Pick a topic
Every guide here is written for someone starting from zero, or for a parent or partner trying to understand what the player in their home is doing. Read them in order or jump to the one you need.
Getting started
What you need for PC or console play, and how to set things up on day one.
02Genres explained
Ten genres, each with a profile chart showing pace, reflexes, planning, story, social play and session length.
03Controls and remapping
Controller and keyboard basics, sensitivity, dead zones and moving buttons where you want them.
04Accessibility options
Subtitles, color filters, assist modes, motion settings and system-wide features.
05Display and audio
Brightness, performance modes, field of view and a sound mix you can follow.
06Healthy habits and breaks
Session planning, breaks, sleep and noticing when gaming crowds out other things.
07Posture, eyes and hands
Seating, screen distance, lighting and when to get aches checked.
08Online safety
Account security, chat settings, scams and how to block and report.
09Parental controls
Age ratings, platform family settings and how to set them up together.
Genres at a glance
A genre tells you how a game plays, which matters more for a beginner than how it looks. Each chart below rates a typical game in the genre from 1 to 5 on six things: pace, reflexes, planning, story, social play and session length. A small, even shape means a calm game you can play in short bursts. A big spike on reflexes means quick reactions matter.
Puzzle
Logic, patterns and spatial problems in small chunks. Often the gentlest place to start.
Try it if: You want calm, bite-sized sessions.
Beginner friendly
Simulation and sandbox
Build, farm, manage or create at your own pace, often with no fail state at all.
Try it if: You like open-ended building and routine.
Beginner friendly
Action-adventure
Explore a world, solve light puzzles and fight now and then, usually with a story pulling you along.
Try it if: You want a mix of exploring, story and some action.
Beginner friendly
All ten genres, and how to read the charts, are on the genres explained page.
Your first hour, in five steps
- Update first. Let the console or PC and the game download their updates before you sit down to play. It can take a while the first time.
- Set up the picture and sound. Use the brightness check in the game's settings and turn on subtitles if you like them. The display and audio guide explains the common options.
- Check the controls. Look at the control layout in the pause menu and change anything that feels wrong, such as inverted camera movement. See controls and remapping.
- Choose an easy difficulty. Low difficulty settings exist for new players. You can usually raise it later without starting over.
- Plan a stopping point. Decide when you will take a break before you start. The healthy habits page has a simple plan.
For parents and carers
If you are setting up a console or PC for a child, start with the parental controls guide and the online safety guide. They explain age ratings, spending limits, chat settings and screen time tools in general terms, and point you to the help pages of the platform you use, since menus change often.
What this site does and does not do
We explain how games and their settings work. We do not review games, rank them or recommend brands, consoles or stores. When we mention a platform it is only to tell you where a setting usually lives. For anything to do with health, we give general information and suggest you speak to a doctor or other professional if something hurts or worries you.
Common questions
Do I need an expensive setup to start?
No. Many games run on modest hardware, and plenty of beginner-friendly genres, such as puzzle and simulation games, ask very little of a computer or console. Check a game's listed system requirements before you buy it for a PC.
Is a controller or a keyboard and mouse better for beginners?
Neither is better overall. Controllers are simpler to learn and suit sofa play. A keyboard and mouse gives precise aiming and suits strategy games. Many PC games accept both, so try each and keep the one that feels comfortable.
I find games too hard. Is that normal?
Very normal. Games assume skills that experienced players built over years. Lower the difficulty, turn on assist options, and look at the accessibility guide. None of that is cheating.