Exploring the World of Cousin Games

There’s a certain nostalgia for those quirky, lesser-known games from our childhood that didn’t quite make the mainstream cut. I like to refer to them as “Cousin Games.”

To really get into the mood for a Cousin Game, picture yourself in an unfamiliar house that smells, well, not quite right. Inside, you find a version of yourself that feels like looking in a distorted mirror, parked in front of a Nintendo console. You recognize the setup, but the game on screen leaves you scratching your head, wondering, “What on earth is that?”

Now, a Cousin Game isn’t just any game you don’t own or crave to own. And calling it a Cousin Game doesn’t mean it’s inherently bad. There are plenty of terrible games out there that wouldn’t fall into this category.

Let me give you an example: these aren’t your typical mainstream games. Something like Madden doesn’t count as a Cousin Game just because your cousin plays it—it sticks to the sports category. But dive into extreme sports or motorsport games, and that’s another story.

While Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater carves its place in mainstream hearts, Tony Hawk’s Underground 2 veers into Cousin Game territory—just like AirBlade does.

Adding a beloved character like Spider-Man into a game turns the potential for it being a Cousin Game up to 75%. With Wolverine, it jumps to 80%, and if Taz is involved, you’re looking at a 90% chance.

Games based on popular licenses often have that Cousin Game vibe, too. And while mascot-driven games usually steer clear of this label, the Sonic universe presents a few exceptions. It’s unheard of for a first-party Nintendo game to become a Cousin Game, except for Geist, which is undeniably one.

On the PC front, while Cousin Games are possible, the realm is more often dominated by what I like to call Uncle Games—though that’s a whole other discussion.

What makes a Cousin Game intriguing is its mystique. How did it end up in the wrong-smelling house? Was it a random purchase from a parent, casually picked up from a store shelf? Or did your cousin genuinely enjoy playing BattleTanx 2? Do they look back on it with nostalgia, while it remains a bizarre memory for you?

And if you’re nodding along, thinking, “That’s not a Cousin Game,” there’s a chance you might actually be the cousin in question. But don’t worry, we can help with that realization.