If you’re looking for something new to play, you’ve certainly got a lot of options. From timeless classics to modern, high-octane first-person shooters, there’s so much choice, meaning that whatever type of player you are, there are dozens of titles you’re sure to love (even if you think you’ve played just about everything). 

Of course, that choice can also be a little paralysing. Even when just considering one specific genre you like, the amount of games to pick from can feel completely overwhelming. 

To help you decide what to play next, we’ve picked six games from the easy to learn, difficult to master category. These games don’t require a huge time commitment to get started, and they’re something you can keep coming back to and continue to improve at over time. Let’s dive in!

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1. Chess

Chess is perhaps the prime example when considering this category, and there’s a reason it has such a timeless appeal. 

The rules of chess are straightforward. Use your pieces to progress through a simplified checkered battlefield and checkmate the king, rendering the piece unable to move. You have many different pieces at your disposal to help you do this, each of which has a unique moveset. 

There’s plenty of strategy to dig into here, and it’s a game you can play for decades and be continually learning new things. 

You can play the game for free online, and there are numerous video game versions for you to download to play on modern consoles. 

2. Street Fighter 2

While many of the Street Fighter games since the second one are considered very difficult to get into, this title represents something of a sweet spot for the franchise. 

For those who have never played a fighting game before, this is one of the best ever made, and once you’ve learned the basic movesets, there’s a huge scope for improvement. Despite its age, it’s also one that people continue to play at an e-sports level, and there’s no sign of that stopping any time soon. 

You can buy the original cartridge for cheap if you have a Super Nintendo or SEGA Genesis lying around, or download the game on the latest online platforms like Steam or the Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo storefronts.

3.  Tetris 99

If you have a Nintendo Switch and subscribe to the online service, you should definitely give Tetris 99 a try. It’s free to play and offers a clever modern twist on the Game Boy classic. 

If you’ve played Fortnite, you’ll be familiar with the Battle Royale format, whereby a large group of players fight to be the last one standing. This is the Tetris version. 

As the name suggests, 99 players face off against each other as they play their own personal game of Tetris. Once a line is cleared, it gets sent to another player as an attack, shunting up their board by one space and pushing them closer to losing. It’s easy to learn, but to become a great player, you’ll have to put in a lot of practice. 

4. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Another great option if you have a Switch is Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. This is one of those rare games that both has a huge skill ceiling with some truly outstanding players at the top, while simultaneously catering to total beginners. 

The premise is simple: beat your opponent (or opponents) at a 2D fight either by depleting their health bar or knocking them out of the map. What makes it so fun is that you’ve got a massive roster of characters to choose from, whether those from Nintendo’s extensive roster or the dozens of other franchises that make an appearance. 

There are also many controller styles available. You’ve got the Switch Joy Cons, the Pro Controller, and even the re-release of the original GameCube controller if you wish. 

5. DOOM Eternal

If you enjoy first-person shooters, you really owe it to yourself to play DOOM Eternal. 

As the poster boy for ‘boomer shooters’ – the subgenre of the FPS that returns the style to its 1990s roots – this is a fast-paced, brutal shooter that’s quick to learn while also being something you can plough hundreds of hours into. 

One of the main reasons for this is how the difficulty is set up. The easiest setting is perfect for casual players and those just learning the ropes, but once you ramp things up to Nightmare Mode, your skills are truly put to the test. Even after that, there are the master levels to contend with, which are more difficult variants of the base levels, and beyond these, there’s Ultra Nightmare – the mode where getting killed sends you to the very start of the level. 

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Eternal is available on all major platforms apart from mobile. 

6. Minesweeper

And finally, there’s Minesweeper, which, while being the simplest game on the list, should not be underestimated. 

If you’re unfamiliar with how the game works, players engage with Minesweeper by clicking small squares on a large grid. Underneath some of these squares are mines, and when uncovered, they end the game. Under many squares, however, are safe spots, which reveal a number that corresponds to how many mines are in that immediate area.

By being strategic about where you click, you’ll gradually deduce where the rest of the mines are on the board, and you win by clearing the entire grid and leaving the mines left covered. All you need to play is your mouse to click with or a finger to tap, so it’s as easy to learn as they come. It’ll certainly give you a run for your money, though. 

Wrapping Up

None of these titles overwhelm you with information or exposition. They allow you to get straight into the action and start having fun immediately, which is exactly what you need when you have a few different games to try out. 

Hopefully, this list has inspired you to give something new a go. Have fun!

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