If you’re new to gaming and unsure where to start, these 10 titles span different genres and gameplay styles to help you find what you enjoy. Each entry below highlights why it’s a good introduction to its category and lists the platforms it’s available on.
3D platformer: Super Mario Odyssey
Super Mario Odyssey is widely regarded as one of the best 3D platformers and serves as an accessible entry point to gaming. Players explore imaginative worlds, solve platforming challenges and use intuitive abilities that diversify gameplay.
The game balances a moderate main difficulty with optional challenges that increase as you progress, making it suitable for beginners and more experienced players alike.
- Platform: Nintendo Switch
Fighting game: Street Fighter 6
Street Fighter 6 blends classic franchise mechanics with modern visuals and approachable controls. It caters to casual players looking for fun matches as well as competitive gamers seeking depth.
The title includes iconic characters such as Ryu and Chun-Li and features a campaign mode that lets players create a custom street fighter to learn new techniques and improve.
- Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S
Open world: Grand Theft Auto V (GTA 5)
GTA 5 offers a sprawling open world packed with activities and missions, providing a thorough introduction to the open-world genre. Its single-player campaign follows three protagonists and delivers a variety of gameplay: exploration, driving, property purchases and mission-based storytelling.
- Platforms: PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
Racing: Need for Speed Unbound
Need for Speed Unbound combines stylized visuals with energetic arcade-style racing. The game mixes fun handling, high-speed competition and an integrated story mode, plus online races for players who enjoy multiplayer competition.
- Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S
Narrative experience: The Last of Us
The Last of Us delivers a powerful narrative experience that blends action and survival mechanics. Set in a post-apocalyptic world, the relationship between protagonists Joel and Ellie is central to the game’s emotional impact.
Players must manage limited resources, use stealth, and make tactical choices to survive—elements that underscore the game’s strong storytelling and immersive atmosphere.
- Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, PC
Sports simulator: EA Sports FC 2025
EA Sports FC 2025, the successor to FIFA, is a complete football (soccer) simulator with modes for single-player, career play and online multiplayer. Ultimate Team allows building squads using players from different eras through a card-based system.
- Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
First-person shooter: Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 offers cinematic single-player campaigns and high-energy multiplayer modes that are representative of the FPS genre. The game also includes a zombie mode that introduces horror elements and cooperative tense gameplay.
- Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
Action: God of War (2018)
God of War (2018) redefined the series with deep combat, a mature narrative and mythological themes, making it an excellent entry for newcomers to action-adventure games. The story-driven experience and cinematic encounters showcase how action games can combine narrative and gameplay.
- Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, PC
Arcade racing: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is a family-friendly arcade racer ideal for beginners and groups. Its straightforward controls, iconic Nintendo characters and varied modes—from standard races to kart battles—make it a go-to choice for casual play.
- Platform: Nintendo Switch
Survival horror: Resident Evil 4 Remake
Resident Evil 4 Remake modernizes a classic survival-horror title with updated graphics, tense atmosphere and refined action elements. Players assume the role of Leon on a mission in Spain to rescue the U.S. president’s daughter, combining exploration, combat and resource management.
- Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S
