Before welcoming our first into the world, I was worried I wouldn’t be able to continue my hobbies. I knew Warhammer would have to end; it’s way too expensive, takes up too much space, and I was starting to lose interest anyway. Board games would probably have to be stored and taken out on occasion. However, I didn’t like the idea of putting away video games.

I thought that as soon as the baby came, I would lose all my free time for playing games, and all that would be left would be a dad doing dad things. Y’know, measuring things, fixing the sink, landscaping, you know, dad things.

In the months preceding the birth of our first, I played a lot of games. I was trying to get ahead of the chaos cause I thought my video time would disappear into space dust and float around the cosmos, only to occasionally grace me with a nostalgic meteor shower that reminds me of a bygone era.

I was pleasantly surprised that having a baby didn’t actually erase gaming from the equation. It definitely changed my gaming habits, but those changes were surprisingly more beneficial in both directions. I now have a healthier relationship with gaming, AND my gaming hobby is healthier than ever.

I am no expert, just someone with a little experience and a knack for writing my thoughts. I’m going to answer the important questions:

All of this can be applied to those first couple of months with a cute new baby, and into toddlerhood.

It’s surprisingly easy to get gaming moments in here and there while taking care of a newborn. However, what you play and where you play are vitally important.

Newborns don’t do much. It’s the basic cycle of sleep, poop, and cry. They also don’t move much. You can kind of just put them on the couch and let them snooze. Or, and this is what I did, I would put our newborn on my lap with her head resting on my knees and her feet facing me. While I played, if she started to fuss, I could move my knees back and forth to rock her back to sleep. I played a lot of Armored Core VI this way.

The device you play on is just as important as the location in which you’re playing. During those early weeks, it was easy enough to play on the TV with her sleeping on or around me, but as she got older, it got more difficult to do that, cue the handhelds.

Handheld devices are the heavy artillery in a parent gamer’s arsenal. Not letting you put her down? 3DS. Stuck in the car while she sleeps? 3DS. Taking the baby for a walk so mom can have at least 10 seconds without the baby requiring every ounce of her energy? Why not pop out Pokémon Emerald and grind out some levels?

Sure, you won’t be able to experience the big new releases, but at least you’ll be able to game.

As a new parent, if you try to play whatever new game people are playing at all times, you’ll quickly learn that many games don’t meet you where you’re at. It may be a hard pill to swallow, but most games aren’t for you.

As a parent, you don’t know how much time you have for gaming. I’ve gotten into the habit of sneaking in play time before work, but even that can range from 10 minutes to an hour and a half.

That being said, I have a criteria for games that likely meet the play time “needs” for parents:

Using the criteria described above, I’m going to recommend some games you should check out during what might be the most hectic (and hopefully cozy) time of your life.

Most of these games I have played as a new parent, but others have been selected from a survey I sent out about good newborn games.

Pokémon hits all the markers for being a good parent game. You can save at any time; it’s turn-based, so you don’t need to worry about dexterity, it’s cozy (especially if you’re my age), and it’s easy to play for a short time.

If you’re interested, there is a whole world of Pokémon games to discover:

Another reason Pokémon is a great parent game is that the mission is straightforward. You’ll rarely find yourself getting lost.

Any chance I get to talk about this game, I will talk about it.

Now, this might require a bit more of a pitch. It doesn’t perfectly fit the criteria, but where it fits, it fits well. Instead of being able to save anywhere, the levels are incredibly short. Successful boss attempts can take anywhere from 45 seconds to 6 minutes.

This game does require high dexterity and can make you mad, but there’s nothing like popping your newborn on your lap and hopping in for a quick mission or two.

As a new parent, your brain will be mush. Playing something that matches that freak is important to help your brain get the rest it needs.

This game was among the most voted for games. Many of my late nights were soundtracked by the hypnotic tunes of buying jokers and playing poker hands. It’s important to note that even my wife (not a gamer) put a significant amount of time into this game.

This game is also available on every platform. You can play it on your phone, Android device, or console. Pick it up, try it out, and accidentally play it for 3 hours straight.

This game comes recommended from the survey I sent out. I don’t have any experience playing this game as a parent, but before becoming a parent, it was so important to me.

Having a newborn is an incredibly chaotic time. Animal Crossing can give you a little corner of control. It may not be real, but being able to design a little island, however you want, can be a little oasis.

Go for whichever game in the series you want.

Dragon Quest games are often described as a collection of little storybooks. It’s a perfect game for before bed, and it can slot into being a parent. These are turn-based games, so it’s easy to put down when you need to. It’s also incredibly comforting to play.

As a caveat, some of the older entries can be hard to track. I recently played through V and found a couple of moments where I got lost. Dragon Quest XI does have story recaps, and it’s much easier to track where you’re supposed to be going next.

Tactic games are an easy pitch for new parents: You can take your turn, put the game down easily, and you don’t need to track where you’re supposed to go next.

Fire Emblem games are easy to comprehend. Swords beat axe, axe beats lance, lance beats sword. Bows beat flyers. That’s about it.

I’d recommend the GBA ones as they’re easy to emulate on Android devices and 3DS. Awakening is also a great option if you have a 3DS.

Being a parent has changed my perspective on my time. Needless to say, my free time isn’t actually my free time. I no longer have the luxury of spending an entire weekend delving into a hundred-hour JRPG. I, and now you, have a lot of responsibilities.

Something I’m constantly learning is the importance of making sure I’m gaming responsibly. If I have the opportunity to hang out with my kid or get stuff done around the house, I should. (Again, I’m constantly fighting this battle and do find myself neglecting responsibility for a quick run in Marathon.)

You probably won’t be able to spend hours gaming as a parent, and that might not be the responsible thing for you to do. Of course, if you plan and align things in such a way that you’re able to play games for a big chunk of time, more power to you, but thinking of that as a sometimes food is important.

I try to find time to play outside of time that’s dedicated to family or housework. That means waking up early, playing on my lunch break, and playing when my wife goes to bed early.

I saw someone say that being a parent is the hardest thing you’ll ever love, and I completely agree. It’s hard work, and it’s a long journey with ups and downs. Recently, our daughter’s sleep schedule shifted from sleeping from 7:30 pm-8:00 am to 8:45 pm-6:30 am… It’s been rough, but it will change…. please?

That being said, you should enjoy being a parent first. If things are way too hectic, don’t game, take a break, and get some sleep. Gaming will be there when you get back.