Video Games: A prescription for your family.
When families come into my office and tell me they’re struggling to connect—especially with their teens—they often assume the solution has to be something deep, heavy, or structured. But sometimes the best way to rebuild connection isn’t through long talks or perfect family dinners. Sometimes the answer is something much simpler:
Play together.
And for today’s families, one of the easiest, most accessible forms of play is video games.
Now, before you sigh, cringe, or imagine your teen glued to a screen ignoring you, hear me out. Video games can be a powerful way to create authentic connection, lower emotional defenses, and build a family culture of shared joy. They offer something that’s hard to get in our stress-heavy, over-scheduled lives: fun, teamwork, laughter, and moments where everyone gets to just be together without pressure.
Families often tell me they want bonding—just not awkward, forced bonding. Video games solve that problem beautifully. They give everyone a shared purpose, a shared environment, and yes, plenty of shared chaos. That combination builds connection in ways that feel natural instead of forced.
Today, I’m sharing the best video games for families to play together, and why each one supports emotional closeness, communication, and relational health.
But first, let’s talk about why gaming works so well for family relationships—even when it looks like “just screens.”
Why Video Games Actually Strengthen Family Bonds
If you were raised with the message that video games are isolating or bad for kids, this might feel surprising. But modern research—and decades of watching families in real life—says otherwise. Here’s why gaming actually helps families grow stronger:
1. Shared Play = Shared Connection
Humans bond through shared experiences, especially positive ones. When you play together, you build memories, inside jokes, and little moments of “us against the world.” These micro-memories add up and create relational glue.
2. It Lowers Emotional Defenses
Kids and teens often communicate best when the focus isn’t directly on them. Video games give families a way to talk, collaborate, and interact without the intensity of face-to-face conversations. It’s connection through parallel play—which is often exactly what young people need.
3. It Levels the Playing Field
Your child might beat you. They might teach you something. They might be the leader. That shift in power dynamics is incredibly validating for kids—especially those who feel unheard or misunderstood in daily life.
4. It Creates Emotional Regulation Practice
Games naturally offer moments of frustration, problem-solving, and teamwork. When parents model calm, humor, and resilience during those moments, kids learn emotional regulation in a context that feels safe and fun.
5. Most Importantly: It Creates Joy
Families need joy. Not just survival. Joy creates safety. Safety creates trust. Trust creates better communication—inside and outside the game.
With all that said, here are the best video games I recommend for real, meaningful family bonding.
1. “Overcooked! 2” — For Teamwork, Chaos, and Laughter
If you want a game that will have everyone yelling, laughing, and working together (sometimes badly, always hilariously), this is your game.
You run a kitchen together making dishes under pure chaos: floating platforms, kitchen fires, conveyor belts, collapsing floors. It’s absolutely ridiculous—and incredibly fun.
Why it builds bonding:
You have to communicate clearly
You have to rely on each other
Things will go wrong (this is good!)
Laughter breaks tension and creates emotional closeness
If your family tends to get stuck in patterns of frustration or conflict, this game is a playful way to practice handling stress together with humor instead of anger.
2. “Mario Kart 8 Deluxe” — For Light-Hearted Competition
Mario Kart is the perfect family game because everyone can play, even if they’re terrible. The items and boosts level the playing field, and honestly, half the fun is watching someone get launched off the track or mysteriously yeeted into last place.
Why it builds connection:
Great for quick, low-pressure sessions
Encourages playful competition
Easy for kids, nostalgic for adults
Creates silly, joyful shared memories
Tip: If competition gets too heated in your family, do team mode—parents vs. kids is always a hit.
3. “Minecraft” — For Creativity, Exploration, and Calm Connection
Minecraft is the perfect bonding game for families who don't want intense action but do want to build something together. Think of it like digital Legos… but with monsters, caves, villages, and endless creativity.
Why it builds connection:
Non-competitive, calming, and creative
Kids often become the “experts,” which builds confidence
Parallel play encourages quiet, comfortable interaction
Perfect for anxious kids and introverted teens
Some of the best conversations happen while building a virtual house or exploring a cave system—it's low pressure, natural, and bonding without forcing connection.
4. “Animal Crossing: New Horizons” — For Calm, Cozy Time Together
If your family needs something soothing instead of chaotic, Animal Crossing is basically therapy on a tropical island. You decorate your home, talk to sweet animal neighbors, catch bugs, fish, craft furniture, and visit each other’s islands.
Why it builds connection:
Peaceful and regulation-friendly
Encourages sharing and collaboration
Zero pressure, zero time limits
Perfect for mixed-age families
This is also great for families rebuilding connection after stressful periods—it's gentle, relaxing, and emotionally safe.
5. “It Takes Two” — For Deep Cooperation and Trust-Building
This game is stunning—not just visually, but emotionally. It requires two players to solve creative puzzles together. You literally cannot progress unless you cooperate.
Why it builds connection:
Forces teamwork in a playful, supportive way
Builds trust, patience, and collaboration
Great for parent-teen pairs
Funny, touching, and deeply creative
This game is incredible for rebuilding connection with a teen who has grown distant—it gives you shared accomplishments without forcing heavy conversation.
6. “Just Dance” — For Movement, Joy, and Emotional Release
If your family needs to burn off stress or shake off a bad day, Just Dance is the perfect antidote. It’s goofy, active, and impossible not to smile at.
Why it builds connection:
Releases stress through movement
Encourages silliness
Great for mood regulation
Helps families “reset” on tough days
Plus, watching each other dance is its own special bonding experience.
7. LEGO Games — For Cooperative Play With Zero Stress
LEGO video games (Star Wars, Marvel, Harry Potter, Jurassic World, etc.) are designed to be fun, easy, and forgiving. You solve puzzles, explore worlds, collect items, and laugh at the silly, charming cutscenes.
Why it builds connection:
Impossible to “fail”
Low frustration, high fun
Perfect for kids who get overwhelmed easily
Great for parents who want something simple and relaxing
These games turn teamwork into something light and enjoyable—not stressful.
How to Use Video Games Intentionally for Bonding
Here’s where the therapy part comes in. The game isn’t the intervention—it’s how you use it.
1. Keep the goal simple: enjoy each other
Say it out loud:
“This is just for fun. Nobody has to be good at it.”
Relieves pressure instantly.
2. Let kids lead
Let them teach you.
Let them pick the game.
Let them be the expert.
Kids feel powerful, capable, and valued.
3. Celebrate mistakes
Laugh at them.
Normalize them.
Use them as bonding moments, not failure moments.
This models emotional resilience.
4. End while it’s still fun
Don’t wait for someone to get cranky or overstimulated.
Especially with younger kids or neurodivergent kids, timing matters.
5. Use small moments to connect
After playing, ask things like:
“What was your favorite part?”
“What did we do well together?”
“What should we try next time?”
Light questions. No pressure. Just connection.
Final Thoughts: Play Is Not a Luxury — It’s a Bonding Tool
Families are overwhelmed, stretched thin, and often operating in survival mode. Video games may seem like “just entertainment,” but they can be a powerful, healing way to reconnect, laugh, and rebuild closeness.
Play creates safety.
Safety creates trust.
Trust creates connection.
Connection supports mental health—for everyone in the family.
So go ahead: pick up the controllers, embrace the chaos, and let yourselves have fun together.
Your family doesn’t need perfection.
You don’t need the right words.
You just need shared joy—and video games are a wonderful place to start.
