The Queue: New Parent
Do not let poopy pants get in the way of pleasant play.
New series! The Queue targets a specific persona and presents three perfect games for their particular quirks. Play Kaizen is not - and never will be - a source of reviews. This is a place to share a love of games and I’m excited to present three perfect options for very particular folks. Each post is often an argument for why you should play something, so hopefully The Queue is a natural twist to this blog’s formula.
I also love to analyze games and my own reactions to those I play, so defining, then filling, a curated list is a lot of fun.
Let me know what you think of this series and please suggest alternative personas in the comments!
People love to tell you about all the things you can no longer do once you have a baby. Things like video games. As the father of a two year old, I play more games now than I ever have, and I am a damn attentive father. The key, as with all things, is focus and priority.
But, I do not suspect all of you will have the monk-like devotion to one or two leisurely pursuits, and honestly, I am a weirdo. Nonetheless, as a gamer dad, I want to do what I can to help other gamer parents remain engaged in this hobby.
The Client
Each entry of The Queue will feature a new Client with a specific set of quirks to address with the recommendations. Today’s client is the parent of an infant. This person has been a gamer for a long time and is not afraid of learning new systems. They just need the games to meet them halfway in this difficult life stage.
The Client is defined as such:
An infant in their home for which they are responsible.
Access to gaming devices, in particular PC or consoles.
Not new to games as a hobby.
Have a job, in addition to being a caregiver. This person is busy!
The Quirks
Now that we’ve defined our client, we can dig in a little further to agree on some attributes for which we must account. These attributes aren’t all inclusive, but they are the “above the fold” considerations.
New parents have a handful of intense, non-negotiable limitations that must be factored into this recommendation list.
Your play time will be interrupted constantly.
Your play time will be short, even when not interrupted.
You will be very tired.
Your household is not yours: the TV makes too much noise, public spaces are devoted to baby equipment.
The Requirements
These quirks tell me a few things about the requirements of the game.
There need to be clear goals so it is easy to get one’s bearing.
The player needs to be able to make progress quickly.
Save anywhere is a must.
Low frustration is a must.
I must account for a limited ability to focus.
I must account for poor reflexes from tired hands. New parents are exhausted.
A gradual learning curve is better than a brick wall of complexity.
The game cannot require audio immersion.
There should be limited reading.
I think I have my work cut out for me. Let us soothe, shush, and swaddle three great games for dear readers who have the joy/misfortune of an infant in their care.
The Queue
Dysmantle, Paradise Killer, and Toem
Dysmantle, released 2022, available on PC, Switch, Mobile, & Consoles. Recommended for Switch or Steamdeck.
I am obsessed with Dysmantle. It seems that I have a habit of playing an open-world, exploration heavy, crafting heavy game around January every year. It seems I crave solitude and wandering.
The loop of Dysmantle is simple:
Enter a new area. This gets more complicated over time as you need to repair bridges, complete quests, or find the right path.
Begin smashing and salvaging materials. Avoid and fight zombies.
Pause to fish or farm.
Find new quests and mysteries to solve.
Discover the world-spanning secrets and Easter eggs.
Choose how to progress up the technology tree, or upgrade your equipment.
Make progress against the main storyline.
Find the tower to unlock fast travel and prevent respawns. That final purge pass is very satisfying. This is my zone now.
The game is almost meditative. Combat is simple, yet satisfying, with a focus on melee and dodging.
There are plenty of materials, but they are relatively simple. The game regularly introduces new elements to increase depth of the system.
You can follow the goals the game gives you, such as chasing down a car in the impound lot that is full of equipment. Or, make your own goals, like finally exploring the desert you recently found.
I love how colorful the game is. It isn’t a bleak zombie experience. There just happen to be zombies. I think this is a thoughtful, well-designed game filled with smart progression.
You can literally smash a house in a few minutes, hear the crying little one, put your crowbar away, and return to being a father. As this is our first episode of The Queue, let’s be explicit:
Dysmantle (and the two other recommendations) are simple to pick up. Your core choices as a player are not complex.
You can engage in satisfying, bite-sized sessions of play. You can save at any time.
The game is not overwhelmingly difficult.
You are given explicit goals, but can also make your own.
There is almost no reading.
The apocalypse is already here (I’m referring to your infant), there is no need to rush in the game as well.
Paradise Killer, released 2020, available on PC, Switch, & Consoles. Recommended for Switch or Steamdeck.
This is a weird game, which I think makes sense for the early stages of parenting. After all, your mind is playing tricks on you. Might as well jump into a weird video game.
Paradise Killer puts you in the shoes of a detective in a heaven-like world. This is a first person perspective open-world game filled with exploration and conversation. You are solving a murder, which sends you throughout the world to interview suspects, gather clues, break into private areas, and make deductions.
What I like about this game is how open it is. For example, there is a little demon hidden throughout the world. You can spend a session just collecting that demon. You might also comb every inch of a specific area, or instead follow a path laid out for a specific thread of the mystery.
You can stop at any time and make some progress in just a few minutes.
There IS a story here and evidence to be gathered. There IS a little bit of reading. Therefore, I recommend you hold onto this game for the first few months. You can play this game on a low amount of sleep, but not zero sleep.
Toem, released 2021, available on PC, Switch, & Playstation. Recommended for Switch or Steamdeck.
I played Toem on a family trip to Bend, Oregon and absolutely adored it. This charming game sends you on a trip to a handful of isometric vacation spots to take pictures and complete a scavenger hunt.
The game is simple, but not stupid. There are light environmental puzzles and rewards for being observant or slightly clever. Each level is self-contained and you’re given a clear checklist of goals. You will finish each area after a handful of sessions and can finish one or two goals in 15 minutes.
Toem is soothing, beautiful, and thoughtful. There is no combat or reflex oriented mechanisms. There is very little story and very little reading. If you are trying to pass 15 minutes in the wee hours of the morning, this delightful adventure is so easy to recommend.
What did you think of The Queue? What picks would you recommend for the New Parent instead? Do you have any personas to recommend for future posts? Share in the comments below!
Edited by Joshua Buergel.
Grant, thank you so much for this post. We've got a 16 month old and finding time to do things is...well...challenging. Board games are usually out by the time he's down, so when Dysmantle went on sale recently I picked it up. We are loving it...and I do mean "we" because my wife will sit down and happily watch. She's always liked helping me with game puzzles, even if that means she's looking up solutions and giving me gentle nudges. We even set little goals like "okay, let's get the lockpick crafted and then call it a night" which is awesome because then we're both excited to go find what we can now unlock!