I was going to explain the story & reasoning behind this request, but it's actually a bit convoluted to get into all the details of why.

I'm looking for a game with the following characteristics:

1. RPG of some kind. Can be turn-based, action based, whatever.
2. Online Co-op. Not MMO. Not local co-op. Preferably for 4 players. Example would be Borderlands.
3. Absolutely no animals of any kind may be harmed during the game. No attack dogs that you have to kill. No mutated monster dogs that you have put out of their misery. No demonic hounds twisted by dark magic. No harming of animals, period.
4. Available on Steam.

The first two criteria are easy enough to sort by on a site like SteamDB. But #3? That's what's tripping me up. The Borderlands franchise fails there, because there are animals. Shadowrun fails b/c there are animals. Damn near every game I've played has, at some point, had an animal as an enemy in it.

Anyone played Victor Vran and can comment about the presence or lack of animals? What about Magicka? Are there any games where you just kill people, or aliens, or magical beings of darkness?

Thanks!

Edit: Rec from IRC - Alien Swarm​

 

To be honest I'm not entirely sure how he is going to define it. I know that demonic and/or cyber dogs in Shadowrun were an issue. I think it's going to depend largely on how it 'feels' to him.

If you look at it and say to yourself, "that enemy is a dog," then it probably counts. Even if it's made from shadows. But if your first impression is that it's a shadow monster that can sometimes look a little like a dog, then probably not.

Thanks everyone! I'm trying to find a game this guy might enjoy, and this has proven to be a hangup.

 

Thanks! Will check those out, along with Magicka.

I might have leeway here, so long as the dogs aren't regular enemies, but it's hard to know. Maybe if he gets caught up in the game, enjoys it, and then runs into an animal it might be easier.

Much appreciated.

 

Thanks everyone! I've got a decent list now. I'm going to suggest games one at a time so as not to overload him with options, and I think I'll start with Magicka. I watched a play through of it and, at least in the first hour or so of gameplay, I didn't see any animals. It also looks like it'd be possible for him to learn to spam something (like healing) and just follow us around. Plus it's a game I sort of want to play anyway.

If that doesn't work I'll just go down the list of other suggested games. Thanks again all!

 

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Game also needs to (1) work on Mac and (2) not be an FPS.

If nothing else I'm starting to realize that there is a market for a game of this nature, since apparently this golden grail of gaming does not yet exist.
I'm just gonna give him the list, add Magicka 2 to it (which I know has a Mac port), and stop trying so hard.

 

Divinity is the game that created the biggest 'issue' that arose. At one point there is apparently a cat named Sam, which died. This wasn't even an enemy cat, so that made it triply worse.

It's things like that that you wouldn't expect, ya know?

And I'm starting to think you guys are right about how to define an RPG for this guy, b/c I'm not sure he has played enough games to have any idea of what kinds he might like.

Insects are probably fine as enemies.

Also all the responses I've gotten in here remind me why I love DLP so much.