Life as a parent is a constant stream of worries. Is my child healthy? Will they do well at school? When should my toddler start playing Europa Universalis IV? It’s only natural to want to get everything exactly right, otherwise you’re a terrible failure as a human being.

One thing’s for sure, kids love games—and that’s something you can get right. You just need to know what sort of games too look for, in order to ensure your offspring develop into good PC gamers. And I think I can help. To research this article, I played just about every gaming genre around with my two young sons—much to the meddling concern of my so-called wife and friends. “Look, we had to play Amnesia: Dark Descent because science. Kids scream all the time, it’s just what they do…”

Here then, are 13 games I actually think will be a positive influence on impressionable young players. I’ve avoided nightmarishly quaint edutainment titles and kiddie-friendly MMOs, because… well, they’re awful. These are real, proper games; games that provide a solid foundation for a life spent hunched over a Death Adder collecting loot from slaughtered monsters. Parenting: Easy like lifting pennies off a dead man’s eyes.