Summary
With many modern parents having grown up with video games themselves, it’s only natural that they might want toshare the gift of gaming with their kids. Unfortunately, however, figuring out which games are suitable for young children isn’t always easy, particularly with many of the titles that are marketed toward kids offering online access and microtransactions.
Common Sense Mediais a great tool in this regard, as too are video-sharing sites like YouTube and Facebook. Of course, the best way to establish whether or not a game is suitable for one’s child is to play it together with them so as to get a better feel for the content they’ll be consuming. Many of the best PC games for children include parental controls as well, which parents should be sure to make use of wherever possible.
Updated July 12, 2025, by Tom Bowen:Finding the best computer games for kids can be difficult for a variety of reasons. Obviously, making sure that the themes and ideas addressed by a game are age-appropriate is chief among them, but it’s far from the only thing that parents will need to consider. Trying to get a child to play a game that’s designed for somebody much younger than them can lead to them becoming disinterested or feeling as though they’re being babied, while a game that’s too challenging or complicated could make them feel sad or upset. As such, it’s important to strike a healthy balance when choosing games for young children, as many of the best PC games for kids tend to do.
A lot of the most popular kids' games feature online connectivity and microtransactions. With this in mind,parents should be sure to monitor who exactly their kids are speaking toand make sure that theyremove or password-protect their payment detailsso that their children are unable to spend their money; either intentionally or by mistake.
The Best PC Games for Kids Aged 3-7
When it comes to PCgames that are suitable for young children, parents need look no further thanMinecraft. It’s a game that encourages kids to unleash their inner creativity, allowing them to build just about anything they can imagine. The game does feature basic combat, but, thanks to its blocky art style, it’s incredibly tame and doesn’t feature any blood. If parents are still worried, however, they can set the difficulty to Peaceful mode to remove hostile mobs altogether.
LEGO Worldsoffers a similar, albeit more basic experience toMinecraft, though, as one might expect, it does place more of an emphasis on building things than it does combat. Many of theotherLEGOgamesare a bit more action-oriented, however, withLEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Sagabeing one of the better examples. Kids may not understand the story, but they should still enjoy the gameplay and sound effects and can even play through the game in split-screen co-op mode with a parent or older sibling.
It’s worth noting that young children don’t always need to be good at a video game to have fun playing it. Ubisoft’sGrow Homeis a prime example of this. Realistically, most kids will never help the cute little robot B.U.D. to reach the very top of the beanstalk without assistance, but the game’svibrant visualsand excellent sound design should serve to stimulate their senses nonetheless. The same could also be said ofAlba: A Wildlife Adventure, which is also fairly educational to boot.
Lightbotserves as a modern-day version ofQ-Bert, with players having to use math-based codes in order to solve a series of puzzles. There’s not a frame of violence here, and while it can take a little while to get used to all of the commands, everything becomes incredibly intuitive after a while.Disney Dreamlight Valleyoffers up a decidedly less educational experience, but its charming visuals and loveable cast offan-favorite Disney charactersmake it a great PC game for young children nonetheless.
Other Great PC Games that are Suitable for Children Aged 3-7
The Best PC Games for Kids Aged 8-12
Robloxcan be highly enjoyable for young children, though it does come with some pretty major caveats that parents should be aware of. For starters, they’ll want to ensure that their child’s age is set to below 13 so that they’re unable to chat with anybody who isn’t on their friends list. In addition to this, they should be sure to set a parent pin so that kids can’t change the settings orspend money without them knowing.
Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockoutis a great game to introduce young children to competitive gameplay, not to mention a lot of fun. Voice chat isn’t needed to enjoy the experience either, so parents don’t need to worry too much about who their kids are playing online with. Those looking to ease their kids into the RPG genre early on should instead considerStardew Valley, anexpansive farming simulatorwith charming and inoffensive visuals. It’s full of positive messages and great role models too and is relatively easy to understand.
Those on the lookout for anexcellent platformerfor kids around ten years old could certainly do a lot worse thanA Boy and His Blob. The game is built around a heartwarming tale of friendship and serves as an excellent entry point to the popular genre. Similarly,Forageris a great starting point for anybody looking to dip their toes into the world of open-world games and will also introduce kids to the kind of crafting, cooking, and survival mechanics that can be found in many modern video games.
There are plenty of great educational games for kids, but trying to get a child to sit down and actually play one of them can be a little tricky. This is perhaps what makesPlanet Coastersuch a great game for kids, as it teaches them about some of the challenges faced by business owners without them ever realizing that they’re learning.Civilization 6is another PC game with excellent educational value, helping to teach kids about some ofhistory’s most important civilizations, eras, and historical figures through its easy-to-understand gameplay.
Other Great PC Games that are Suitable for Children Aged 8-12
The Best PC Games for Kids Aged 13-17
Fortniteis abattle royale gamein which players go head to head until only one is left standing. Thematically, it may seem like a pretty mature game, but it’s no more violent than a lot of modern kid’s cartoons. Before leaving their kids unsupervised, however, parents should familiarize themselves with the game’s monetization system and set up parental controls. For younger kids, it might also be worth disabling voice chat altogether from the settings menu.
Overcooked! 2is a co-op game in which players must work together in order to prepare food orders as quickly as possible. It’s great for teaching kids about teamwork and an excellent pick for those looking forgames to play as a family.Guacamelee!is another fun co-op game thanks to its bright and colorful visuals. The platforming can be a little tricky in places, but it’s a great introduction to the action platformer genre nonetheless.
A lot of the video games that are marketed toward teenagers feature combat of some kind, which some parents may not be too thrilled about. For those who don’t mind playfighting though,WWE 2K23provides a pretty decent compromise. Like many of its predecessors, the game does feature blood, though this can be turned off in the settings menu. Anyone who’d prefer to steer clear of violence altogether should instead buy their kidsReturn to Monkey Island, a point-and-click adventure game thatrequires a lot of critical thinking.
At a glance, a game likeCupheadmay seem as though it is perfect for young kids, with its 1930s animation style being very easy on the eyes. However, whiletheCupheadNetflix show may be ideal for preteens, the game’s incredible difficulty means that it’s a lot better suited to teenagers with greater dexterity and longer attention spans.Kerbal Space Programis another great PC game for those aged 13 and up, offering players a better understanding of physics and basic science without ever coming across as being too preachy. Granted, the titular Kerbals may seem as though they were designed for young children, but the game’s humor definitely targets an older demographic.
