucking clue what they are doing. If a kid can press a button, they will love Super Smash Bros.

FIFA

Most sports games are pretty intuitive for kids familiar with the sport, but FIFA beats out Madden and NBA Live because soccer is objectively simpler than basketball or football. The entire sport consists of running, passing, and shooting and so the entire game is moving the joystick and occasionally pressing the pass and shooting button. If a kid can hold a controller, they can probably play and enjoy FIFA.

Rocket League

Rocket League is the game for people who like FIFA but wish that they could play indoor soccer with giant rocket-powered cars instead of Ronaldo and Messi. While the game takes a lot of time to really master, it takes almost no time at all to get good enough to have fun. Plus, who the hell doesn’t want to play soccer with rocket-powered cars?

Lego Marvel: Super Heroes

Pretty much all of the Lego games are equally thrilling for kids, but Super Heroes stands out because it allows players to solve puzzles and beat levels as their favorite Marvel superheroes, including Thor, Spiderman, and the other 500 costumed vigilantes that exist in the MCU. It’s also really easy and, unlike a lot of so-called kid’s games, takes very little skill to be good at.

Animal Crossing

Life simulation games can be difficult for younger kids to enjoy, but the visual style and general straightforwardness of Animal Crossing make it an exception to the rule. Players simply create a character to join an unnamed village and, from there, do whatever they want. There are mini tasks and accomplishments that can be done but that’s not the inherent goal of the open-ended game.

Angry Birds

This mobile game peaked in popularity a few years back but it’s still really addicting and, more importantly, incredibly simple to play. Just shoot the birds and try to destroy the inexplicably green pigs to beat the level, then do it again and again and again. There are a few special tricks you can do with different birds but for the most part, it’s a fun, mindless distraction that any young kid will enjoy.