No Doom? :D

Would Stardew Valley be suitable? There are RPG elements, sort of, but it's essentially a farming game. Not your typical 3D game, but I would think it could be fun for older people as well.

Edit: Possibly some options here: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/01/26/best-non-violent-games/

Last edited by Pangaea on 20 Feb 2020 at 8:21 pm UTC

One game that came to mind is Slime Rancher. Although there is a story, but it's not that important. And it has a lot of depth. The game is for all ages.
Megaquarium also needs a lot of thinking.
With Proton, you have a lot more games available through Steam, without tinkering directly with Wine. Banished is a nice one too.
Intel Haswell here.

Also curious about the 3D thing. There are similar studies about doing crosswords...

Your criteria seem to be limiting us mostly to 3D puzzle games, racing games and simulators. All kinds of digital board games would probably fit the bill too, although the three-dimensional aspect is more visual than spatial in that case.

I guess The Talos Principle’s story can be ignored easily to focus on the puzzles. No idea if it runs on Intel GPUs.

I can think of these possible games; they're very different between each other:

• Clustertruck: A first person platformer. I didn't play it, but I know it's comical. GOL article here.


• Deadcore: An excellent but unfairly forgotten sci-fi first person platformer. The only violence is you desintegrating repeteadly, because it's extremely difficult; you need a lot of persistence and determination to beat it. Also it can cause vertigo. Here's [some gameplay](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljZQA_wj3PM).


• FOTONICA: A first person runner with minimalistic aesthetics. Steam store page [here](https://store.steampowered.com/app/253290/FOTONICA/).


• Heavy Bullets: A first person rogue-like. Steam store page [here](https://store.steampowered.com/app/297120/Heavy_Bullets/).


• Hocus Pocus Doom: A Doom Total Conversion, based on a platformer from the 90's. Cartoonish violence. You'll need a port to play it. Here's [a video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=POb1Wqv_ies). Although I'm planning to write an article about it in a couple of months, for the moment I didn't have time to try it.


• Kairo: Solve puzzles in a mysterious alternate dimension. First person perspective. You're always alone, so there is no violence. Steam store page [here](https://store.steampowered.com/app/233230/Kairo/).


• NO THING: An obscure psychedelic runner. Steam store page [here](https://store.steampowered.com/app/444800/NO_THING/).


• Serious Sam 3 BFE: While the first thing you may think is "Didn't I say 'no violence'?" you might want to check [this official video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPUT8jXqNU0). I don't recall if the HD versions of the previous titles have these options.


• Super 3-D Noah's Ark: This one uses the Wolfenstein 3D engine, but in terms of gameplay is much easier. Also, although I didn't finish it, it seems to be pretty respectful, with no offensive content. This is the [Steam store page](https://store.steampowered.com/app/371180/Super_3D_Noahs_Ark/).

I'm sure there are more titles, some of them incredibly obvious, but for the moment I remember these ones. Another option was "A Story about my Uncle", but you requested a title without a detailed story. As for "Warfork", last time I checked there was an option to play against bots if she doesn't like multiplayer.

I hope one of them fits your requirements...

Quoting: SunburstClustertruck: A first person platformer. I didn't play it, but I know it's comical. GOL article here.

I have seen some gameplay videos of the game (I didn't play it myself either), but it might be a bit difficult game (timed jumps, good reflexes,...)

Quoting: tuxintuxedoOne game that came to mind is Slime Rancher. Although there is a story, but it's not that important. And it has a lot of depth. The game is for all ages.

+1 for Slime Rancher, the game is cute and addictive.

A few more suggestions:

• Two Point Hospital is a hospital managing game, alike Theme Hospital and stuff.
  


• Now, it depends on how you rate death of cartoonish characters (aka "you can die in Mario, too"), but Life Goes On is a fun puzzle game.
  


• Maybe have a look at Trine series / Portal series ?
  


• If Proton is an option, then maybe have a look at FAR: Lone sails ([rated gold on Protondb](https://www.protondb.com/app/609320)), it is kinda story driven but linear (you simply go from left to right, with occasional puzzles), so you cannot be "locked" out of the story, unlike RPGs and adventure games.
  

Warning: as for running on an Intel GPU, I am sorry but I have no idea on how it would perform vs the minimum requirements...

The obvious suggestion is Portal

Quoting: Dax TailorHi everyone,
1. Native Linux support (yes my mom is using linux on her PC).

yes

2. Has to be 3D.

yes

3. No violence or at least a mode to switch it off. So every 1st person shooter is of the table.

yes

4. If possible not story driven, so a huge lot of RPG and adventure game are of the list.

yes

5. Should run on an Intel GPU (of cause that is a bit hard to come up with a 3D game for that low end GPU. If she likes the game I will buy a new graphic card or PC for her.)

yes!

although you should say which Intel GPU, if it a very-very old one maybe not. But it does run well even on an intel HD 4400.

Talos Principle is heavier than Portal but it will also run in an acceptable way on an intel GPU. (but not on high settings)

On intel HD 4400 do not even try Proton, I do not know how it plays with more recent intel.

Last edited by lucinos on 21 Feb 2020 at 3:48 pm UTC

As I mentioned, I have Haswell. It should have HD 4400 and I haven't encountered any major problems with the games I tried through Proton (through Steam).

Bridge constructor?

I seem to remember a performer that would let you rotate the level, was it Bastion, Fez? I can't remember.

Would some of the old puzzle games (Myst series) fit?

Quoting: denyasisI seem to remember a performer that would let you rotate the level, was it Bastion, Fez? I can't remember.

I think that is it Fez: https://store.steampowered.com/app/224760/FEZ/

Many many thanks to all the comments and suggestions!

So far, she looked at youtube videos of CK2, The Talos Principle, Minecraft, Stardew Valley, The Long Dark, Portal 2, RimWorld, Railway Empire, Cities: Skylines, SpaceChem, Opus Magnum.

The Talos Principle, Stardew Valley and The Long Dark are at the top of the list. But she is not through with the other games. (Of cause this is only by watching youtube reviews and lets plays, not playing herself.)
I have to say, its not as easy then I thought finding the right videos and there have to be in German.

My first thought was Mincraft. But by watching a video she got dizzy.

About the 3D game condition, this was just because of this video [https://youtu.be/Ellig1JgVPM] (in German).

The APU is an Intel Pentium G4560 as far as I remember, has a HD 610? GPU. The PC has 8GB RAM and a SSD with linux Mint 19 I think. This might be good enough for Stardew Valley but the other games I don't think that will be a good gaming experience. Which is kind of important because a slow PC can take all the fun out of a game.
So I was thinking of buying a GTX1650. (Would like to go the AMD GPU way but the problems I have with my Vega56 are to bad, but that is an other topic.)

Thanks,
Dax

PS.
The only game she is playing for over 10 years now is Swing from Software 2000, running in dosbox:) [https://youtu.be/di8Dh-QjpxI]

Just to add, I am playing Talos and Long Dark on a weaker Intel GPU.

Last edited by tuxintuxedo on 25 Feb 2020 at 7:49 pm UTC

Why the 3D-only constraint?

Well, here's a few suggestions anyway:

Islanders
Shadowhand
Firewatch
Valley
Back To Bed
A Short Hike
Evergarden
Leaving Lyndow
Eastshade
Train Valley
The First Tree

Quoting: Dax TailorSo far, she looked at youtube videos of CK2, The Talos Principle, Minecraft, Stardew Valley, The Long Dark, Portal 2, RimWorld, Railway Empire, Cities: Skylines, SpaceChem, Opus Magnum.

...

The APU is an Intel Pentium G4560 as far as I remember, has a HD 610? GPU. The PC has 8GB RAM and a SSD with linux Mint 19 I think. This might be good enough for Stardew Valley but the other games I don't think that will be a good gaming experience. Which is kind of important because a slow PC can take all the fun out of a game.

I think you are underestimating her PC by a lot. It should be more than capable of running those games with good performance. Opus Magnum and Spacechem are super light, Portal 2 is ancient; neither CK2 or RimWorld are too heavy. But my i5-3210 (5 years older and worse in nearly every aspect) can run The Talos Principle alright and even some Cities: Skylines if I am patient (it gets a bit slow in the midgame, but it's far from unplayable), so I'd say not to worry about it. Those games are nearly all over 4 years old and mostly from very undemanding genres. (Well, Cities: Skylines can scale up to whatever your computer can do, but if you don't go crazy with mods or gargantuan cities or settings it should be quite alright).

Thanks for the info about the Intel GPU/CPU. I have some games I can try next time I visit my mother. Like FEZ, Antichamber, Dust and IAWar. It's just to test the HW. This games are drm free. (I doubt she will play IAWar, but you never know.)