suggested video games for homeschoolers and gifted/talented students

All these games are from the mid to late 90s but should be available used (cheap!) or on Steam. There are also similar games currently and from recent years.

Real-time strategy games and city-building games are best because they teach how to manage complex systems. It's like a faster version of chess. Some role-playing games involve creative problem solving.

Fighting and first-person shooter games tend to be popular and fun, but don't teach much. Racing and flying games are good for building hand-eye coordination. I never played sports games much, so I don't know what the pros and cons of those are. 

Older video games like Super Mario or Pac-Man tend to be more about reaction time and winning through trial and error. Other than nostalgia, there's not much point in playing them.

1. Zelda: Ocarina of Time

This one has mild fantasy violence, but otherwise nothing objectionable. Beating this game requires patience and creativity as there are a wide variety of puzzles to solve. 

2. Age of Empires 2

Any game from this series is solid, and it indirectly teaches about history. It combines city-building with strategy.

3. Railroad Tycoon 2

Again, any game from this series is good, and it also teaches about economics and the history of railroads.

4. Tropico 

This is also a series of games. You govern an island nation where you can have free and fair elections or become a dictator through various means. There is little violence but some adult references (cigars, rum, gambling, cabaret). The game teaches history, politics, and economics. I highly recommend it. 

5. StarCraft

This a great one for sci-fi fans. It has stronger violence than Age of Empires and is basically that game in space. Warhammer fans will love this one. 

6. Caesar 3

This is a city building game that teaches a lot about ancient Rome. There's mild violence as you command legions to fight various barbarians. And you must build temples to various pagan gods or face their wrath. 

7. Command and Conquer

This is a series of games starting in 1995. Red Alert 2 is my favorite as it has amusing cut scenes and campy humor. The violence is PG-13. 

8. Oregon Trail

If you let your kid play one video game, let it be this. The 90s version is best. There is mild violence in the hunting minigame and references to death. 

9. Destroy all Humans!

Another sci-fi gem and a great game for misanthropes. The violence is mild and there are some adult references. It has some of the best humor of any video game I've ever played. 

10. Primal Rage

Who doesn't love dinosaurs? Well, this game is basically Mortal Kombat with dinosaurs. Or at least creatures similar to them. There's a lot of blood, but it sure is fun. Maybe save this one as a reward for good behavior. It's what my parents did. 

Video games have a bad reputation, but some of them are educational in addition to being entertaining.

It's better to get your kid hooked on one of the above before they stumble upon a mindless, amoral cesspool like Grand Theft Auto (a fun game, but it does not develop the mind).

I should note that I played all the "bad" video games too and did not grow up to be a career criminal. Video games can desensitize someone to violence, but they do not make people violent.