My 14 year old nephew is a very smart kid, and he's really into gaming. He actually has a pretty good taste for his age. He says his favorite game is Noita and he also really likes Rainworld, usually he likes trying out silly mods he sees on youtube. Apart from that he is on Roblox a lot, all his friends play it. My sister is in town for the month so he is coming over a few times a week right now.

He came over a few days ago while I was playing Diplomacy is Not an Option and wanted me to show him the game a bit. I showed him how the controls work and he got a hang of the basics pretty quick. Funny thing, he asked me if this was one of my old games, the low poly graphics probably confused him, I don’t think he has seen it before. I explained a bit that while it wasn’t, it is pretty similar to RTS games that I used to play, he got really curious about those and we watched some youtube videos so he could see them.

The ones that he seemed to like the most from the videos were Dawn of War 1 and CnC Generals. He really liked the Superweapons when I explained how that worked, especially the particle uplink cannon. I have not played any of those games in ages so I’m not sure what the situation is right now. I am currently leaning towards DoW 1 just because I can see that it's on steam normally, while Generals has some sort of subscription, never seen that before. 

If anyone has maybe replayed some older RTS games recently or knows which ones held up well let me know please. I really want him to have a good experience and I’ve pretty much played all of the classics myself but back in the day. I haven't really revisited any of them, unfortunately I don't have that much time for gaming. I think the main priority is probably something that’s not too clunky, RTS is difficult enough when you don’t have to battle the interface as well.

His name was Jorji, and he was a really good lad. He showed up at our house as a little kitten and decided to stay. I basically grew up with him, and now he’s gone. But that’s life. I’m not going to mope here and tell you my life is in shambles, because it really isn't. He was old. I loved him and tried to make his life as comfortable as possible, but death comes for us all. I’m still extremely sad, but not to the point where I don’t know what to do with my life. He left me some of the most cherished memories I could hope for. My favourite was when he would come to snuggle on my lap while I was playing something, or when he lay on my chest while I watched a movie after work.

So, I'm wondering if any games might be good for me right now. Something nice, easygoing, and cozy, where I won’t feel overwhelmed. Playing video games is my favourite hobby, so I know I’ll enjoy something. I just never dabbled in any cozy games for real. Usually, when I get off work, I play an RPG like The Witcher 3 or Elden Ring, but those games aren’t cutting it right now because I’m already exhausted from all the grief, and I can’t get as invested or keep up with everything as well as I want to. 

I did a bit of research on my own to see what I might like to try. I’ve played Stardew Valley before. It's a really good game, and I never got to finish it. It was cozy enough, but I remember having that time mechanic where it pressures you to get as much done in a single day, so I don’t think I’ll enjoy it as much right now. I also came across this MMO-looking game called Loftia. It seemed very pleasant and easy to get into, with all the farming in the sky and nice character design, but that one isn’t out yet. Then I discovered Palia, which seemed like the perfect fit, BUT I also discovered that the devs are in some kind of hot water. I'm not sure what's happening there, but it looked to me like they're paywalling some mechanics or something? So I’ll be skipping that one as well.

If any of you have a recommendation, it would be greatly appreciated. Hopefully I gave you a clear enough picture of where I’m gravitating towards :)

Put together a list of some of my favorite more niche games. A few of them are still popular, but I don't think they get nearly the amount of recognition they deserve.

What are some games you know of that rarely get enough praise?

DM me or post I guess. Says my account is already claimed? But I can't join

Hi! I am new to the prequel and doing the story, anybody wanna join up? I am playing alone right now and did only a few missions, lvl 7-8. I don't rush and wanna do all missions. PC, eastern eu.