Games for Teens: 12 Top Games for Young Adults and Their Benefits

Playing games is a fun and healthy way to relax, unwind, and even build some valuable skills. Online games can also help you build new friendships and give you a chance to develop your confidence and social skills. 

If you’re looking for a new fun game to start playing, we’re here to help you find one that can help you connect with new friends online in a supportive, positive setting.

What Are the Benefits of Video Games for Young Adults?

Gamers sometimes get flak for their favorite hobby — it isn’t always viewed as a constructive way to spend time. We think great games have plenty of benefits, though, especially for young adults. 

Playing games online can help you develop your problem-solving skills, get better at teamwork and collaboration, improve your concentration and multi-tasking abilities, and even boost your confidence and self-esteem. 

Let’s see how gaming can have a positive impact on your life:

Problem-Solving Skills

Some of our favorite games stretch our brains and make us think outside of the box. Puzzle games, trivia games, and more can help you engage your imagination and give you practice for solving real-world problems. If you’re looking for a challenging game that equips you with more strategic and problem-solving skills, Portal or Portal 2 are perfect picks. 

Teamwork

When people think of online gaming, a first-person shooter might be the first picture that comes to mind. However, there are plenty of constructive, collaborative online games — including many shooters — that focus on teamwork and friendly competition. 

Games like Rocket League are intensely competitive, but you have to work with your teammates to win. These games can teach you how to work well with others instead of being a lone wolf.

Concentration

Games like Minecraft reward precision, focus, and determination. When you work hard and keep your attention set on a worthy goal, you end up with a better in-game experience — and a better character in real life. When a game encourages you to focus on a goal, you’re practicing real-world skills like delayed gratification, patience, and persistence.

Multi-Tasking

Many online games can help you improve your multitasking abilities by teaching you to communicate with your team while playing. In studies, they have been shown to support enhanced switching, visual short-term memory, problem-solving, and reasoning. If you can stay focused and clearly communicate while accomplishing in-game tasks, that skill will serve you well in real life, especially in stressful situations.

Self-Esteem

Gaming can build your confidence and self-esteem as well. When you play online, you can build relationships with people who encourage you, build you up, and make you the best version of yourself. 

The connections you make online can extend into real life, turning into some of the most valuable and life-changing friendships ever. We’ve seen this happen firsthand through Hero Journey Club’s gaming-based support groups.

Physical Activity

Exercising with exergames, which combine physical activity with video gaming, offers a unique and engaging way to improve mental health. These interactive games not only promote physical fitness but also enhance mood and reduce stress by stimulating the release of endorphins, the body's natural feel-good chemicals. 

Additionally, exergames can improve cognitive functions such as attention, memory, and problem-solving skills by requiring players to engage both their bodies and minds. The social aspect of many exergames also provides opportunities for connection and support, which are crucial for mental well-being, especially in combating feelings of loneliness and isolation. 

What Are the Best Video Games for Young Adults?

These are some of our favorite video games for young adults, chosen because of their emphasis on creativity, cooperation, and thinking outside the box.

1. Minecraft

Minecraft is the quintessential creative game. You can have a lot of fun exploring its randomly generated worlds by yourself, but it’s even better as a collaborative group game. Joining a Minecraft server is a fantastic way to make friends, build your collaborative skills, and create just about anything you can imagine.

2. Animal Crossing

Animal Crossing is charming, peaceful, and completely one-of-a-kind. This open-ended game puts you in a village full of friendly talking animals you can befriend, help with tasks, and live alongside for a relaxing experience that’s unlike any other game. 

The soothing music, fun activities like fishing, gardening, building, and iconic characters make this series a must-play.

3. Stardew Valley

Stardew Valley is sort of like a cousin to Animal Crossing, but it’s its own unique experience that you can enjoy by yourself or with friends. A peaceful life simulator, Stardew Valley gives you a relaxing combination of farming, fishing, making friends, and even getting married if you want to. It’s the perfect game for unwinding after a long day; it’s both single-player and co-op.

4. Roblox

At this point, Roblox is more of a universe than a single game. It’s come a long way since it was first released back in 2006. 

It’s now a platform you can use to make your own games and play the ones other users make — which means there’s always something new to explore, create, and enjoy. Roblox is popular with tweens and up, and there’s something for everyone within its expansive world. 

5. Rocket League

This unique game combines soccer with high-octane racing for a fast-paced experience best enjoyed with friends. You might be wondering how “car soccer” could possibly work, but Rocket League’s ingenious developers pulled off this crazy combination in a way that has to be seen to be believed. 

6. Mario Kart

Mario Kart is one of the most fun party games of all time. It’s competitive, wacky, and full of familiar characters, which makes it a fantastic group game that everyone can enjoy. 

This classic game has plenty of different versions for Nintendo’s many consoles, but our personal favorite is Mario Kart 8 for the Nintendo Switch. You can play in person or online with large groups, making this version of Mario Kart the perfect addition to your birthday party or next family game night.

7. NBA 2K

Even if you’re not much of a basketball player in real life, you can shoot some serious hoops online or with IRL friends, thanks to the NBA 2K series. These games mix strategy and cooperation for some extremely exciting gameplay that will keep you coming back — even if you’re not a sports fan. 

8. Super Mario Bros.

Super Mario Bros. never stops being fun. It’s simple and straightforward, but you might be surprised by how challenging (and rewarding) the levels can get. 

Super Mario Bros. Wonder for the Nintendo Switch is a fantastic option if you’re looking for a game to enjoy in-person or online with friends. It updates the classic concept that’s been around since the original game with some exciting new characters and items.

9. Portal

Portal is witty, funny, and pretty darn difficult. It’s the perfect game for a high school student who wants to stretch their imagination and build their problem-solving skills. 

The game’s concept of shooting a portal gun to solve puzzles might seem simple at first, but the mind-bending physics make each level engrossing and fresh. Both entries in the Portal series are extremely fun and worth playing, but the co-op-focused Portal 2 is our favorite. 

10. The Sims

The Sims is a long-running life simulator you can play by yourself or online. It’s fun, lighthearted, and a little goofy, and you can use it to create your own community of little characters (the Sims). 

11. Pokémon

Gotta catch ‘em all! Pokémon games combine exploration, strategy, and collecting to make one of the most legendary (pun intended) series of all time. 

Whether you’re walking around your neighborhood playing Pokémon Go or enjoying one of the main games in the series on a console or handheld, you can quickly get totally absorbed in Nintendo’s beloved franchise.

12. Exergames

Just Dance is a rhythm-based game that requires players to mimic dance moves displayed on the screen, making it a fun way to get active while enjoying popular music tracks.

Ring Fit Adventure is a fitness RPG game for the Nintendo Switch that combines physical exercises with adventure gameplay, where players perform exercises to defeat enemies and progress through the game.

Beat Saber is a virtual reality rhythm game where players slash blocks representing musical beats with a pair of glowing sabers, providing an immersive workout that enhances both physical activity and coordination.

How Can Hero Journey Club Help?

Gaming is fun, but it can also help you grow and develop as a person. Hero Journey Club combines gaming with therapist-led support groups to give teens a safe environment to process, connect, and build valuable life skills. 

Register your teen for their first session today to get them involved in a one-of-a-kind supportive community.

What Are the Best In-Person Games for Young Adults?

While we love video games, there are plenty of board games, card games, and party games that deserve mention as well. 

These are some of our favorites for teens:

Board Games

• Catan: This classic game is for four players (more with help from an expansion pack), and it pits you against your friends in a race to build the biggest settlement.

• Monopoly: This one needs no introduction; it’s an iconic property-collecting competition that usually takes a few hours to get through — and those hours are always fun.

Card Games

• Exploding Kittens: Zany and unique, Exploding Kittens is a funny and family-friendly card game for two to five players.

• Codenames: This game takes lots of teamwork and quick thinking, and it’s available for free online as well as in physical card game/board game hybrid form.

Get Your Game On

Playing games is fun and relaxing, and it’s one of the best ways to develop long-lasting relationships. For a teenager, the connections made through online and cooperative gaming can be life-changing, and the best place to build those connections is in a Hero Journey Club Group.

Sign your teen up for their first Hero Journey Club session today.

Sources:

Can Training in a Real-Time Strategy Videogame Attenuate Cognitive Decline in Older Adults? | PMC

Video Games and Stress: How Stress Appraisals and Game Content Affect Cardiovascular and Emotion Outcomes | PMC

The power of competition: Effects of social motivation on attention, sustained physical effort, and learning | PMC

Problem-solving interventions and depression among adolescents and young adults: A systematic review of the effectiveness of problem-solving interventions in preventing or treating depression | PMC

Can Adolescents Learn Self-control? Delay of Gratification in the Development of Control over Risk Taking | PMC