We’ve all played games before. Board games, childhood games, the old “I’m not calling him until he calls me” game – but there aren’t that many women who’ve wandered into the world of video games. And who can blame us? If they were real, the female characters in most video games would topple over. We know that the chance of a woman doing this or that stunt in sky-high heels is less than zero. Most of us don’t see the appeal of enemy take-downs in uncomfortably tight latex outfits. In short, video games have not often been female-friendly, which means that many of us left our gaming roots when we swapped Monopoly and The Sims for make-up and stilettos. But there are reasons to go back.
Increasingly, games are placing the focus on narrative, where the story is more important than the kill count or the weapon display. There’s room for character development and adventure. When you have a look at these, you’ll see that games aren’t boring.
When you find the right genre for you, games become films with you as the star.Films that let you fly, do magic, find worlds, see the future or visit the past. I could tell you that girl gamers rank somewhere in the top three of every man’s “World’s Best Things” list but this isn’t about them. It’s about taking a little piece of a world that has subtly and not so subtly been closed off from women for too long.
Play games – the right ones. You can do it, and you can do it in heels! Take that, Lara Croft.
Alice: The Madness Returns
R279
Play Alice as she tries to save Wonderland and find her sanity. A darker, richer version of the story you already know and love.
Mass Effect 3
R365
In this game, your lead character is Commander Shepard who teams up with some fantastical beings to save the universe from the dreaded Reapers. This might not sound like your thing, but the game is dialogue heavy – and what you choose to say will influence your character’s personality and his relationships with other characters.
Skyrim
R485
This game is all about options. Choose your character, choose your quests and choose your spouse as you traverse around the beautiful and vast landscape of Skyrim.
Lego Lord of The Rings
R385
“Lego? Are you crazy?” I know, I know, it sounds a little too much preschool. But Lego have upped their game, so to speak. If you like bashing things, collecting gold and doing puzzles, you’ll find all you need here. If you don’t like LOTR, they also have L ego Pirates of the Caribbean, Lego Harry Potter and many more.
Don’t have a console? Don’t sweat it. Most of these titles are available to play on PC.
