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We get asked about Kid Friendly Video Games a lot here at Coder Kids. Parents know they can trust our judgement of games. They can also trust us to know about the most popular games out there, as well as some lesser known ones that are super fun for kids.

We love gaming, but we also realize there is a lot of stuff in the gaming world that isn’t appropriate for kids. With that in mind, we created our Kid Friendly Game Review video series on our Youtube Channel. You can watch all of our reviews here. That’s also why we decided to write this blog post. We want parents to have access to reliable and current information about Kid Friendly Video Games their kids will love!

What Does “Kid Friendly Video Games” Mean?

We want kids to have a positive experience when they are online and when they are gaming. To us, Kid Friendly Video Games means games with appropriate themes and language for kids. Games shouldn’t be too violent, use bad language or have adult content. On top of that, the game definitely has to be fun!

Depending on the age of your child, different levels of violence, language or adult content may be appropriate. Games do have a rating system, which is a great place to start. It’s a good idea to become familiar with this rating system so that you know what your child will be exposed to based on the rating the game receives. Another reason understanding the rating system is a smart choice is so that you can decide if the game is actually appropriate for your child. You may think your child can handle games that are rated for older children, or you may want them to only play games rated for everyone.

Our Criteria for Rating Games

When we are deciding if a video game is kid friendly or not, we look at 4 main criteria:

Language - includes swearing, as well as other inappropriate words, sarcasm, and any other rude, hostile or demeaning language
Violence - we take into account how much violence and they type of violence (shooting guns vs. using “energy blasts”)
Adult Content - this includes any reference or actual viewing of adult content (flirting, kissing, sexual content, drugs, etc.)
Fun - How fun is the game? Will kids enjoy playing it?

If you watch our Kid Friendly Game Reviews on our Youtube Channel, we actually give a score in all four of these areas for each game. You can watch them here.

Kid Friendly Video Games

Alright! Let’s get to our list of Kid Friendly Video Games! We’ll have a general overview of each game, things to look out for, the game’s rating and platforms it is available for. We hope this information helps parents make more informed choices about video games for their kids!

Minecraft

Minecraft is one of the most popular games out there. We love Minecraft, and even teach several summer camps and after school classes about Minecraft (you check them out here). Minecraft has 5 modes, but the most common mode kids use are Creative and Survival. These modes allow kids a place to be creative and improve coding and problem solving skills. In creative mode, kids can create to their heart’s content - it’s like an endless supply of legos. in survival mode, they have to figure out how to survive the night and more. Check out our Guide to Minecraft for Parents and Minecraft Basics to learn even more. You can message to a group on Minecraft, but private messaging is also available, so parents should keep that in mind.

Rating: E10+ (Fantasy Violence)

Platforms: PC, Mac, Xbox, Nintendo Switch Playstation 4, iPad and Android devices

Roblox

Roblox is another super popular game. We also offer summer camps and after school classes about Roblox (you can check them out here). Roblox players can create 3D worlds and share them with other players. It’s great for increasing creativity as well as improving coding skills. Another great thing about Roblox is that it’s free to download! Ther is an in-game virtual currency called Robux. Players buy Robux with real cash and then spend their Robux on items within the game. Private messaging is also available while playing Roblox.

Rating: E10+ (Fantasy Violence)

Platforms: PC, Mac, Android, iOs, Xbox, Fire OS

Levelhead

This is a super fun game that kids and adults will love! There are a couple of ways to play. You can go through a series of levels that have been constructed already. They are called Training Levels. You can go through all of these levels and complete the game. However, you can also create your own levels, which is super cool and gets your creative juices flowing. You can share your levels with others and play the levels other players have developed. This game has some fantasy violence, no adult content and child appropriate language.

Rating: E for Everyone

Platforms: Nintendo Switch, Android, iOs, Windows, Xbox

Spelunky

Spelunky is a cave exploration/treasure hunting game. It is a platformer and roguelike game. The point of the game is to get the end of each randomly generated level with as many treasures from the cave as possible. This game does have some cartoon violence, and slavery is also present as well as being able to participate in human sacrifices to a god. The language is appropriate for kids and there is a small amount of cartoon flirtation. There is no in-game currency or in-app purchases with this game.

Rating: T (for teens - Fantasy Violence, Blood, Mild Suggestive Themes)

Platforms: Nintendo Switch, Playstation 4, Microsoft, Chrome OS

Among Us

Among Us is game that became super popular during the pandemic. Among Us is a party game (which means you have multiple people playing together at one time). The point of the game is for crew mates to work together to complete tasks before one or more imposters on board kills everyone. There is an online chat for this game that is not heavily filtered, so parents should be sure to monitor that. You can make sure your child only plays with their friends. to avoid issues with the chat. There is no adult content, but there are in-app purchases available.

Rating: E10+ (Fantasy Violence, Mild Blood)

Platforms: Microsoft Windos, Playstation 4 and 5, Android, Nintendo Switch, Xbox, iOs,

Fortnite

Fortnite is another video game that is a big hit with kids. Fortnite is a free to play game with 3 different modes you can play: Battle Royale, Save the World and Creative. In Battle Royale, players are competing to be the last player standing. Players can drive cars, boats, helicopters, build, loot, shoot other players, etc. The Save the World mode is a combination of tower defense, first person shooter and building and crafting. Fortnite creative allows you to create content on your creative islands. You can play solo or with other people. You can shoot players with realistic images, but there is no blood and they don’t say the word kill. Because you can use chat and voice chat on Fortnite, parents need to be aware of what is being said and written. There is an in-game currency to buy items in Fortnite.

Rating: T (Violence and Player to Player Interaction)

Platforms: Playstation 4, Nintendo Switch, Android, iOs, Playstation 5, Xbox,

Rocket L eague

Rocket League is great game! It’s basically soccer, but with cars. All of the cars have rockets on them (hence the name, Rocket League). There are lots of fun ways to change the look of your car for free. There are optional upgrades that you buy with in-game currency. In order to get in-game currency, you will need to spend real money. These are optional, and the game is free to play. There are six different modes you can play, all some variation of playing soccer with cars (they even have some options to play hockey with cars or basketball with cars!). There are chat functions with this game (voice and text), so be aware. You can turn off the chat function off and you can report inappropriate language to the company. There is no adult material in this game.

Rating: E for Everyone

Platforms: Playstation 4, Playstation 5, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, Microsoft Windows, macOS, Linux

Fall Guys

Fall Guys is a super colorful game with super cute characters. Just like the name says, your player will literally fall into a game. The point of the game is to survive to the end. It is a platform battle royale game and there can be up to 60 players in one game. There are tons of different games your player can fall into (obstacle courses, tag, etc.), so you never know which one you’re going to get. There’s not a voice chat option as of now, and not even usernames, but if that changes, that could be an area where language could be an issue. There is no adult content in this game.

Rating: E for Everyone

Platforms: lay Station 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox, Microsoft WIndows, iOS

20XX

20XX is a roguelike platform game where you fight enemy robots and bosses to save humankind. It has fun cartoon-like characters that you control through tons of fun levels. When you finish each level, you can earn upgrades to help your character (Nina and Ace) and you get to pick the next level that you’ll go to. There is no inappropriate language in this game (just some sarcasm). There is fantasy violence, but no adult content in this game.

Rating: E10+ (Fantasy Violence)

Platforms: Playstation 4, Nintendo Switch, Microsoft Windows, Linux, macOS, Xbox

Kingdom Hear ts 1.5 Remix

Kingdom Heart Final Remix has a host of fans and avid players. The 1.5 Remix includes Kingdom Hearts Final Mix, Chain of Memories and 358/2. These games follows Sora, a happy teenager and his friends fighting against the forces of darkness. Donald Duck, Goofy, Mickey Mouse and lots of other Disney characters are there to help him along the way. It is an action role-playing game, with lots of fun levels that kids (and adults) will love. There is fantasy violence in this game, as well as some blood and alcohol use.

Rating: E10+ (Fantasy Violence, Mild Blood, Use of Alcohol)

Platforms: Playstation 3, Playstation 4, Xbox, Microsoft Windows

Sonic Mania

Sonic Mania is a great platform game that is awesome for kids of all ages. In this game, Sonic runs around different zones attempting to defeat Dr. Eggman. There are 12 zones and some are remixed stages from previous Sonic games. You can jump on your enemies and turn them into little woodland creatures. There is no adult content and the language is appropriate for all ages There are also no chat features, so you won’t need to worry about that.

Rating: E for Everyone (Mild Cartoon Violence)

Platforms: Playstation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox, Microsoft Windows, Amazon Luna

Terraria

Terraria is a sandbox game where players get to explore, craft and build. Players must also fight a variety of creatures that randomly spawn to attack their characters. You can play by yourself, but there is also the option for multi-player gaming. There are different biomes and areas to explore in Terraria. Each area has its own challenges and enemies, so there’s lots of ways to explore and improve your skills. There is some cartoon violence and blood in this game. While the language is clean, there is some dialogue that contains innuendos/suggestive material, so it may not be appropriate for younger children.

Rating: T for Teen (Blood and Gore, Cartoon Violence, Mild Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol)

Platforms: Android, Playstation 4, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, iOS, Microsoft Windows, macOS, Linus

Undertale

Undertale is a 2D role playing game. Players control the actions of a child who has fallen into the Underground (a secluded place underneath the earth separated by a magic barrier). On the child’s journey back to the surface, they must face different monsters. Players can decide if they want to subdue the monsters or fight them. These choices change the game, dialogue, etc. It’s a really fun game to play and we think the concept of the Underworld is also pretty neat. There is some Fantasy Violence in this game, but there are not chat functions to worry about.

Rating: E 10+ (Fantasy Violence, Mild Blood, Mild Language, Use of Tobacco)

Platforms: Android, Playstation 4, Nintendo Switch, macOS, Microsoft Windows, Linux

Clash Royale

Clash Royale is a real-time strategy game that combines elements from collectible card games, tower defense, and multiplayer online battle arena games. You can play with 2 or 4 players and the object of the game is to destroy as many opposing towers as possible in 3 minutes. There are overtime rules if there is a tie after the initial 3 minute battle. The moves you play are represented by cards, and before you start playing, you construct a deck of 8 cards to use during the battle. This game is fun for kids and adults as well. You can even watch your child’s battles live while they play. There is a public chat function, but no private chat.

Rating: E10+ (Fantasy Violence)

Platforms: iOS, Android

Conclusion

We hope our list of Kid Friendly Video Games has been a help to you! We tried to include a variety of game types, platforms, and age ranges so that you’d be able to find the ones that are the best for for you and your child. We think it’s really important that parents know what their kids are playing as well as what they are being exposed to in each of those games. Because of that, we created our list of Kid Friendly Video Games to help parents out.

What did you think of our list? Did we miss any of your favorites? Let us know in the comments!