By Nelson Schneider - 05/14/17 at 02:16 PM CT
Way back in 2014, I put together a list of 5 Wii games to help bridge the generation gap between Gen-X-ers and their mothers on Mothers’ Day. In the intervening time, the Wii came to the end of its glorious life and was replaced by the abysmal WiiU. In the same timeframe, Nintendo seems to have largely given up on the ‘Blue Ocean’ of non-gamers. Instead, apps have become the new way for non-traditional folks to enjoy a videogame or two.
While the new generation of Millennials surely has little to worry about regarding their parents and technology, Gen-X-ers with elderly parents are still in the same boat we’ve been in for 20 years: Mom and Dad just can’t figure out that darned computer. And don’t even try to teach them how to use a smartphone in their 60s unless you also want to explain to them how they managed to run-up massive data overages on their bill. No, the parents of Gen-X have been passed over by technology, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible for them to enjoy videogames.
No matter how old and decrepit they may be, the parents of Gen-X need access to a computer. And unless the Gen-X-ers maintaining said computers are neckbeards, the OS in question will be Windows. While those of us who remain tech savvy haven’t been particularly pleased with the way Microsoft is running the Windows Store or the new UWP software paradigm, there is an upside: There are plenty of free apps on the Windows Store that can engage and stimulate the minds of retirees and the elderly.
Without further ado, here are the best 5 Windows Store games to keep your mother occupied and out of trouble online:
5. “Microsoft Jigsaw ”
When gamers think of puzzles, it’s usually of the ‘match-three,’ ‘block-stacking,’ or logical varieties. When senior citizens think of puzzles, it’s usually irregularly-shaped tiles that can be reassembled to create a picture. MS’s take on the original flavor of ‘puzzle’ works quite well on a touchscreen device, but my own mother lost interest in it quickly because of the limited number of free puzzles included in the download. Extra puzzles are all DLC.
4. “Wordament”
This game is basically ‘Boggle.’ Old folks need linguistic stimulation to keep them sharp, and the infinite replay value makes it better than a collection of crossword puzzles. Depending on how old your mother is, she may have learned to read using the ass-backwards ‘look-see’ method instead of phonics. My own mother learned that way, and as a result hates reading and struggles with unfamiliar words, so the phonics-based ‘Boggle’ doesn’t appeal to her specifically.
3. “Taptiles”
What at first appears to be a simplistic game of matching pairs of glyphs on a floating array of cubes quickly becomes devilishly difficult due to time limits and awkward camera angles. My own mother enjoyed this for about 6 months before getting pissed off at it and asking me to uninstall the app.
2. “Microsoft Mahjong”
The preferred game of old, Jewish mothers everywhere. Apparently old, Swedish mothers love it too, as my own mom has been tackling the daily challenges for years now without getting sick of it. There are ads, but you can always drop some change and buy her a premium upgrade to get rid of them.
1. “Microsoft Solitaire Collection”
My own mother’s absolute favorite game ever. She’ll spend hours playing the multitude of different game modes and tackling the daily challenges. Like “Mahjong,” the ads need to be chased away with some cash. I’ve offered to upgrade my own mom to premium, but she handwaved the suggestion away. People of her generation have a lot more tolerance for ads, as watching live, over-the-air TV for decades has made them numb to the interruptions.
