School holiday computer games for the kids

Keeping the kids busy this school holidays can be hard work. So you can leave them be for a few hours, we’ve to put together a list of some of the best games out there at the moment so you can decide if the kids get a treat this holidays.

If you purchase a game, get it home and then find that it doesn’t work the way you (or your kids) had hoped, give gizmo a call. Keep in mind that games are the reason that computers keep getting better and better, so make sure that your computer meets the minimum specifications required to run each of the games.  
Each of these games comes with a censorship rating, so be sure to make sure that it’s appropriate for your kids before you buy it. We’ve put links to the trailers under each, so have a look at what the game is like for your self.

Spore

The most talked about game of the moment, Spore is a fun game, comical in appearance that gives you the ability to control the evolution of a creature all the way from a single celled organism right up to a fully fledged space-faring race. From that description you’re probably thinking that the game sounds a bit complex, but luckily the game is pretty simple which makes it a hit amongst all age levels. We’d recommend it for anyone who is sick and tired of shoot ‘em up games and would prefer to make more civilized choices like whether its cooler being a herbivore or carnivore or whether you prefer flagella or jets to propel your single cellular organism around primordial soup.

>> Spore website (the trailer for spore is on the front page of this website)

Crysis: Warhead

Crysis: Warhead is definitely aimed at a more mature audience, but if you want to see what the cutting edge of computer graphics in a pretty cool game where you get to run around shooting and blowing things up then this is for you (or your older children). In the game you play Seargent “Psycho” Sykes as he investigates an island swarming with North Koreans and strange alien artefacts. Psycho has at his disposal all sorts of cool weapons, including a nanosuit which gives you superhuman like powers (and the ability to become invisible) as well as plenty of vehicles to play with.  You’ll need a relatively new computer to run Crysis as it needs lots of CPU power, memory and a good graphics card. That said, its great fun, so if you want your computer beefed up, this might be the game to do it for.

>> Crysis: Warhead website
>> Crysis: Warhead trailer

Sid Meier's Civilization: Colonization

Definitely a mouthful of a title, Colonization is a remake of an incredibly popular game which first came out about 10 years ago. If you want your kids playing something that’s a lot calmer than Crysis and not quite as cartoony as Spore, Colonization is a nice mix. A lot like board games like Risk, Colonization is made by Sid Meier, a legend in the computer game industry who is known for producing games that require a steep learning curve, strategy and a degree of patience. Based around the colonization of the Americas by the European powers, you control an expeditionary force sent by your King or Queen to establish a colony in the New World. Once there, you are responsible for constructing settlements, negotiating and trading with Indians and other Europeans and, eventually, declaring your independence from your homeland and fighting a war of independence. A beautiful turn-based game, Colonization is great for those who feel dizzy running around in 3D worlds and who prefer strategy to reflex type board games. Most computers less than 3 years old which have a graphics card should be able to play Colonization.

>> Colonization website
>> Colonization cinematic trailer
>> Colonization in-game video  (to give you an idea of what the actual game looks like)

Not sure if you’re computer is up to the challenge?

Give us a call and purchase a gizmo Optimise Me remote service and a gizmotech will let you know whether or not your computer meets the specifications required to play the game. If an upgrade is needed, we can let you know what can be done and if it’s possible, book you in for an Upgrade Me service at your place.