It's 11:30 at night, and your fellow gamer has passed out. You really want to play a game, but it needs to be quiet and it needs to not have sudden flashes and such. So what is out there that fits the bill? Computer games are tough because of the typing/clicking from the mouse. However, console games tend to be much quieter when it comes to the controllers, thus making them a smarter choice. Below is a list of four games that are perfect for you to enjoy while your playmate is sawing wood and you don't want to/can't use headphones.
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Rockstar Table Tennis
While the music in Table Tennis is certainly fantastic, and the sound effects are quite realistic, this is one you could play with the sound entirely off. It's quite exciting to be playing a game of Table Tennis with the sound blasting and a great CD playing (I find the album "Mystic Cigarettes" by The Saafi Brothers to go perfectly with it), however I discovered that playing with the sound completely off helps me to focus on my gameplay a little more. Interestingly, playing this game while your dear one is asleep may actually help improve your skills.
Mass Effect
Mass Effect has some of the best music of any game in recent memory. The sound effects are also absolutely fantastic. While this is definitely a great game to play loud, you can still experience the storyline and the gameplay with the sound turned way down or even off. Well done subtitles negate the need to hear the voices, and when playing at low volume there aren't really any sudden volume changes.
The radar system, combined with your character automatically pulling out his or her weapon when an enemy is near, adds up to not needing sound placement to play effectively (unlike games such as Bioshock, in which what you hear is almost as important as what you see). In addition, the screen changes very smoothly and without any sudden flashes. I would say that nearly half of the hours I have put into this game have been logged while Brittnie was sleeping just a couple of yards away.
Adventures of Lolo
A classic puzzler loved by gamers all over the world, Adventures of Lolo can easily be played with the sound off. Some may call it blasphemy to do so, considering the popularity of it's simple 8-bit loop, but it can be done. Plus, since you will be the only one awake, you won't have someone by your side constantly suggesting what you should do and then apologizing when they have screwed you up. Single-player puzzle games are best played when you are the only one around or awake, and Lolo is no exception..
Viva Piñata
I know, I know. Many people swore never to play this game because it drips with cute (literally...after Brittnie played it for an hour, there was a little puddle in front of the TV) Underneath its childish exterior, however, is an extremely deep and enveloping strategy game. On the sound side of things, the shop owners are constantly insulting and annoying, and the music gets a bit grating after a short period of time.
Screen brightness VERY slowly changes as the game goes through it's night-day transition. Also, any time anything that requires your attention has happened, a box appears in the bottom right-hand corner alerting you to it. This, combined with the annoying sound and the consistent screen brightness makes it my top choice for playing while your cuddlebuddy is making a bubble with their nose in full anime style.
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So there you have it folks! Got one of your own that you like playing while your lovebird is grabbing mushrooms and jumping on koopas in minus land? Discuss it in the forums!
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