Discussion: what's your favorite kid-friendly (but still fun for adults) game?

Everybody loves a bit of brutal gaming violence every now and then, but sometimes it’s nice to kick back with something a bit more wholesome. What are your favorite not-full-of-blood-and-sex kid-friendly games?

Rishi: Games without violence are like pizza without tomato sauce. And while I love tomato sauce in my pizza, a little bit of pesto in its stead is never an issue. Having said that my favorite pizza, er, game sans violence and sex would have to be Don Bradman Cricket 14. For starters, it’s a fantastically-made cricket game with all the trappings that you would expect from a studio that knows and loves the game, such as a meaty career mode, customizable rosters, and slick controls. There’s a healthy mix of strategy and skill to the proceedings in both single and multiplayer, and outfoxing your opponent does tend to give you a sense of satisfaction very few games can match. Much like a great slice of pizza. Albeit one without tomato sauce.

Jing: The Professor Layton games. Every title in the series just gets better and better, even when the game’s basic formula never changes: solve fun and challenging puzzles with a loveable cast of characters while exploring a charming game world.

And don’t be fooled into thinking these puzzles are easy just because the game is “safe for kids”. Once you graduate from the “introductory” puzzles, be prepared to put on your thinking cap for some serious brain-teasing.

Xairylle: Dance Maniax 2nd Mix. I played this dance rhythm game a lot in the arcade back when I was in college. Depending on the settings on the machine, one (or two?) tokens let me play a set of at least four songs. The maximum number of songs I’ve had per round is five. It’s a good way to channel energy without being violent. It’s good exercise, too. Depending on how good your timing is, this game can be very enjoyable or very frustrating. And if you’re good enough to play high-level songs on high speeds then trust me, you are going to sweat even in an air-conditioned mall.

Mary-Anne: Pokemon. You could argue it’s violent because it promotes fighting, but it also does so in a healthy, non-physical virtual reality where you, the protagonist, are fighting to be the best. And this is just one of the lessons that Pokemon teaches without ever needing to preach.

Others include: don’t be the bad guy because good always wins. Don’t be an ass to others like your rival. Always be helpful, like when you rubbed the S. S. Anne captain’s back and he gave you HM01, or when you saved Bill from being a Rattata forever and you got to use the storage system as a result. Oh, and of course, take care of your Pokemon (and any other living thing) and they’ll love you back. All these lessons also come in the form of an interactive, insanely-cute yet challenging and well-written (except the most recent one!) story.