As a gamer myself, I understand how difficult we can be to buy presents for, especially if you don’t follow games yourself. To try and make it a little easier on everyone involved, I decided to make a series of lists for each console manufacturer and PC, highlighting what I consider to be some of better titles available for purchase this Holiday Season.

With the easy availability of giftable PC games thanks to Steam and other digital game services, this PC list is filled with Indie games and Digital titles that couldn’t be added to the PlayStation or Xbox lists. This is still by no means a definite list, however it is a bit more comprehensive than the previous lists. Notably, Batman Arkham Knight has been omitted due to its poor performance and technical issues on the PC.

Have a read, see what I suggest you buy during the inevitable Steam holiday sale in this PC Christmas Gift Guide, and and feel free to check out the PlayStation Christmas Gift Guide, Nintendo Christmas Gift Guide and Xbox Christmas Gift Guide.

 

 

Title: Assassin’s Creed Syndicate

Genre: Victorian-era Third Person Action Adventure

Modes of Play: Single Player

Family/Kid Friendly: No. Assassin’s Creed Syndicate features exactly what the name implies, many assassinations and deaths.

Rocket Chainsaw Review Score: N/A

 

 

 

Title: Assault Android Cactus

Genre: Twin Stick Shooter

Modes of Play: Single Player, Offline Co-op

Family/Kid Friendly: Yes. Assault Androi Cactus’s brand of action is appropriate for all ages.

Rocket Chainsaw Review Score: 4/5

 

 

 

Title: Axiom Verge

Genre: 2D Action Adventure/Metroidvania

Modes of Play: Single Player

Family/Kid Friendly: Discretion advised. The art-style for Axiom Verge means that the violence involved isn’t necessarily confronting, however it will likely be too difficult for younger players.

Rocket Chainsaw Review Score: N/A

 

 

 

Title: Broken Age

Genre: 2D Point and Click Adventure

Modes of Play: Single Player

Family/Kid Friendly: Yes. Both Broken Age’s story and gameplay are appropriate for kids.

Rocket Chainsaw Review Score: N/A

 

 

Title: Call of Duty: Black Ops 3

Genre: Futuristic First Person Shooter

Modes of Play: Single Player, Offline Multiplayer, Offline Co-op, Online Multi-player, Online Co-op

Family/Kid Friendly: No. In this case, Call of Duty’s R rating mostly speaks for itself. The game includes especially gruesome violence, with enemies exploding, being burnt alive by abilities and other acts.

Rocket Chainsaw Review Score: N/A

 

 

Title: Cities: Skylines

Genre: City Builder

Modes of Play: Single Player

Family/Kid Friendly: Yes. Cities: Skylines is thematically appropriate for children; however younger ones might find the game somewhat difficult.

Rocket Chainsaw Review Score: N/A

 

 

Title: Disney Infinity 3.0

Genre: 3D Platformers and Action

Modes of Play: Single Player

Family/Kid Friendly: Yes. As with Disney films, Disney Infinity 3.0 is specifically built to a be a title for all ages.

Rocket Chainsaw Review Score: 4/5

 

 

Title: Dropsy

Genre: 2D Point and Click Adventure

Modes of Play: Single Player

Family/Kid Friendly: Discretion advised. Dropsy may be a bit too scary for younger children at times.

Rocket Chainsaw Review Score: N/A

 

 

Title: DUCK GAME

Genre: 2D Multiplayer Duck Shooter

Modes of Play: Offline Multiplayer

Family/Kid Friendly: Discretion advised. The violence in DUCK GAME isn’t confronting, but the whole point in the game is to murder the other ducks.

Rocket Chainsaw Review Score: N/A

 

 

Title: Dying Light

Genre: Survival-based Zombie-Apocalypse Action Adventure

Modes of Play: Single Player, Online Co-Op

Family/Kid Friendly: No. This is another title where the R rating should largely speak for itself. Chock full of confronting violence, dismemberment and x-ray vision shots as you break bones.

Rocket Chainsaw Review Score: N/A

 

 

Title: Fallout 4

Genre: Post-Apocalyptic First or Third Person Shooter

Modes of Play: Single Player

Family/Kid Friendly: No. In Fallout 4 the most common recurring theme is your enemies heads of arms coming off their bodies as you shoot them, it’s not exactly the sort of thing children should see.

Rocket Chainsaw Review Score: 4/5

 

 

Title: Grim Fandango Remastered

Genre: 3D Point and Click Adventure

Modes of Play: Single Player

Family/Kid Friendly: Yes.

Rocket Chainsaw Review Score: 4.5/5

 

 

Title: Her Story

Genre: Narrative Adventure

Modes of Play: Single Player

Family/Kid Friendly: Discretion Advised. Her Story allows you to watch the video clips from a fictional police investigation of a murder. Some aspects may not be appropriate for kids.

Rocket Chainsaw Review Score: 4.5/5

 

 

Title: Just Cause 3

Genre: High Octane Third Person Action Shooter

Modes of Play: Single Player

Family/Kid Friendly: No. The violence isn’t as high impact as other shooters, however the sheer amount of it, as well as the giant explosions, means it’s not suitable for kids.

Rocket Chainsaw Review Score:  4/5

 

 

Title: Kerbal Space Program

Genre: Space Flight Simulator and Management

Modes of Play: Single Player

Family/Kid Friendly: Yes. Kerbal Space Program is all about constructing space ships and planes to fly into space. The game can get a bit difficult, but kids are adaptable.

Rocket Chainsaw Review Score: N/A

 

 

Title: The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky SC

Genre: 2D Role Playing Game

Modes of Play: Single Player

Family/Kid Friendly: Discretion Advised. Some of themes covered in Trails in the Sky aren’t always appropriate for kids.

Rocket Chainsaw Review Score: N/A

 

 

Title: Lego Jurassic World

Genre: 3D Platformer and Adventure

Modes of Play: Single Player, Offline Co-op

Family/Kid Friendly: 100%. The combination of family friendly action, easy to learn controls and split screen co-op makes Lego Jurassic World potentially the most family friendly title on this list.

Rocket Chainsaw Review Score:

 

 

Title: Life is Strange

Genre: 3D Point and Click Adventure

Modes of Play: Single Player

Family/Kid Friendly: No. Life is Strange’s themes can be confronting at times and are not appropriate for kids.

Rocket Chainsaw Review Score: N/A

 

 

Title: Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain

Genre: Third Person Stealth Shooter

Modes of Play: Single Player, Online Multi-player

Family/Kid Friendly: No. Metal Gear Solid V deals with many themes that are inappropriate for younger players, include child slavery. Along with the level of violence present, it is not recommended for children.

Rocket Chainsaw Review Score: 4/5

 

 

Title: Mortal Kombat X

Genre: Hyper Violent Fighter

Modes of Play: Single Player, Offline Multiplayer, Online Multi-player

Family/Kid Friendly: No. X-ray shots as you break bones and burst internal organs, decapitation and heaps of blood make this a definite no-go for younger players.

Rocket Chainsaw Review Score: N/A

 

 

Title: Ninja Pizza Girl

Genre: 2.5D Action Platformer

Modes of Play: Single Player

Family/Kid Friendly: 100%. Ninja Pizza Girl is 2.5D platformer that is centred around bullying and the effects it has on people.

Rocket Chainsaw Review Score: 4/5

 

 

Title: Ori and the Blind Forest

Genre: 2D Exploration Focused Platformer

Modes of Play: Single Player

Family/Kid Friendly: Yes, but it is a difficult game. Ori and the Blind Forest contains some mild violence; however, it isn’t confronting.

Rocket Chainsaw Review Score: 3.5/5

 

 

Title: Pillars of Eternity

Genre: Isometric Role Playing Game

Modes of Play: Single Player

Family/Kid Friendly: No. Pillars of Eternity deals with some dark themes that are not appropriate for kids.

Rocket Chainsaw Review Score: N/A

 

 

Title: Rocket League

Genre: Car Soccer

Modes of Play: Single Player, Online Multi-Player, Offline Co-op, Online Co-op

Family/Kid Friendly: Yes. Rocket League is all about driving cars and knocking balls into goals. There’s nothing there that’s not appropriate for kids.

Rocket Chainsaw Review Score: 4/5

 

 

Title: SOMA

Genre: First Person Horror

Modes of Play: Single Player

Family/Kid Friendly: No. SOMA is all about the scares and horror, so it isn’t appropriate for kids. Unless you want your kids to be having nightmares.

Rocket Chainsaw Review Score: 3.5/5

 

 

Title: Star Wars Battlefront

Genre: Science Fiction Star Wars Shooter

Modes of Play: Offline Multiplayer, Offline Co-op, Online Multi-player, Online Co-op

Family/Kid Friendly: Discretion Advised. As with the Star Wars films, Star Wars Battlefront comes with a non-confrontational level of violence. No decapitation, no gruesome deaths, but of course laser guns and shooting are still involved.

Rocket Chainsaw Review Score: 3.5/5

 

 

 

Title: Transformers Devastation

Genre: Character Action

Modes of Play: Single Player

Family/Kid Friendly: Another title where the onus is on you. With cartoon visuals reminiscent of the 1980’s cartoons and stylised violence that doesn’t include any blood, Transformers Devastation is potentially fine for kids.

Rocket Chainsaw Review Score: N/A

 

 

Title: Undertale

Genre: 2D Role Playing Game

Modes of Play: Single Player

Family/Kid Friendly: Discretion advised. Undertale deals with some themes that aren’t really appropriate for kids.

Rocket Chainsaw Review Score: N/A

 

 

Title: Warhammer: End Times – Vermintide

Genre: First Person Action

Modes of Play: Single Player, Online Co-op

Family/Kid Friendly: No. Lots of violence and heaps of big scary rats means that Vermintide is not safe for kids.

Rocket Chainsaw Review Score: N/A

 

 

Title: The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Genre: Action Role Playing Game

Modes of Play: Single Player

Family/Kid Friendly: No. Nudity, sexual themes, as well as violence make The Witcher 3 an adults-only affair.

Rocket Chainsaw Review Score: 5/5

 

 

Title: Wolfenstein: The Old Blood

Genre: First Person Shooter

Modes of Play: Single Player

Family/Kid Friendly: No, never, nada. In no way, shape, or form is Wolfenstein appropriate for kids. Violence of the highest degree is par for the course in Wolfenstein with exploding heads and other violent acts.

Rocket Chainsaw Review Score: 4/5