Your Guide to February's Family Friendly Video Games
Of course, the most important date this month is, naturally, is my 39th birthday. There's also these video games.
Are we really a month into 2024 already? Best not to think about it too much, I reckon.
Though video games as a whole are just beginning to move into a higher gear for the new year, with the release of games like Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League on the horizon, it remains a little sleepy for those interested in games for the whole family. That said, there are some interesting options on the table this month, like the long-awaited console release of PlateUp! and the puzzle-focused Mario vs. Donkey Kong.
Personally, my family has been digging Hidden Through Time 2: Myths & Magic on the Switch. Don’t let the “2” part prove intimidating, it’s just a clever hidden object game. My oldest can move the interface around, while my younger desperately tries to help.
What’re you looking forward to this month?
If you represent these games and have a potentially interesting story to share about how these games consider kids as part of their audience, please get in touch with me!
BEAST: Bio Exo Arena Suit Team (Apple Arcade) — February 1
Description: Immerse yourself in the cosmic adventure of BEAST! A unique 3V3 online shooter designed for all ages. BEAST combines charm and excitement with intuitive controls.
Rating: 9+
Price: $6.99/month
Does the world need another arena team shooter? Eh. Does its presence on Apple Arcade, which means no ads or microtransactions, mean I’m willing to let my kidd try it sight unseen? Yep. Ahead of a flight, my new play is to load up a dozen games from Apple Arcade, and let them bounce between everything and find what suits them. On a trip to California last year, my oldest went absolutely bananas for Ridiculous Fishing.
Words in Progress (Apple Arcade) — February 1
Description: Word crafting puzzle joy that never wears off! Combine letters to create words. Survive as long as you can in Endless mode, or play against others in Multiplayer!
Rating: 4+
Price: $6.99/month
This seems charming. It’s been a long minute since a wordplay game caught my attention, probably all the way back to the original Words With Friends phenomenon.
Foamstars (PlayStation 4/5) — February 6
Description: Use foam to build terrain, creating slippery surfaces to surf around the arena at high speed, help defend from enemy attacks, or create vantage points to take out opponents. And most importantly, to foam up the opposition!
Rating: TBA
Price: Available on PlayStation Plus
The definition of “this is better than I expected.” I played a few rounds last summer, and found myself having a good time with it, all told. It’s not the same level as Splatoon, and the AI stuff gives pause, but you could do worse for a casual party game.
Helldivers 2 (PlayStation 5, PC) — February 8
Description: Leave your mark—and a trail of destruction—in a Galactic War that rages on multiple fronts. Liberate planets, counter invasions, and complete high-stakes missions to help the overall war effort. See what chaos awaits the most fearless Helldivers as you deliver peace to this hostile galaxy.
Rating: M
Price: $39.99
OK, yes, this is a game with a “mature” rating, but broadly speaking, I’m inclined to include co-op games in these roundups. Plus, while Helldivers 2 looks “violent,” it’s hardly the kind of hyper realistic violence that’d give me pause. While I didn’t play the original Helldivers, I can tell you it was well-liked in many of my circles!
Dragon Quest Builders (PC) — February 13
Description: The first title in the BUILDERS series, DRAGON QUEST BUILDERS, is bringing its handy crafting features to Steam! Gather, craft and build to defeat defeat the evil Dragonlord and restore Alefgard to it's former glory! In a world made out of blocks, everything that you see can be materials used to create! Farm ingredients, craft various items and build your base to unite the people roaming the ruins. From buildings to entire towns, you have the freedom to make your village your very own.
Rating: E
Price: $24.99
The sequel is already on PC, but Square Enix is completing the loop. IGN reviewed the original and called it “totally, thoroughly engaging,” with “gameplay is accessible to kids while its dialogue offers enough sly references to keep Dad or Mom amused.”
PlateUp! (PlayStation 4/5, Xbox X/S, Switch) — February 15
Description: Cook and serve your dishes, design and decorate your restaurants, and expand your culinary kingdom with new unlocks, abilities and dishes in procedurally-generated locations. Classic cooking action with permanent roguelite progression. Hire your friends—or do it all yourself!
Rating: E
Price: $39.99
There’s a cottage industry of these multiplayer games, and if you (and your family) are into those, it seems PlateUp! is a fine entry. TheGamer called the PC release, which came out last year, “a unique restaurant management experience, mixing roguelike elements into the genre in a way I’ve never seen before.” They dinged it for being hard.
Mario vs Donkey Kong (Switch) — February 16
Description: Donkey Kong has stolen all the Mini-Mario toys from the factory, and it’s up to Mario to get them back! Run, jump, and backflip your way to retrieving them across over 130 levels in this puzzle-style twist on classic platforming action. The rivalry that originally heated up on the Game Boy Advance system returns on the Nintendo Switch system with newly added co-op play, brand-new worlds, updated music and visuals, and other new ways to play.
Rating: E
Price: $49.99
This series has been kicking around since 2004 (!!) on the GBA, which is probably the last time I gave it a shot. My kids keep asking about the Princess Peach game. But this game is my experience with the series coming full circle; it’s a remake of the original!
Furnish Master (PC) — February 20
Description: Furnish Master is a relaxing game about furnishing apartments, houses, commercial estate and even outdoor territory! Realize your design dreams!
Rating: TBA
Price: TBA
Pretty. We’ll see how the “game” part works out, but if all you wanted was a way to beautifully design a room, garage, or other space, this looks great. A demo is out now.
Garden Life: A Cozy Simulator (PlayStation 4/5, Xbox One/X/S, PC) — February 22
Description: Enhanced by a warm style and a gameplay close to real life gardening, Garden Life takes you into a soothing world. Surrounded by a comforting visual and audio environment, this game allows you to bring your garden to life by growing authentic plants such as flowers, shrubs and vines.
Rating: E
Price: $39.99
Chill vibes are the name of the game here. Again, it looks pretty, and it comes from a developer with a history of making simulation-style games. But…also Drone Swarm??
Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons Remake (Xbox One/X/S, PS4/5, PC) — February 28
Description: Guide two brothers on an epic journey of discovery, loss, adventure and mystery remade for the latest generation of graphics, performance, and gameplay. Play in single-player mode or local co-op with a friend. This is one journey you will never forget.
Rating: T
Price: TBA
A game famous for controlling two characters on a single controller, but a Switch port of the original apparently added co-op. Seems like it would remove some of the narrative weight from the game, but we live in a different world, and I’m not shocked the remake will also let people play this game with another person. What a great game.
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Brothers is magnificent!