Kucheza Guide: What to do in Lockdown Mode

Hello mums, dads, kids,

Depending on what country you are, you may be a couple of weeks ahead or behind a lockdown. In Lagos, today is Day 1 of our official government enforced lockdown. Schools were closed over a week ago. If you are a parent in this moment in time, we thought it might be helpful to find a way to share experiences in a meaningful way.

We will be sharing our play based experiences and what parents should know or try.

So whilst today is Day 1 of the official lockdown, our team, schools and families have been in self isolation for 10 days. In my case, I’ve got 3 kids so in this time, my first #KuchezaGamingTip to parents is to buy or download a multiplayer game.

You can set up and buy games on most game consoles from home so #StayHome #StaySafe.

What is a Multiplayer Game? A multiplayer game is a game where 2 or more people can play at the same time, in some instances they can compete against each other and in others it’s more co-op multiplayer where they collaborate to achieve a goal.

Here are our #top picks for family friendly multiplayer games.

PEGI 3+ (Games for 3 years and older)

1. Rocket League: 1–4 players (offline mode) — it’s weird but Rocket League is a major esports title. It’s so much fun and I find that kids get the hang of it a lot quicker than adults — well, me :). It’s got souped-up rocket cars and giant soccer balls. Rocket League is all about playing soccer with oversized vehicles.
2. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe: 1–4 players (offline mode) — This is available only on Nintendo. We are it on the Switch. Anytime I’m in a room with kids in homes around the world, Mario Kart and Mario Kart Deluxe remain crowd favourites for kids of all ages. Jump in a variety of different Nintendo-themed karts with your favourite character and race down the track.
3. Overcooked! 2: 1–4 players (offline mode).We got Overcooked for the kids in 2018 and they loved it! Overcooked! 2 will test your ability to multitask as well as your friendships. Players must trade off as they work to serve a variety of dishes to waiting customers between cooking dishes and cleaning them (and everything in between) throughout shifting cooking layouts and other frustrating obstacles. It’s all about working together!
4. FIFA: 1–4 players (offline mode). This made the list so Nigerian fathers can bond with their kids , just kidding! FIFA is ubiquitous and it is a really good game that can be enjoyed collaboratively or competitively.

PEGI 7+ (Games for 7 years and older)

5. Little Big Planet 3: 1–4 players (offline mode) #TopPick. This is my number 1 pick for kids under 8 years. It was released in 2014 and we’ve had it since its release. The game follows 4 protagonists — OddSock, Swoop and Toggle and Sackboy through a world of adventure. Graphics are brilliant and the gameplay is fun. It also features on the “Playstation Hits” list.

6. Minecraft: 1–4 players (offline mode) #TopPick. What can I say but wow! Most parents might find this game challenging, but kids take to it in amazing ways. It is a sandbox game that fosters creativity and is highly educative. Minecraft is a blocky world with 112 million monthly users. There’s plenty to do and create — erect huge structures, mine for resources, and take on monsters like spiders, skeletons, and the infamous creepers.

7. Knack 2: 1–2 players (offline mode). We bought Knack 2 yesterday because the younger kids loved playing Knack. However, the inability to play together was an issue since it isn’t a proper co-op game except in easy mode. If you end up wanting to buy a Knack game, I’d go with Knack 2. Graphics are better and gameplay is a great 2 player experience so you can play with your kids or they can play together.

8. Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2: 1–4 players (offline mode). What else can be said. If you love Lego and you love Marvel, you’ll love this adventure game with your favourite characters.

Mobile Multiplayer games: 10+ (Games for 10 years and older)

9. Clash Royale: (Online only) #TopPick

10. Roblox: (Online only)

PEGI 12+ (Games for 12 years and older)

11. Fortnite (Online only) #TopPick. I find Fortnite a delight to watch when the kids are playing. I love the graphics, layers of complexity, creativity, strategy, teamwork and innovation EPIC Games continues to push with this game. I find that my kids enjoy playing duos and squads more. It’s a last man/team standing type of game where players drop into a massive map, search for weapons and supplies, and then battle to outlast everyone else. Fortnite is also where your kids get those hilarious emotes and “dance steps”.

12. Super Smash Bros Ultimate: On Nintendo only. We’ve got it on the Switch. It features just about every character you could think of from Nintendo’s roster and more. There are even stars from completely different franchises, including Sonic the Hedgehog, Street Fighter and more.

This is our list folks! We’d love to hear how you are getting on, please drop your questions, comments or experiences.