I wrote an article last year about video games that I called The Best Video Games for Women. The article proved popular among readers which got me thinking I should expand on it so I have included five more games. None of the games in this list are JUST for women. These games are for everyone. I am recommending them because I am a female gamer myself who has played a lot of different games across a number of platforms for decades. I feel that these games would appeal to other female gamers like myself.
6. Animal Crossing
Platform: Nintendo 64, iQue Player, GameCube, Wii, Wii U, Nintendo DS, Nintendo 3DS, iOS, Android and Nintendo Switch Release Date: 2001 - present Age Group: Very popular with women between the ages of 19 and 24
Animal Crossing is a social simulation video game series developed and published by Nintendo that follows a human character who moves into a town populated by cheerful anthropomorphic animal neighbours. The human villager must carry out daily activities for them like fishing and bug catching and can collect in-game money called 'bells' to purchase and then furnish a house. Animal Crossing is popular for having open-ended gameplay and for using an internal calendar and clock to simulate the real passing of time.
The gameplay has been described as pleasant and relaxing, you can really bond with the other villagers and it can be a lot of fun hunting for fossils and shaking trees for bells. The series has been a critical and commercial success, selling over 30 million copies worldwide. It is also extremely popular with women. It was found that 56% of the people who pre-ordered the 2012 Nintendo 3DS title Animal Crossing: New Leafwere women, a large number of whom also went the extra step of purchasing a Nintendo 3DS console just to play that specific game. In September 2018 it was announced that a new untitled game in the Animal Crossing series was going to be coming to the Nintendo Switch platform later in 2019.
Platform: Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch Release Date: 2 August 2016 – present Age Group: Suitable for people 8 years old and older
Overcooked is a cooking simulation game where players co-operate to control multiple chefs in a busy, chaotic kitchen. You will prepare and cook food and clean dishes and deliver meals to patrons in under a time limit to earn points. The goal of the game is to earn as many points as possible with rewards being given for speed and correct orders and points being deducted for orders that are prepared wrong. The game was developed by Ghost Town Games and was published by Team 17.
Overcooked was designed as a local co-operative experience for up to four players but it also has a competitive multiplayer option and a single player game. The fun thing about Overcooked is the creative design of the kitchens. These aren't ordinary kitchens. To increase the difficulty, each kitchen has its own challenges and obstacles, like being set on top of an iceberg or inside a mine shaft and the cooking stations could be separated. The first Overcooked game was released on the 2 August 2016. A sequel called Overcooked 2 was released on 7 August 2018. Overcooked is SO MUCH FUN. The game is total chaos. The multiplayer option is great for parties but the single player game is worth it if you enjoy a challenge.
Platform: Nintendo Switch Release Date: 13 July 2018 Age Group: Suitable for people 12 years old and older
Fans of role-playing games will love Octopath Traveller. This turn-based RPG was developed by Square Enix for the Nintendo Switch. Octopath Traveller was announced on 13 January 2017. The game stirred up a lot of interest among gamers for its use of "HD-2D" graphics which combines 16-bit Super NES styled textures and characters with high definition effects to create a stunning visual landscape.
The game became so hyped it flew off the shelves when it came out on 13 July 2018 resulting in stock shortages and worldwide sales of over one million. Octopath Traveller puts the player in charge of one out of eight different characters. The characters each have their own journey, backstory and abilities, and come from different parts of the world. The player must meet up with each of them and travel around the world solving quests and battling monsters. Octopath Traveller is a beautiful game that features a full orchestral soundtrack and a huge world to explore plus four out of the eight playable characters are women!
Platform: Microsoft Windows, OS X, Linux, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation Vita, iOS and Android Release Date: 26 February 2016 Age Group: Suitable for people 10 years old and older
Stardew Valley is a farm simulation game where the player takes control of a farmer who inherits their grandfather's old farm in a place called Stardew Valley. The farmer must cut down trees, trim the grass, plant crops, raise animals and mine ore to try to raise money to expand their farm. Stardew Valley was developed by Eric "ConcernedApe" Barone and published by Chucklefish.
The game was inspired by Harvest Moon, Animal Crossing, Rune Factory, Minecraft and Terraria.Stardew Valley has received critical and commercial acclaim and has sold over 3.5 million copies across a number of platforms. The fun thing about Stardew Valley is how simple and relaxing the game is. You get up in the morning and feed your chickens and then check on your crops and then go off looking for resources or to find your favourite neighbour to chat with. You will get so much joy out of designing and expanding your farm and watching your crops grow to be the biggest they can be. The game also features a four-player co-operative mode which means you can build a farm with friends if you wish.
Platform: Wii U, Nintendo Switch Release Date: 3 March 2017 Age Group: Suitable for people 10 years old and older
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is an action-adventure game in The Legend of Zelda video game series that was developed and published by Nintendo and released on the Wii U and Nintendo Switch in 2017. The game took 5 years to develop and received widespread critical acclaim for reinventing the series. Breath of the Wild features the largest open-world ever seen in a Legend of Zelda game, high-definition visuals, a new physics engine, a re-design of the dungeons, nonlinear storytelling and voice acting. The game starts with Link waking up after being asleep for 100 years by the voice of Zelda who tells him he must defeat the Calamity Ganon before it can destroy the kingdom of Hyrule.
The player is free to explore the world solving puzzles, doing side quests, collecting items, interacting with other characters and finding and entering dungeons to receive rewards. The game rewards the player for exploration and experimentation and lets you control the pace and the narrative. You can take the time to complete every side quest and collect every collectable and find every dungeon – or you could skip all of that and go straight to the end of the game to combat Ganon. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild has been called a "masterclass in open world design" and has received a staggering number of positive reviews from critics. If you are a fan of action-adventure games and exploring large open worlds you have to try this game. Link explores dungeons, climbs mountains, sails the ocean, soars through the air on a paraglider, sneaks into castles crawling with enemies, climbs towers, dodges octopus-shaped monsters that shoot lasers, rides a motorcycle and learns to cook meals. This game is a masterpiece that will keep you occupied for hours.