Ottawa Raging Grannies

WELL-RATED, LOW VIOLENCE VIDEO GAMES FOR 2008

**PLATFORMS**
xbox 360	Playstation 3	Wii	Nintendo DS	PSP	PC/MAC

"Braid"- an extremely highly rated, very creative and artistic puzzle/platform-jumping game. Aimed at a more adult audience, but really low violence. This is a downloadable title for the "xbox live arcade" service (so you won't find it in stores)
"Portal: Still Alive"- Portal was originally released with a couple of ultraviolent games in the "Orange Box" package, but this year it was released as a stand-alone with some bonus material. It's a brilliant puzzle game, and got outrageously high ratings. There's a bit of violence in the sense that you can die, but you don't commit any violence, except against the occasional robot. This is a difficult game targeted at the "hardcore" gaming demographic of 15-35 year old males.
"Rock Band"/"Rock Band 2"- Rhythm-matching games along the same lines as "Guitar Hero". Totally non-violent and aimed at a very broad audience. A good choice for social/group gaming experiences
Lots of sports games were released for the 360 as well. Take your pick

"Little Big Planet"-Sony has invested massively in this game. It will probably be the biggest title for the PS3 this year. It's a platform-jumping game done in a gorgeous sack-puppet aesthetic. But what's really cool about it is that they included tools to build your own levels and characters, so players around the world have been creating and sharing all kinds of cool content. It's non-violent, really highly rated, and accessible to a wide range of gamers.
"Rock Band", "Guitar Hero" and the sports games also came out for the PS3

"World of Goo" came out for "Wii Ware", which is the downloadable game service on the Wii. A really highly rated puzzle game. Abstract and non-violent with a pretty broad appeal (but challenging)\
the "Art Style" series of games for "Wii Ware". They're cheap, highly rated unique puzzle games. Non-violent and very accessible. "Orbient" is the highest rated so far
"Boom Blox" is a really unique puzzle game that takes full advantage of the Wii remote's functions. It's highly rated, non-violent and could be enjoyed by almost anyone
"Mario Kart Wii" came out in the last 12 months. It's a wildly popular racing game. Not particularly creative, but fairly well-reviewed and accessible
"De Blob" is a very clever puzzle/platformer in which you play a blob painting various environments as you go. Non-violent for the most part (and very abstract in any case), creative with broad appeal (challenging)
"Lost Winds" is a WiiWare title that was fairly well-reviewed and unique. You use "wind" effects to help your character along through puzzle/platforming levels. Unique, artful aesthetic
"Wii Fit" has a balance board that is used to create special effects on the screen.
various sports games
"Rock Band" also came out for Wii
there's more, but I'll stop here

"Professor Layton and the Curious Village". A really charming puzzle/adventure game. Non-violent and very highly rated. Broad appeal.
"Viva Pinata: Pocket Paradise". A game in which you cultivate a garden of "Pinatas". Non-violent, highly rated, broad appeal (but challenging)
"N+" A non-violent platform/puzzle/collecting game. Very difficult (targeted at "hardcore" gamers), but non-violent and cheap
"Trauma Center: Under the Knife 2"- the second in this series in which you play a doctor performing emergency operations. Well-rated, very challenging and non-violent. Rated for ages 13+.
"Soul Bubbles" got varied by generally high ratings (a sign of its "off-the-beaten-path" nature). Really unique gameplay that features saving lost "souls" with bubbles. Non-violent, broad appeal.
"Grid"- a surprisingly highly-rated car-racing game (a rarity on the DS)

It got a handful of decent sports games ("FIFA soccer", "MLB 08: the show", "Pro Evolution Soccer")
A version of "N+" (already mentioned for the DS)
"Echocrome", a puzzle game with a unique aesthetic based on the work of MCEscher.
"Downstream Panic", a reasonably well-rated puzzle game with an aquatic theme
"Pipe Mania", medium-well rated puzzle game involves laying pipes

"World of Goo" came out for the PC and Mac platforms (already mentioned as a Wii game)
"Nancy Drew: The Haunting of Castle Malloy" and "Nancy Drew: The Phantom of Venice" came out for PC only. Classic-style adventure games that got surprisingly high ratings. Broad appeal. Sometimes creepy, but not violent
"Audiosurf"- a rhythm-matching game that you can load with your own music. Non-violent, broad appeal.
A handful of sports games


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