I like having options when it comes to playing games, having owned the majority of consoles released since I was old enough to get hand cramp from a Game Gear. For about twenty years, I was a purely console gamer, unless we’re counting the 10fps gameplay I enjoyed of DayZ back in the day on my terrifically underpowered laptop. A couple of years ago, that changed as I picked up my first ever PC purely for gaming, opening up the floodgates for a tonne of different games and experiences.
Going from using a controller for two decades to a mouse and keyboard wasn’t the easiest of transitions, however — my fingers had to awkwardly stretch to keys after being in the claw position for years. For that reason, I’ve decided to compile a fun list of games that helped me to make the switch a smoother one, just in case anyone else’s console controller claw is struggling.
Left 4 Dead 2
How it helps: helpful, friendly teammates. Easy to pick up and play.
See also: Vermintide, No More Room In Hell
Left 4 Dead 2 is a bonafide classic that can be played on Xbox One and 360 as well, but it’s not quite the same as PC. This zombie shooter was actually the very first game I tried when I upgraded to a competent PC, just because it’s something that you can play and understand without much fuss at all. Above all else, however, I found the L4D community to be very welcoming to new players, who were all patient with my ass aim and sheer stupidity. Quite possibly the best multiplayer FPS game for keyboard novices.
Civilization 6
How it helps: teaches the value of a keyboard for strategy games.
See also: most Civ/strategy games, Football Manager
Civ 6 doesn’t exactly teach you a bunch about how to use a keyboard, but it does showcase the joys of sitting hunched at your desk and desperately trying to peg back the armies of Gandhi. While its Switch counterpart is no slouch, the PC version of Civilization 6 is where it’s at. Strategy and RTS games will always feel more at home on a keyboard with Civ 6 being one of the finest examples of that. It’s not the most immediate of games either, so you can pause it, do some work, and then come back for a few more rounds. If it’s a bit steeply priced for you, almost all of the other Civ games will cost you just a buck or two.
Subnautica
How it helps: allows you to get to grips with the keyboard at your own pace.
See also: basically all survival games.
Subnautica is one of the most serene and gradually evolving games you’re ever likely to play. Whether you want to escape the water world you’ve crash landed on or just want to make it your own, it affords plenty of freedom. For console converts, Subnautica provides the perfect tempo at which to help you get to grips with a keyboard, though the same could be said for most survival games. While DayZ and SCUM may help with aim and competing against other players, Subnautica is just bloody lovely all-round.
Rainbow Six Siege
How it helps: teaches ADS precision unlike any other game.
See also: Insurgency: Sandstorm.
If you want to see the gulf between FPS games on consoles and PC, try Siege with a keyboard. While it’s not bad on PS4 or Xbox One, Siege on PC offers responsiveness and precision that you just can’t get with a controller, which will come in handy as you hold a corner for a couple of minutes. I thought about including CS here, but considering that game has no ADS and most modern FPS games do, it makes more sense to include Siege here. Do not think about going competitive with Siege until you have a good understanding of it — may also be worth readying that mute button.
Devil Daggers
How it helps: WASD mastery, gives glorious flashbacks.
See also: DUSK.
Devil Daggers may well be one of the best PC FPS games ever made, which you may not think at all from a simple glance. Its cheap price doesn’t hurt it, either. For just a dollar or two, you can lose yourself in this stupefyingly simple game that will have you pressing WASD in your sleep. Devil Daggers will also teach you the benefits of patience and learning patterns, so if you can get a survival time of above two minutes, you will feel like a god. There’s much more to this than one than meets the eye.
MORE PC GAMING:
– Best Free PC Games You Should Play
– Best Modern PC Games You Can Play On Your Potato
– 12 Best RTS & Strategy Games
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