In the winter months, staying inside becomes all the easier thanks to cold weather and afternoons turning into the new 11pm. This might sound like a gamer's dream, but if you live with a partner or someone who unfortunately can't tell their joystick from their joy-con, then it might be difficult to enjoy the long nights together. If you don't like the idea of shutting yourself in your own gaming den, though, we've got five games you can pick through with a non-gamer, whether that's to introduce them to the hobby or just spend some good time together.
Creature collectors are nothing new, but the problem with something like Pokémon is that you can't roam around the world with a friend. In comes Flock, swooping to the number 5 spot on our list as a beautifully atmospheric adventure. You fly on a giant bird, whistling your way through a fantasy mountaintop attracting all sorts of weirdly wonderful flying creatures. From typically bird-like beings to what look like whales in the sky, Flock lets all sorts of creatures tag along with you on an adventure, and after a tough day it can be lovely to just unwind and fly around the world with nothing to do but make friends with nature.
While Peak is built around a challenge, the gameplay does not require much when it comes to button pushing, nor does it really punish you for anything outside of your control (unless you scale up the difficulty with the Ascent feature). If you and a friend/partner buy a couple of copies, you'll be scaling mountains in no time, picking up coconuts, warming marshmallows by the fire, and making gaming adventures that are as memorable as time spent together in real life. There's a reason Aggro Crab and Landfall Games' climbing game became the most viral release of the summer, and it's because practically anyone can give it a go.
This game can't be played without co-op, so it could be a great way to get your reluctant partner, friend or family member to join in. Plus, it requires very little when it comes to time and skill. Lego Voyagers is an adventure that's just a few hours long and just needs you to jump and build in order to solve the game's puzzles. One player can deal with most of it on their own, anyway, so you really don't need to be too skilled even as a pair. The entire Lego franchise of games could make its way onto this list, but this really takes the cake in being a calm and cosy adventure that is too short to get you frustrated.
Build a farm and make it run well. Your mission in Stardew Valley is incredibly simple, and that's not stopped users spending hundreds of hours in the game. Co-op allows for fun with a friend, too, and if you've got any familiarity with the base game, you'll soon find it runs the same in co-op just with a pal. Also, like in Lego Voyagers, you can rely on one person to do a lot of the legwork, which means there'll be no tension over people not solving puzzles or pulling their weight. A really good time sink if you need one, Stardew Valley will always be there for you to return to when you've got a free evening.
Hazelight is pretty much the king of co-op right now, and while I think that It Takes Two is actually a better introduction to gaming for non-gamers, Split Fiction is flashier, snazzier, and builds on the winning co-op formula in such a way that it also works as a brilliant way to spend a rainy or snowy evening. Really, any Hazelight title out of their co-op hits could work, but as Split Fiction is their newest hit, it takes the number 1 spot on this list.