Game suggestions for elderly-disabled (Alzheimer's, Dementia, Stroke)?

[LabRat 891]

I know this is a little outside the normal scope of things here, but I need some help.
(w/o going into too much unnecessary details...)
My disabled father (who got me 'into' computers and gaming) is now well-on in age, and in poor health, with declining cognitive abilities.

He used to love games like Red Faction, Halo, Homefront, and even FTL. However, his neuropathy and 'dexterity issues' along with being more-easily confused makes a lot of games requiring precise mouse movements and strategy, painful.
From having friends w/ aging grandparents, I'm aware how important mental exercise and engagement is to slow-down cognitive decline and stave off depression.

Basically, I'm looking for PC games that are older/low-spec w/ moderate to low complexity (and reading) with, no need of precise mouse movements.
suggestions for an affordable controller/HID might be appreciated but, anything 'new' (from his PoV) has a tendency to stress him out.
He's most-used to using a mouse, even if it does cause him pain.

Here are his (relevant) system specs:
[Asus CSM barebones PC]
i7-4770T
32GB DDR3
GeForce 1050ti

I'm not looking for condolences,
I'd just like to see my Dad a lil happier and not stuck watching 'TV' that's purposefully-made to stress him out and manipulate him.

(On the lighter-hearted side of things
At the very least, I'm looking for something somewhat nostalgic to keep him distracted from the targeted advertisements (he keeps ordering )

 

[Vario]

I am sorry to hear this. My mother had some problems like that, she enjoyed playing slither.io until the end.
(http://slither.io/)

 

[LabRat 891]

I am sorry to hear this. My mother had some problems like that, she enjoyed playing slither.io until the end.
(http://slither.io/)

Thank you.

I just popped over there, and seems decently-fitting.
'will add it to my list.

 

[Toothless]

I'd think turn-based games like Civ, For The King, etc would work out.

 

[LabRat 891]

I'd think turn-based games like Civ, For The King, etc would work out.

Something descended from those/that kind of game(s) might be good. Apparently-complex game mechanics are a bit much for him.
However, something between a 'real' strategy game and a Mobile 'strategy game' would be appropriate.

Maybe even a kids' edutainment title, if the style isn't exceedingly 'goofy'.
I'd consider 'kids games' foremost, if I didn't think he might feel a lil offended at having difficulty w/ "a (clearly meant for) children, game".

Worth noting: I 'picked up' my distaste for Fantasy settings, from him
So, something more sci-fi/historical/science-y would be more his taste.

On that note: Him and I both have shared a love for franchises like Stargate SG-1, Star Trek:TNG, etc.
Merely 'being a familiar setting' might engage him more, and stress him out less (even if a lil more-complex).
Ex: Before I'd noticed a sharp decline in the last year or so, I'd considered trying to play one of the SG-1 games w/ him.

 

[Vario]

Thank you.

I just popped over there, and seems decently-fitting.
'will add it to my list.

We had her play it on a iPad with her finger, then she couldn't play it any more so she watched either myself or my father play it, which brought her joy. She did play it on PC with a mouse for a few years before, during a time when she seemed quite intelligent, it's not a bad game either if you are fully functioning, or if you aren't.

 

[xrror]

This is a just an off the cuff long shot, but Mindustry is a pretty "distilled to the bits you care about" RTS/Defense hybrid that - importantly to this - while it's real-time you can pause at any time and lay out schematics and build orders whatever.

It's also "pay what you want" on itch.io, or like $9.99 on steam i think so. No idea if it's something they'd bounce off of but maybe?

Like you can get it on itch.io for free if you want and if it ends up a winner throw some money at Anuke (the dev)

Mindustry

A sandbox tower-defense game.

mindustrygame.github.io

 

[LabRat 891]

We had her play it on a iPad with her finger, then she couldn't play it any more so she watched either myself or my father play it, which brought her joy. She did play it on PC with a mouse for a few years before.

He has a low-end Hyundai "phablet" (so he can actually see it) but, pretty much anything on that thing (even functions he's been used to) confuses him.

TBQH, I can't blame him.
IMO 'the logic flow' on Android/iOS is radically different than the DOS-Win7 'flow' he's more-accustomed to.
Even if you or I find it 'more simple', it just doesn't jive w/ him. (not to mention, lack of feeling in fingers + touch screen is a repeating-recipe for disaster.)

This is a just an off the cuff long shot, but Mindustry is a pretty "distilled to the bits you care about" RTS/Defense hybrid that - importantly to this - while it's real-time you can pause at any time and lay out schematics and build orders whatever.

It's also "pay what you want" on itch.io, or like $9.99 on steam i think so. No idea if it's something they'd bounce off of but maybe?

Good idea on the side of 'mental exercise' but, a lil visually overwhelming.
Semi-related, he had been playing Sim City 2000 a bit recently. However, the GoG version isn't 100% on his machine.

Are there any more-recent 'distillations' of the Sim City 2000 'play model' w/o being microtransaction-hell Mobile games, or 'complex' like Cities: Skylines?

Edit: He'd recently asked about a Metal Slug-descendant game.
So, the 'shoot-em-up' and 'sidescroller-shooter' kind of gameplay might be 'his speed', as well.
(I know that style of game *was* pretty common for smaller devs. and student projects. Maybe there's some gems I'm not aware of?)

 

[xrror]

Edit: He'd recently asked about a Metal Slug-descendant game.

Dude, your pops has mad good taste in games with all the various genres. Just wanted to throw that out there

Which also makes it super painful that yea, to see such a great gamer having to fight with the mental fog. And you yea trying to keep him interested in staying in the fight.

Did he do the sidescroller-shooters keyboard/mouse (dumb question i know, probably not - guessing he played true neo-geo arcade joystick/buttons).

It makes it hard cause in a dementia situation (again not saying he is, this as example) it can be this painful paradox of wanting new things, but they must conform to the "old methods" if that makes any sense.

 

[LabRat 891]

Dude, your pops has mad good taste in games with all the various genres. Just wanted to throw that out there

thanks.
Me and my Jr. High School friends used to play all kinds of games with him over LAN.
(not a side-scroller but, I miss Red Faction MP, a lot...)

Which also makes it super painful that yea, to see such a great gamer having to fight with the mental fog. And you yea trying to keep him interested in staying in the fight.

Did he do the sidescroller-shooters keyboard/mouse (dumb question i know, probably not - guessing he played true neo-geo arcade joystick/buttons).

Sadly, the KB is hunt-and-peck only @ this point.
I'd consider getting him a more-friendly HID for a game, if needed tho.

It makes it hard cause in a dementia situation (again not saying he is, this as example) it can be this painful paradox of wanting new things, but they must conform to the "old methods" if that makes any sense.

Yup. 100% what I've seen.
He needs novel engagement but, the frustration is palatable.
It doesn't help that 'my help' is overwhelming for him. -It's my own shortcomings/handicaps; always been an infodumper, always will be

Something like Sim City 2000 was a perfect point of moderation for him. He doesn't need to be 'good' at it, it's mouse controlled, and it's a gameplay style he's *very* familiar with.

 

[ThrashZone]

Hi,
Yeah gaming at some point will lead to use frustration
I'd get ready with some tv series/ movies they like to.

Also try not to correct them to much that will soon backfire
Let them be wrong lol

 

[Deleted member 223428]

Depending on the type of game another tool you have at your disposal is trainers or cheats. These can allow you to turn on things like 'god mode' or infinite lives, or disable some of the difficult aspects of the game that might cause frustrations when he's trying to play.

 

[LabRat 891]

Depending on the type of game another tool you have at your disposal is trainers or cheats. These can allow you to turn on things like 'god mode' or infinite lives, or disable some of the difficult aspects of the game that might cause frustrations when he's trying to play.

Not a bad idea. (caveats / security concerns, considered)

I'm not sure if he'll 'be mad he has to cheat' tho.

On that note:
I have noticed more-modern games' "Easy mode" is exceedingly easy; well beyond the difficulty changes between 'normal and hard' or 'hard and extrahard'.

Might be willing to try something quite modern, if it'll run on his machine.

Hi,
Yeah gaming at some point will lead to use frustration
I'd get ready with some tv series/ movies they like to.

Need to order or borrow an ext. HDD for/from him, for exactly that.
He has a 4K 'monitor' and a i7-4770+1050Ti 'might' be able to handle 4K video:
The ST:TNG filmscan HD re-release might be right up his alley.

Also try not to correct them to much that will soon backfire
Let them be wrong lol

In the worst-way, I'm thankful he's (no longer) at the easily-angered stage (at least w/ me).
I'm learning... but, the way/what I was raised by him, has been extremely 'conflicting'.
We (once) were both implicitly 'high information' people.

 

[Arco]

Some old mobile hex-based strategy games could be good. From companies like Handygames. (Free) Some naval turn-based games like Atlantic fleet are also decent. There is a lot of flash games that are simple yet engaging, you just got to find the good ones.

I hope for the best of luck. Alzheimer's is very much a sad thing.

 

[LabRat 891]

Some old mobile hex-based strategy games could be good. From companies like Handygames. (Free) Some naval turn-based games like Atlantic fleet are also decent. There is a lot of flash games that are simple yet engaging, you just got to find the good ones.

On that note: What's the most user-friendly way to play Mobile games on a Windows 7 PC?
I've played w/ android emulators (back when I was on 7 still) and universally the performance was poor (even on an 4.5GHz i7-3770k).

 

[A&P211]

I know this is a little outside the normal scope of things here, but I need some help.
(w/o going into too much unnecessary details...)
My disabled father (who got me 'into' computers and gaming) is now well-on in age, and in poor health, with declining cognitive abilities.

He used to love games like Red Faction, Halo, Homefront, and even FTL. However, his neuropathy and 'dexterity issues' along with being more-easily confused makes a lot of games requiring precise mouse movements and strategy, painful.
From having friends w/ aging grandparents, I'm aware how important mental exercise and engagement is to slow-down cognitive decline and stave off depression.

Basically, I'm looking for PC games that are older/low-spec w/ moderate to low complexity (and reading) with, no need of precise mouse movements.
suggestions for an affordable controller/HID might be appreciated but, anything 'new' (from his PoV) has a tendency to stress him out.
He's most-used to using a mouse, even if it does cause him pain.

Here are his (relevant) system specs:
[Asus CSM barebones PC]
i7-4770T
32GB DDR3
GeForce 1050ti

I'm not looking for condolences,
I'd just like to see my Dad a lil happier and not stuck watching 'TV' that's purposefully-made to stress him out and manipulate him.

(On the lighter-hearted side of things
At the very least, I'm looking for something somewhat nostalgic to keep him distracted from the targeted advertisements (he keeps ordering )

at least you dad watches TV, my gf is a home health worker that takes care of a Dementia patient that constantly nonstop walks around his house. Also opens and closes doors for hours.
I do have to say he gets lots of exercise every day.

 

[Hyderz]

im not sure which game to recommend... but i have heard story driven games with reading/puzzle helps with brain cognitive... responses..

 

[ne6togadno]

Derail Valley on Steam

Drive massive trains and build your career in a vast open railway network. For both PC and VR.

store.steampowered.com

Railway Empire - Complete Collection + Japan on Steam

store.steampowered.com

Transport Fever on Steam

Transport Fever is a railroad-focused tycoon game. Players start in 1850 and build up a thriving transport company. As an emerging transport tycoon, the player constructs stations, airports, harbors and makes money by connecting areas requiring transport services. Build up your own Empire!

store.steampowered.com

Stellaris on Steam

Explore a galaxy full of wonders in this sci-fi grand strategy game from Paradox Development Studios. Interact with diverse alien races, discover strange new worlds with unexpected events and expand the reach of your empire. Each new adventure holds almost limitless possibilities.

store.steampowered.com

 

[KrazyT]

I was thinking maybe some Walking Sim ?
Or Tetris, it can be a good exercise ?

Difficult times ahead, sorry for you :/

 

[Clugmuffer]

Might I suggest some early/mid-2000's Flash games? You can still play hundreds/thousands of them thru a program called Flashpoint Archive. There is every genre available... Contra/Metal Slug type (Aqua Slug), Angry Birds type (Crush the Castle), abstract flying (Flur). Some are probably simple enough to play.

 

[Dr. Dro]

Puzzle games! Those should run well on limited specs and stimulate the areas of the brain that are responsible for cognition, memory and decision making. Tetris, Uno, crosswords, sudoku. RTS's or games centered around resource management may also be helpful. Alternatively, if he's open to lore-rich games, building a trove of knowledge on the minutia and details of storytelling can also be excellent over time.

On that note: What's the most user-friendly way to play Mobile games on a Windows 7 PC?
I've played w/ android emulators (back when I was on 7 still) and universally the performance was poor (even on an 4.5GHz i7-3770k).

Bluestacks and NoxPlayer, but they are still very heavy on the CPU.

 

[R-T-B]

Oh gosh, my play style is completely different being more engineering / thinking games that would likely drive him bonkers, but let me just stop and say a.) cherish what you have and b.) Seeing someone you respect like that age sucks, big time. Best of luck. And I echo ThrashZone. Letting him be wrong is ok.

 

[Vayra86]

TBS, 4X, Grand Strategy are all perfect candidates. I play them baked AF and it still works

There are also the puzzly-buildy-beautiful games, that all still tickle that 'one more thing/turn/building/idea/look around' itch and aren't competitive at all. More art-sy games than gamey games, like:

Townscaper on Steam

Instant town building toy

store.steampowered.com

Journey on Steam

Explore the ancient, mysterious world of Journey as you soar above ruins and glide across sands to discover its secrets.

store.steampowered.com

Flower on Steam

Experience award-winning Flower, now available on PC. Flower lets you take control of the wind as you explore and navigate beautiful, lush environments.

store.steampowered.com

Hope this helps, even if only for a general direction. Best of luck to you with this situation, I'm sure its not easy.

 

[Count von Schwalbe]

XCOM or one of its derivatives? Mostly a point and click game, but not too complex to figure out like grand strategy.

Or really any of the turn-based combat games.

 

[Bobaganoosh]

Star Realms is a pretty good turn-based card game that can be played on Windows (Steam), mobile, or even with real life cards. It's not terribly complicated to where you really need to remember your whole strategy to continue and when playing in digital format, it remembers all the health and damage numbers for you, so all you really need to do is react to the cards currently in play during the hand. It fits the "space" and sci-fi type themes you mentioned above, so I thought I'd mention it. The base version is free. There are expansions you can buy, but you can play the easy and medium AI any time and as many times as you want for free. Also, you can set up accounts and play games against each other too, I think even cross-platform, so you could play a hand on your phone from wherever while he's on the computer.