How Can I Tell if a Video Game Is Right for My Child?
Short answer: Check the game’s age rating and content, who can contact your child, and what it encourages them to buy or keep playing. Then play together and watch how your child handles the challenges and the ending. A suitable game should fit your child’s understanding and your family’s boundaries; an age label alone cannot make that decision.
Perhaps your child already plays a game you barely recognize. They say everyone knows it, while you see bright characters, a chat window and buttons asking for something. You do not have to become an expert player to make a useful decision. You need to see what happens in the version and mode your child actually uses.
This guide is for parents of children roughly three to twelve who already play or are asking to start. It is a game-selection check, not a recommendation that preschoolers need video games or a daily screen-time allowance.
Start with the game your child actually plays
Ask your child to show you the title, device and mode. A familiar game name may lead to a solo activity, a session with friends or a public space with unfamiliar players. Approving the name without checking those details leaves important questions unanswered.
Try: “Show me what you like doing here. Are you building something, completing a challenge or meeting your friends?” Listen before opening the settings. UNICEF’s guide to video games recommends letting children teach their parents how to play, both to understand the activity and to make conversations about boundaries more open.
Set aside a quiet moment with the device and account your child uses. If they have not started yet, preview the game yourself before inviting them in. If something already looks unsuitable, there is no need to expose them to more of it to complete a trial.
Make four checks before saying yes
1. Read the rating, then look at the content
Read the age label and any accompanying content descriptions on the game’s listing. Look for the reasons behind the label, such as violence, frightening themes or language. UNICEF recommends age ratings, other parents’ reviews and playing together to judge whether a game’s themes fit a child’s stage of development.
Treat a rating above your child’s age as a reason to choose something else. A rating within their age range is the start of your check. It does not tell you whether this particular child can manage the reading, controls, tension or competitive pressure. If no clear rating or content information is available, do more checking before allowing play.
Watch an ordinary part of the game, not just its promotional trailer. Ask yourself: “Can my child understand what is happening? Is the challenge manageable? Is there anything here they would find frightening?” A child who enjoys puzzles may still dislike a chase sequence attached to them.
2. Find out who can reach your child
Check voice chat, text chat, private messages and friend requests wherever they are available, including the platform account. Who can join the session? Can someone your child does not know send an invitation?
UNICEF advises parents to check online contacts and use controls that restrict connections with strangers or route friend requests through a parent. For a younger child, a practical starting boundary is solo play or play with people you know, with open communication features disabled. If the game cannot support the boundary you need, choose another game or mode.
Practise one response together: “If someone asks for personal information or makes you uncomfortable, leave the conversation and come to me.” Explain that personal information includes their school, address and passwords. Show them where to mute, block or report, if those tools exist. Make clear that telling you about a worrying interaction will not get them in trouble. Settings support that conversation; they do not replace it.
3. Inspect purchases and advertising
Look beyond whether downloading the game costs anything. During play, does it repeatedly offer items, interrupt with advertisements or urge the child to buy before an offer disappears?
UNICEF describes deceptive design that pushes spending, including time pressure and misleading offers. The American Academy of Pediatrics’ family media plan guidance recommends discussing advertising, checking privacy settings and using parental controls for purchases and downloads.
Set purchase restrictions yourself and check them on the child’s account. Explain a simple household rule: “Buying anything needs my agreement first.” If the game keeps turning play into a request to shop, consider choosing one with fewer commercial interruptions. An “educational” description should not exempt a game from these checks.
4. Work out how play ends
Can the child pause, save or finish a short round? Does the next activity start automatically? Does leaving affect other players? Ask your child to demonstrate an ending before you agree to a session.
Choose a stopping point that fits the time actually available: “We can do this short challenge before lunch. We won’t start another afterward.” If the mode has unpredictable rounds and you need to leave soon, it may not fit that moment.
The AAP recommends turning off autoplay and notifications where possible and leaving room for meals, sleep, outdoor play and other activities. A game can be suitable in content yet difficult to fit into the family’s day.
Try it together, then make a specific decision
Once those checks are satisfactory, play alongside your child for a session with an agreed ending. Notice what they enjoy, where they need help and what happens when a task goes wrong. You are gathering information, not testing whether they can be perfectly cheerful.
An example conversation might sound like this:
“I can see why you like building the animal shelter. Who is writing in that box?”
“Other players. I don’t know them.”
“Building together looks fun. For now, we’ll use the mode without public chat. Show me where we can save the shelter before dinner.”
Afterward, choose an outcome you can explain:
| What you found | A practical decision |
|---|---|
| Content fits, contacts and purchases are controlled, and the session fits the day | Allow play within the agreed boundaries and check in again. |
| The activity fits, but a feature does not | Allow only the mode or settings you have checked together. |
| Content is unsuitable or essential safety settings are unavailable | Set the game aside and look for another with the feature your child enjoys. |
| You still cannot tell what happens during play | Keep approval pending while you preview it further. |
Write a short note if helpful: “This game, solo mode, purchases restricted, finish at the save point before dinner.” Revisit it when the child wants a different mode or new contacts, or when the game changes.
Adjust your involvement to age and ability
These are practical ways to apply the checks, not proof that a game is safe at a particular birthday. The AAP recommends adapting family rules as children mature.
- Ages 3–5: If you choose to introduce a game, preview it and play together. Favor simple controls and a clear ending. Manage settings yourself rather than expecting a preschooler to evaluate chat requests or sales prompts.
- Ages 6–8: Let your child demonstrate the game, but check contacts and purchase controls yourself. Rehearse what to do when an unfamiliar invitation appears. Adjust for reading ability and sensitivity to frightening scenes.
- Ages 9–12: Give your child a larger role in proposing rules and explaining why a game matters to them. Discuss group play, spending pressure and leaving an unpleasant conversation. Greater skill with controls does not remove the need for boundaries.
If your child refuses to show you
Avoid making the conversation a quiz. Offer to watch while they play, or ask them to show just their favorite part at another time. You can also preview the game independently and return with one concrete question.
If they still decline, say: “I don’t know enough about this game to approve it yet. We can check it together tomorrow.” Offer a game you have already checked or an offline activity. Their reluctance is not proof that something dangerous happened, and you do not have to approve a game you cannot assess.
Notice patterns, and know when to ask for help
One difficult ending does not establish that a game is unsuitable or that a child has an addiction. AAP guidance on screen-time tantrums notes that tiredness, hunger and stress can make transitions harder. Review the timing and stopping plan as well as the game.
Speak with your child’s pediatrician if stopping causes meltdowns nearly every time despite thoughtful support, or if screen use seems connected with changes in sleep, eating, hygiene or social activities. Increasing withdrawal from friends and family is also a reason to seek help. Bring examples of what happens during and after play; those observations are more useful than a label.
Your decision can remain specific and revisable: this game, in this mode, with these boundaries, for your child now.
Sources
- UNICEF Parenting: Video games and children: A guide for parents — playing together, content suitability, online contacts and spending pressure.
- American Academy of Pediatrics: How to Make a Family Media Plan — content choices, privacy, parental controls and family routines.
- American Academy of Pediatrics: Screen Time & Temper Tantrums: Helpful Tips for Parents — transitions, age-sensitive boundaries and reasons to consult a pediatrician.
This article is for general information and isn’t medical advice. If you’re worried about your child, talk to your pediatrician.
Blub Editorial Team
The Blub Editorial Team is the team behind Blub Kids’ science podcasts for children. We base our articles on WHO, AAP and other primary sources, and we check AI-assisted drafts against those sources before publishing. We don’t give medical advice.
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