Set

2008, Age 26

This game hurts my brain. I find I can only focus on a particular set at a time, and it's usually easiest for me to pick out 3 that are entirely different than to try and find a common feature.

This game does not support playing with newbies and veterans at the same time (let's face it, Andy would have destroyed Cash and me, if he weren't being nice and letting us spot some sets on our own).

Super Mario Galaxy

2007, Age 25

My favorite thing about this game is that Nintendo figured out that "hey, there are some people who like to play games, but they have friends who maybe are not so good at playing games…or maybe their friends just like to watch….what if we find a way to let them be involved too!" I am the best bit collector ever!

Kirby Superstar

2001, Age 19

I played this game with a friend in college, and reveled in the role of the "helper." This is a role that shows up from time to time in video games (notably Tails in the Sonic games) but which I wish were more present. Being the helper is such a low-stress, low-responsibility job, and makes it very easy to cooperatively enjoy a game with someone who is extremely good at it (having played it regularly since their youth). I like Plasma the best.

Tekken 3

1998, Age 16

A fighting game I was good at! Amazing! I fell in love with this game after the champion among my friends convinced me to play around, claiming they would go easy on me, and I totally handed his ass to him. CONFIDENCE!

This was a game a beginner could play with frantic button mashing and still hold their own against a veteran. That aspect was a big criticism of the game for many people I knew, but to me it was fantastic. It leveled the playing field, and the challenge in playing against new people came from their vast unpredictability. It was merely a different challenge to the game.