New to video games? It can be hard to know where to start.
There arethousandsof games available on PS4 and PS5, and they come in all shapes and sizes. Some are notoriously difficult; others are more welcoming. But if you’re jumping into the world of video games for the first time, where do you start? With easy games, of course. But what are the best easy games for beginners on PS4 and PS5? Hopefully we can help you with that.
An “easy” game is hard to define. What is easy for one person may be very difficult for another. In this list, we’ve picked games that are straightforward to play, or offer multiple options for newcomers.
Some of these games focus more on narrative and require little input. Some can be hard games, but difficulty settings allow them to be tailored to better suit newcomers. Others have very simple controls, designed to be easy to pick up and play. We’ve tried to cover a variety of genres and styles, and so no matter what your tastes are, any of these easy PS4 and PS5 games will be a good place to start.
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1. Cat Quest
An RPG in the simplest terms,Cat Questis a wonderfully cute adventure that, surprisingly enough, puts players in the role of a cat. As you play, you’ll wander around an overworld, attacking enemies as you go. There’s treasure to be found and friends to help out in what is a short but charming adventure.
Cat Quest‘s controls are very simple and easy to get used to: you only need to tap one button to attack, and a number of magic spells can be assigned to your shoulder and trigger buttons. Enemies start out really easy too – players just need to learn to dodge attacks, and with clear indicators, it’s a great game to get used to typical video game combat. Not to mention it’s just a lot of fun to play. If you’re looking for an easy PS4 or PS5 game, Cat Questis a great place to start – especially for cat lovers.
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2. Unpacking
For people who enjoy being organised, easy games on PS4 and PS5 don’t get much better thanUnpacking. This fantastic indie game from Witch Beam tells the story of a young women’s life by charting every house move she makes from childhood into adulthood. By unpacking her belongings and finding a perfect home for everything, you’ll learn more about her. It’s simple, but utterly wonderful.
Controls are as simple as picking up an item and moving it across the screen, and so for beginners there’s nothing complex to get to grips with here. It’s a relaxing experience, perfect for unwinding with at the end of a busy day. It’s just a shame it’s all over in a few hours; we could playUnpackingforever.
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3. LEGO Harry Potter Collection
Expelliarmus! Any LEGO game is a great game for beginners, but the Harry Potter Collection is one of our favourites. Not only does it offer excellent value for money, bundling two games in one, it also has a great structure that we think is ideal for gaming beginners. There’s a small open world to explore at your will, and each level offers up a simple goal so you always know what you’re working towards.
The LEGO games are great to play in co-op, too. Let someone new to games jump in as player two and they’ll soon get the hang of things. Even if you don’t want to play through the levels, simply wandering around Hogwarts and smashing up LEGO bricks is a lot of fun. It’s one of the easiest PS4 and PS5 games out there, and it’s a great starting place for those looking to play more video games.
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4. Last Stop
More like an interactive movie thanLast Stop, we can’t recommend this title enough, especially to gaming beginners. Set in London, it tells the story of three strangers whose lives become intertwined in the most fascinating of ways. It’s a twisting, turning tale that spans the mundanity of life all the way into the realms of science fiction – and it’ll keep you on your toes from start to finish.
Better yet, simple inputs – little more than making a selection, or using the left stick to move a character around an environment – make it perfect for those unaccustomed to playing games. It really is one of the best easy games on PS4 and PS5 for beginners, and if you enjoy great narratives, we think you’ll loveLast Stop.
Read our review ofLast Stop
5. Detroit: Become Human
Detroit: Become Humanis a big, complex game – but it’s also very easy to play, making it a great place for a beginner to start. From developer Quantic Dream,Detroittells the story of three different androids in a futuristic world. It’s a narrative driven adventure which guides players through the story, meaning there’s little room for error.
The main gameplay elements here are minor exploration and decision-making. The choices you make shape the outcome of the game. You’ll also have to complete some short quick-time events, which means pressing some buttons in the correct sequence. These can be made simpler if necessary, and they do make for a great way to become accustomed to the controller.
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6. Spyro Reignited Trilogy
A remake of a trio of original PS1 games,Spyro: Reignited Trilogymakes an excellent starting point for anyone new to games. Each of the three games in the collection is a 3D platform game. You’re given small worlds to explore at your own pace, and as you make your way around them, you’ll find collectibles and come up against various enemies. Combat is a straightforward affair made up of pressing one or two buttons, meaning it’s very easy to grasp the controls.
Most importantly though,Spyro: Reignited Trilogyis a lot of fun to play. And it’s beautiful to look at: the purple dragon himself is adorable, and the worlds are wonderfully animated and a joy to explore. Added challenge can be had, such as flying missions and timed challenges; but for the most part, the games let you take it at your own pace, making it the perfect easy PS4 game for beginners.
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7. Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection
Nathan Drake is one of the biggest icons on PlayStation – and his first three games make an excellent starting point for anyone new to games. Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection bundles together Uncharted 1, 2 and 3. Each oneis an action-packed adventure game that takes players on an epic journey.
The Uncharted series is essentially Indiana Jones in video game form. In them, you take control of Nathan Drake as he traverses exotic and dangerous locations on the hunt for hidden treasure. Of course, he’ll find a lot of trouble along the way, so expect plenty of combat and gunfights too. Happily, the collection has a number of difficulty options, including ‘Explorer’, which removes most challenge and allows players to enjoy the story.
The Uncharted games are excellent for beginners as they pack in numerous types of gameplay. You’ll complete some platforming, some cover shooting and some close-up combat, among other elements. Especially if you lower the difficulty, Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collectionis one of the best easy games for beginners on PS4 and PS5
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8. Horizon Zero Dawn
Thanks to a wealth of difficulty options,Horizon Zero Dawncan be one of the best easy games on PS4 and PS5. It features both an ‘Easy’ option and a ‘Story’ option, which reduces the challenge of combat. It’s perfect for those new to video games yet want to play something meaty as it allows you to focus on simply exploring the world and enjoying the story.
And youwillwant to focus on exploring the world: Horizon Zero Dawnis simply beautiful. There’s so much to see and do in its vast, exciting open world. The enemies you come across can prove to be quite challenging, though. They’re huge, mechanical beasts that your character, Aloy, must take down with a bow and arrow. But on the game’s easiest difficulty, players will soon get used to the mechanics of shooting. It truly is a joy to play, even if you’re a beginner.
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9. Minecraft
Minecraft is pretty much the perfect place to start playing video games, regardless of your age. It’s a simple concept; all you’ve got to do is survive the cruel universe around you. You’ll start out by building yourself a shelter, then growing vegetables and raising animals. ButMinecraftis more than a farming simulator; there are also monsters to defeat and an adventure to be had.
Enemies inMinecraftare slow-moving, so they never provide much of a challenge, and the game’s control scheme is very easy to get to grips with. It’s a game where you’ll learn the ropes by doing; you’ll pick up everything as you go, which makes it one of the best PS4 and PS5 games for beginners as it allows players to take it at their own pace. It’s not a race, and there are no time constraints as to what you need to do. Simply explore, hunt for materials and craft to your heart’s content.
There’s a reasonMinecrafthas been so popular with children for so long; it’s easy to learn but offers an incredible amount of depth. It’s not simple a game for kids though; any age can enjoy it, and for that reason it’s one of the best easy games on PS4 and PS5.
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10. Firewatch
A story-driven game,Firewatchis one of the best easy games for beginners on PS4 and PS5. Why? There are no complicated mechanics to get used to or no convoluted controls. It’s simply about enjoying the story, moving your character and making some simple interactions. That’s not to say that Firewatchis boring in any way, though. It’s an excellent and enthralling game thanks to its superb narrative.
In it, you play as Henry who has just accepted a summer job in as a fire lookout in the Shoshone National Forest. You find out, through a series of written choices at the beginning of the game, how Henry ended up there. After Henry starts his job that summer, he begins speaking with a fellow fire lookout, Delilah. When things start to go awry, the two have to work together to find out what sinister things might be going on in the National Forest. Delilah’s voice on the end of the walkie-talkie acts as your guide as you explore. Your paths are generally clear, too, so it’s hard to get lost, and straightforward controls make this one of the easiest PS4 and PS5 games there is. And one of our favourites.
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11. What Remains of Edith Finch
We adore What Remains of Edith Finch, and recommend it to just about anyone. But it’s also one of the best easy games for beginners on PS4 and PS5. A lot like Firewatch, the game involves exploring an environment while the story unfolds around you. Set in Edith’s childhood home, a fascinating yet monstrous house that her family never quite stopped building, you’ll uncover that Edith’s family were victims of a terrible curse.
Edith goes back to the house for some closure and, as the player, you’ll be guiding her along on this therapeutic trip. It’s a wonderful but heart-breaking story of family, loss and acceptance. As you explore, you’ll uncover the individual story of each member of Edith’s household. Many of these stories play out like short minigames of various genres, so they provide a great introduction to numerous gameplay mechanics. You can’t go wrong, either, and there’s no such thing as ‘game over’, making it the perfect PS4 and PS5 game for beginners.
Read our review ofWhat Remains of Edith Finch
12. Journey
Journey is an indie adventure game that first came out on PlayStation 3 back in 2012. But despite its age, we love it just as much now as we did then. What makes Journeyso unique is that it’s a completely wordless adventure; nobody speaks a single world. Players must use their surroundings and contextual clues to figure out where to go.
But that’s truly the best part of the game. If you happen to get lost, you’re simply able to explore and uncover more things on the way to your main goal. And that’s exactly what makes it one of the best easy PS4 and PS5 games for beginners. You can’t make a wrong turn in Journey; you’ll simply keep exploring until you find what you’re looking for. Simple controls make it suitable for newcomers, but its gorgeous visuals and sublime soundtrack is what keeps gamers of all abilities coming back.
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