5 iPad games your parents will enjoy

The iPad isn’t the first touchscreen device, nor is it the first tablet PC. But like the iPhone, it’s one of the first real accessible gadgets, thanks to manufacturer Apple’s focus on ease-of-use and straightforward design.

This means people who’ve never used gadgets before now find themselves tapping, flicking and sliding their fingers on the iPad. I’ve learned the hard way that the gadget very appealing to the baby boomer generation — a group that includes my parents. I rarely see my iPad 2 nowadays, because of the following games my parents love.

Monopoly for iPad ($9.99)

When I was younger, my family would always pass lazy Sundays with a round or two of Monopoly. I remembered treasuring the play money as if it were real. Nowadays, however, instead of bringing out the Monopoly board, dividing the money and stacking up the property cards neatly, we just start playing the game on my iPad. Up to four players can compete against each other on one tablet.

Crosswords HD ($0.99)

My mom loves solving crosswords but hates newspaper ink. So I’d always see her fastidiously wash her hands after each session. That’s why when I showed her Crosswords HD, a game only available for the iPad, her eyes lit up. I knew I’d see even less of my iPad, especially as the developer of Crosswords has promised to add more puzzles to the game for no extra charge.

Bejeweled 2 + Blitz ($0.99)

This game badly needs an update, but its three-in-a-row gameplay remains addicting. All you have to do is slide gems around the screen. Line up three or more gems of the same color, and they disappear plus give you points. Matching four and five gems will provide special bonuses. My mom still tries to beat my high score, a challenge that always takes up her spare time.

Word Scramble Challenge Edition (Free!)

My parents are intellectual types, so it’s no surprise this word hunt game appeals to them. In Word Scramble Challenge Edition, you’ll have to find as many words as possible before time runs out. Valid words can be formed by chaining letters on the grid vertically, horizontally or diagonally.

Chess-Wise Free (Obviously, Free)

To this day I still can’t beat my dad in chess. His patience always overcomes my natural tendency to rush things. There are many free chess games for the iPad, but Chess-Wise Free stands out because of its database of professional games, which provides lessons you can incorporate into your own game. It can be played by two players on the same device, but it hasn’t cured my impatience though.

Wondering why these games appeal to my parents so much (and thus hopefully to yours as well)? Well, except for Bejeweled it’s clear that the items listed above are just modern takes on classic games. Word Scramble borrows heavily from Boggle, while Chess-Wise is obviously chess and Crosswords HD reinvents that newspaper staple for the iPad.

But it’s also clear that the iPad’s design as an idiot-friendly gadget also helps. It’s really easy to understand how to operate it, even for six-month-old babies. For most parents, modern technology is something only their children can understand. To them, the iPad’s user-friendliness (just tap on the screen to make things happen) must be an entertaining breath of fresh air.

Got your own iPad games that are perfect for the old fogies? Leave a comment below or write me at rico -sa- mossesgeld -dot- com (replace “-sa-“ with “@” and “-dot-“ with “.”).