Similar Games for Kids

[qsilvr2531]

So I've been playing Alpha 8 quite a bit recently and my kids (8 and 6 years old) have started watching me play.  They are very interested and like the game and enjoy the story generator aspect of the game a lot.  However, the game mechanics are much to complicated for them to work with at this point.  So I'm wondering if anyone knows of any similar games that would be appropriate for kids under 9 years old.  Obviously I want the content to be appropriate as well but I'm more concerned about the game mechanics being accessible to young kids.  Any thoughts?

[Shinzy]

Stonehearth might be something to look out for (it seems veery buggy at the moment though so I can't recommend it yet)

Prison architect isn't as fatal as rimworld so that might be a good one

Craft the world might be worth to check too, it's pretty straightforward
although iiit can get pretty boring.. and I wouldn't exactly call it too similar

and rimworld in the basebuildermode shouldn't get too complex for 8 year olds =P if you take the time to walk them through a bit
I mean I played Civilization/Colonization when I was 8ish (didn't even speak or read bit of english then, gob bless elder brothers!) not to mention War Craft orcs and humans! if you can play a game with thatlevel of horrible controls at that age then you can play rimworld, too *nods*

But ofcourse kiddies were MUCH smarter back then! *ahem* I'm a living proof, and haven't matured a day *proud*

Edit: Also I hooked my sisters daughter on Dungeon Keeper 2 when she was like 9?
Smart move shinzy, smaaart mooove.. she was glued to the screen for ages

[Ramsis]

I think it's rather unfair for you to proclaim it's too hard for them to pick up, especially when looking at the golden age of gaming where most video games were so stupidly optimized for playing that we had to chip away at them piece by piece. Sit them down and show them the ropes.

[milon]

My brother plays RimWorld with his sons (6 and 4 years, IIRC).  All three love it!

[TheSilencedScream]

A combo of what Ramsis and milon said: sit with them the first few times they play, help and direct them. Teach a man to fish, so to speak.

[Coenmcj]

I was playing broodwar with my brother at that age, they should be fine. Just need a guiding hand to learn the ropes.

[Evelyn]

I played Anno 1602 starting when I was 5. It took some time to get the hang of it, but children learn just as adults do. It may actually help their cognitive ability by introducing them to gaming at a young age.

[Nasikabatrachus]

See if you can get your hands on Sim Ant!

[Headshotkill]

Actually this game is already the "kids version" of dwarf fortress, you can download one of the older alpha's which have the same general feeling but are less complicated. (no temperature, no disease, ...)

[StorymasterQ]

Actually this game is already the "kids version" of dwarf fortress, you can download one of the older alpha's which have the same general feeling but are less complicated. (no temperature, no disease, ...)

You're saying that kids playing Rimworld today would graduate to play DF later on? Sounds legit

[Coenmcj]

See if you can get your hands on Sim Ant!

Seconded for sure!
Sim Ant was an awesome game back in the day.

[Leird]

Maybe there's a little learning curve with Rimworld, but it really shouldn't be a problem for them to learn to play, just teach them what to do, and the just let them play on their own when they know the basics! It might take them a month or so to get a hang off, but it's well worth it!

[qsilvr2531]

Thanks for the suggestions everyone.  I'll definitely try to get them playing on an easy difficulty.

They already play Starcraft II without too many problems but Rimworld is leaps and bounds more complex than SCII.

[Mikhail Reign]

There was a 3 year old sitting in a isle of the super market today, playing a pretty in-depth game on an iPhone; one of my sisters friends has a kid who won't submit to a nappy change without their touchscreen pad to play with - by 8 they should be coding.

[amul]

I say hand them a save file and show them where the wiki and the forums are. Games are a great way to teach children how to discover information on their own in the modern day.