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Although video games typically immerse you in magical fantasies like being a god, an intergalactic soldier, or someone with properties before the age of 50, many titles also explore more down-to-earth experiences.
Since these concepts aren’t antagonistic, as they can easily coexist even within a fictional universe, it’s common to see interactive works exploring the human experience through fictional lenses, allowing me to empathize with people from all walks of life, including parents.
In this sense, despite what the title might suggest, I’m not a parent myself, but I am the son of a longtime gamer whose four decades of involvement with this wonderful medium have been invaluable in helping me select a collection of products that reflect his experiences as a father.
As a result, I will try to channel his teachings and insights to the best of my abilities, selecting from among the hundreds of titles I have had the pleasure of enjoying throughout my life the ten best games to prepare you for parenthood.
10 GRIS
Learning to Cope with Grief
One of the greatest fears among parents is losing their children, but so is leaving them alone in an increasingly hostile world for which no one seems prepared.
GRIS is among the video games that best encapsulates this perennial fear, offering a beautiful platformer of approximately three hours that will stay with you for life thanks to its wonderful art direction and soundtrack.
However, the element that binds everything together is the narrative, which doesn’t require dialogue or words to convey a poignant story about pain, grief, and how to draw on the memories of our loved ones in difficult times to move forward.
In a way, GRIS doesn’t prepare you to be a parent, but rather to come to terms with the fact of eventually ceasing to be one. Nobody is eternal, and nurturing young people with the emotional tools to accept this and persevere is the most humane decision.
9 Nier
Giving It Your All Is The Only Option
I’ve often underestimated how far my parents are willing to go to take care of me and my siblings, even in our old age, but playing the first Nier together made me understand it much better.
Being a story entirely based on the hardships a father endures to save his daughter from a chronic illness, it reflects a situation that occurs in millions of families around the world, making it particularly relevant for understanding the sacrifices inherent in the paternal role.
Obviously, the game deals with many more themes, but parenthood is a central issue because of its ability to resonate with two audiences: parents, who see themselves represented by Nier’s relentless struggle even in impossible circumstances, and children, who come to appreciate it as it should be.
If you can tolerate the clunky gameplay (since the remastered version puts you in the brother’s shoes, forcing you to play the original), Nier tells one of the most profound, painful, and emotional stories ever created.
In the end, if it triggered tears in a 58-year-old man who has lived under two autocratic governments in different countries, I’m sure it can move anyone, even if spending 30 hours searching for weapons and killing the same enemies hundreds of times is tedious.
8 Red Dead Redemption
A Life of Sacrifices
Every time I hear a new story from my father about the things he did to provide for my family, like traveling for weeks at a time or working until the early hours, I understand why he identified with John Marston when we played Red Dead Redemption.
Fortunately, he was never forced to kill his former comrades after a life of crime and excess, but I did see the empathy in his eyes when the protagonist sacrificed his desires so that his son could have a much better life than the one he had.
Outlaws shouldn’t be romanticized, though it’s undeniable that Red Dead Redemption does an exceptional job of showing the impossible conundrums that adult life imposes on parents, often suffering the disdain of their children, who can’t understand the reasons behind certain decisions.
John Marston is a terrible father and shouldn’t be an example for anyone, but that humanity helps to connect with one of the less discussed sides of parenthood: you will also make mistakes, and you will also sin, but you have to do everything possible to make amends.
7 Uncharted 4: A Thief's End
Father Above All
I’ve spoken with many parents over the years about how they sacrifice their sense of self to care for their children, and I think the consequences of this laudable act are evident in Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End.
After a life of boundless adventure, Nathan Drake settles down, but dissatisfaction—and other surprises—drag him back to being an explorer, not only risking his life but also abandoning his family on a purely selfish impulse.
Once again, it’s an extremely poor example of how to be a father, but a very fitting experience to recognize the importance of not erasing the individual identity of parents, even though responsibilities, of course, come first.
Among all the games on this list, it’s probably the one with the most superficial paternal relationship, but I think that’s what makes it stand out: Uncharted 4 reminds you that it’s important not to forget yourself, but also that there’s a long way to go between doing so and neglecting your family.
6 It Takes Two
A Shared Responsibility
Most portrayals of fatherhood I’ve seen in the video game industry tend to focus on only one of the two figures, which makes It Takes Two‘s approach even more unique.
The parents are a couple first, so neglecting the bond that ties you to the other parent of your child can have inexorable consequences down the road, something the game portrays brilliantly.
Even regardless of whether enough affection remains to sustain a marriage, It Takes Two underscores the importance of nurturing a good relationship that positively influences the family, being able to address differences before they escalate.
Furthermore, if you manage to complete every level with your partner, I’m sure you’ll develop the patience, empathy, and support necessary to parent successfully and not fail miserably, which I think is very positive.
5 Venba
Inherited Cultures
Under the premise that parents don’t always make the right decisions despite having the best intentions, Venba tells a profound story that alludes to more cultural backgrounds than it might initially seem.
The game narrates the experiences of a family grappling with xenophobia, but also with the complexities of raising a child in a new social context, who has to witness how his beliefs, clothing, food, and other elements of his routine differ from those of his peers.
Coming from a family of immigrants, the game resonated with me easily, precisely because of that confusing dissonance in the early years of life. Maintaining one’s roots while accepting the sacrifices required to belong to a new world is difficult, especially because times change so rapidly, but it’s not impossible.
Being parents means having the humility to understand these changes and embrace them instead of categorically rejecting them and hindering children’s adaptation. I was lucky enough to have parents who understood what Venba conveys firsthand, but I’ve seen the results of when they don’t, and they are not desirable at all.
4 The Last of Us
Family is Everything
Following a similar path to Nier, for example, but in a more grounded context, The Last of Us is probably one of the first recommendations you’ll find in an article of this kind.
The relationship between Joel and Ellie is among the most recognized, realistic, and well-developed in the last century of video games, so it’s only natural that it’s a safe bet if you’re looking for a story that emphasizes the notion that family comes first.
Both my father and I agree that Nier achieves a better representation of the ups and downs and internal complexities of those who have to choose between saving their loved one or sending the world to its doom, but The Last of Us is much more accessible and relatable, which gives it an immense added value.
Furthermore, if you played it at launch, believe me when I say the passage of time makes you appreciate every second of its story differently. Playing it at 15 was very different from playing it at 27, especially because I had a couple of surprises regarding how my appreciation of its events had changed.
3 Wednesdays
The Dangers Nobody Wants to Talk About
It’s difficult for me to recommend Wednesdays because of how grueling it is to confront such a delicate subject as child abuse, but I always end up doing so because I believe it’s among the most impactful indie games I’ve ever played.
It’s never easy to talk about these issues, and as parents, it seems easier and less painful to avoid them, but reality is what it is, and not talking about the unthinkable won’t make it disappear; rather, it gives it the space to continue perpetuating itself.
Wednesdays is incredibly difficult to digest, but it overflows with humanity because it deals with family relationships—including parents, children, uncles, grandparents, and friends—in a sincere and well-intentioned way you’ll never see outside the indie scene.
I’m not saying you should play it with your children, or that you should treat it as the definitive guide that will make you an expert on the subject, but it’s a great entry point to understanding the seriousness of what can happen, how to do everything possible to avoid it, and, in the most tragic case, how to heal, and that’s invaluable.
2 God of War
Inevitable Ups and Downs
Kratos became famous as one of the most visceral, bloody, and uncaring video game characters in history, but God of War‘s parent story is simply too good to ignore.
Teaching children to be independent, protecting them from their naiveté, guiding them down the path you believe is right… Kratos has been through a lot in his life, just like most parents, and this is reflected in his Norse adventures like few other titles.
Throughout the campaign, he grows as a father but also as an individual, learning to accept his mistakes and make peace with them so he can be a better father figure to Atreus, creating a narrative that resonates deeply with those of us who have followed him since his Greek travels.
If you ignore the fact that they are gods being hunted by other gods in the midst of a cataclysmic phenomenon, there will be nothing easier for a father than to empathize with Kratos; just ask mine, who finished the game and wanted to get the mark on his face despite being nearing old age.
1 Night in the Woods
The Best Way to Empathize
I once had a long conversation with my father about how he’d forgotten what it was like to be young. He wasn’t talking about his hobbies or how he spent his free time, but specifically about how he couldn’t remember the experience of youth, with all its difficulties and fears.
That’s when I introduced him to Night in the Woods. Since I had recently played it myself and was completely captivated by how relatable it felt, I figured it would be a good choice to satisfy his specific need, and I was more right than I expected.
Obviously, being young in the 21st century isn’t the same as in the past, but I feel no other video game so accurately captures the anxieties and worries of a global youth lacking security and direction, and filled with worries and concerns.
Being a parent doesn’t mean having all the answers, and we now know it. However, being able to empathize with a situation despite not being able to directly relate to it, given the difference in eras, is a step forward that, believe me, helps immensely in bearing the weight of life in these times.
Night in the Woods is a generational letter, and there’s nothing better for understanding your children’s future problems than this. It will not only remind you of what you once felt, but it will also help you remember what you wish someone had said to you when you were in a similar spot.
