Middle Aged Gaming 2020's the Game Show: If They Build It, They Will Come
Ever imagine creating your own game instead of playing them? Well what if you could do both at the same time? Today we look at games that allow us to customize our own playing experience from level and character design to tool sets that we feel really give you the experience of being a game creator.
Crian's Picks
If you love your job, you'll never have to work a day in your life. Take on the role of of the Grim Reaper as you set about releasing souls from their mortal coils. But be careful, not everyone is a fan of your work. With dozens of ways to tackle a problem, this game will really allow you to flex your creativity.
One of the most renowned SRPGs on the market, XCOM will allow you to not only create your own team, but create the individual members as well. Might want to be careful using the likenesses of those you know though. Wouldn't want the mother in law walking in as her avatar takes a grenade to the face. That's not the kind of thing you walk off.
codeSpark Academy: At Home Kids Coding (Tool Set)
2 out of 2 podcast hosts agree that teaching your kid programming from an early age is really helpful in this day and age. Thankfully, codeSpark Academy has you covered with some of the best tools to help introduce young (or even old) minds to the the world of algorithm development.
Adam's Picks
Originally coming out on the PlayStation (the first one), this game has a combat mechanic that hasn't really been utilized since.
In Bushido Blade, stab, slash, and parry you way to victory. The kicker? It's a one hit kill. Thankfully, rounds reset quickly, so there's nearly no downtime.
Good luck finding it (it's so old it doesn't have a webpage!), but if you do, check it out.
A game so niche there isn't even an English webpage, Armored Core puts you in the cockpit of a giant machine of war. Build your AC (Armored Core) from the ground up and outside in as you select a variety of parts from arms and legs to weapon loadouts to engines and cooling systems. Best of all, you can give your AC its own custom paint job and emblem so your enemies will know who hit them.
Remember those top down 16-bit JRPGs of the 90's? Ever want to make your own? The answer to both those questions is "yes" and the solution to the second is RPG Maker. This is all you'll ever need to recreate those lost summers where your mom yelled at you to get outside and play a sport or something.
Now that we're older, no one is bossing us around anymore (except our bosses... and spouses... and children...). There's no better time to let that childhood dream finally take flight.