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While most of the games that release today are made for teens and adults, there are still quite a handful of games that are made for kids and kids at heart. The medium has been more inclusive over the last couple of years as more and more developers are launching games that cater to kids as well. If you want your kids to enjoy some games during their free time, then it’s a must that you consider getting these games.
These games are available on a wide variety of platforms, and they’re all going to give your kids hours of fun. Some of these titles even feature multiplayer components that let you bond with your kids if you, yourself, are a gamer too. Here are some of the best kids’ games for 2023.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons launched for the Switch in 2020 – during the height of the pandemic. It was a breath of fresh air for everyone, and the title deserves all of the praise it can get. Three years later, Animal Crossing: New Horizons is still one of the best kids’ games out there. In fact, it might even be one of the best games on the Nintendo Switch right now. While the content updates for the game have stopped, that doesn’t necessarily mean that the game isn’t worth getting anymore.
In fact, thanks to its massive amount of content, Animal Crossing: New Horizons is probably the game on this list that has the most replay value. In Animal Crossing: New Horizons, you’ll play as a villager who’s just moved to a new deserted island. The island itself is a deserted getaway location for cute and cuddly animals that will eventually become your friends. It’s a simple premise that is very fun for both kids and adults alike, so it’s definitely a good buy for parents and their kids.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons lets you mingle with the island villagers, but that’s just the start of it. You can collect bugs, fish, fossils, and more. The highlight of the game though is that it will let you fully customize the island to your heart’s content. Kids love games like these, so they can easily sink in hours of game time just customizing their home. Even better is the fact that you can play with your kids even on one console. The amount of content in Animal Crossing: New Horizons makes it one of the best kids’ games out there.
Great amount of contentCan be played multiplayer on a single consoleEndless fun
Kids should get into some friendly-competitive games from time to time. Of course, there are lots of shooters out there that provide hours’ worth of fun, but if you don’t want your kids getting into that kind of game, it might be time to consider Fall Guys. Fall Guys is a competitive battle royale unlike any other. Unlike Fortnite, PUBG, Apex Legends, and others, Fall Guys is pure plain fun, but it still adds the sense of competition that most battle royales bring to the table.
Best of all, the game is designed completely for kids so it’s easy and enjoyable at the same time. Add to the fact that this game is free, and you’ve got an amazing title in your hands right now so let’s talk about what makes it special. Fall Guys consists of obstacle courses, also called Shows. There are a variety of these mini-games in Fall Guys and the goal is to be the last one standing at the end. At most, Fall Guys can hold up to 60 players at a time so your kids will have lots of players to go against.
The game continues to expand with new shows and mini-games so that means your kids will have endless fun with Fall Guys. In Fall Guys, you’ll be put in control of cute and cuddly characters that you can customize in a variety of ways. Aside from colors and patterns, the game gives you access to a ton of skins to customize the characters with. The developers partner with other brands to create amazing exclusive skins. As of now, some of the game’s skin collaborations include costumes from Encanto, Spongebob Squarepants, and many other titles that your kids might be familiar with. Fall Guys features cross-play as well so you can play with your kids if you have multiple consoles at home. It’s a great way to bond with them while giving them a great challenge at the same time.
Fun and competitiveLots of familiar costumesVariety of ways to enjoy the game
Is your kid a big fan of Disney? If you say yes, then they’ll definitely enjoy Disney Dreamlight Valley and all that it has to offer. This game is made specifically for those that enjoy Disney and its shows. To put it simply, Disney Dreamlight Valley is a “Disney-fied” version of Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Instead of animal villagers, however, you’ll get to meet an assortment of characters from Disney including those from old movies like Lion King, Cinderella, and more.
Of course, the game will also include new characters from modern Disney shows such as Encanto, Big Hero 6, and much more. There’s a never-ending selection of characters to meet here. In Disney Dreamlight Valley, you’ll need to gather resources and use them to clear away obstacles that plague the land. Upon clearing these obstacles, you’ll get to meet Disney characters who’ll then befriend you. Like in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, you can change the world to your liking but there’s more depth to Animal Crossing’s customization options compared to Disney Dreamlight Valley.
The best part of the game is that you can befriend the heroes and villains of Disney. Upon doing this, you can build up a friendship level that will help bring you closer to the characters as well. Building friendship levels lets you unlock more activities and interactions with said characters. The game is pretty straightforward and simple. However, there’s also much more to do so you’ll have hours’ worth of game time with your kids. Disney Dreamlight Valley isn’t just an Animal Crossing clone. It brings much more to the table than meets the eye so make sure to check it out.
Filled with Disney charactersSimilar to Animal Crossing
Don’t let its cartoonish playstyle fool you, Cuphead is one of the most challenging games out there. As such, it’s perfect for kids that love a challenge when playing video games. Cuphead is a stylish and simple side-scroller. The game can be played by up to two players, which makes it a great way to spend time with your kids while enjoying the game.
Due to its nature, the game isn’t fit for really young kids as it could be too challenging for them. The two main characters in the game are Cuphead and his best friend, Mugman. Both will be controlled in the game as you go through a wide selection of levels, running and gunning opponents as you go. Like in the Souls games, Cuphead features really challenging bosses at the end of each level so it would be wise to upgrade both Cuphead and Mugman properly before you progress with the game’s story.
Cuphead is stylized to look like a rubber hose-style animation. Despite the simple animation and visuals, the game looks and feels great overall. We highly suggest getting this game on the Nintendo Switch as it feels better and more native to that console over others. Despite being the weaker of all the current gaming platforms, the Nintendo Switch runs the game without any hitches or FPS drops at all. Cuphead is a very challenging game that can help your kid understand new things. It’s a great way to step them up to a new level of games without exposing them to harmful content.
Very challengingGreat artstyleComes with multiplayer
All of these games can be enjoyed while alone. However, if you want your kids to enjoy a video game along with the rest of the family, you should get Overcooked! Special Edition + Overcooked! 2. Overcooked! Special Edition + Overcooked! 2 is a package featuring two games from the acclaimed cooperative series. In this game, you and up to 3 others will need to run a hectic kitchen as it takes orders from impatient diners on top of the most outrageous kitchens and restaurants in the world.
That might sound like a simple premise, but the game delivers on many aspects that make it fun and challenging. Overcooked! Special Edition + Overcooked! 2 is all about teamwork. You’ll need to make sure that the entire kitchen is able to deliver food before your diners run out of ingredients. Inside the kitchen, there are a variety of tasks to do such as washing the dishes, prepping the ingredients, cooking the food, and more.
The name of the game is cooperation and you’ll need a lot of that should you hope to surpass the game’s numerous challenging levels. What’s fun about Overcooked! Special Edition + Overcooked! 2 is that there is a variety of levels to choose from. There are some stages taking place on top of rafts in rivers, and there are even some stages taking place inside wizard dungeons. The stage variety also results in obstacles that you and your team have to handle. Without proper communication, you’ll find it difficult to finish the game. It’s a great way to teach your kids about the importance of teamwork and communication. Overcooked! Special Edition + Overcooked! 2 might be for kids, but the challenges it provides could bring even the most tried and tested adult gamers to their limits.
ChallengingTeaches kids about teamwork and communication
We can’t talk about the best kid games without talking about Fortnite. This tried and tested battle royale is one of the best kid’s games out there which is why a lot of kids get hooked on it. Fortnite is one of the most popular battle royales out there right now. Even after all of these years, the game gets a slew of content from the developers. The content introduces new features, new skins, and even new maps for the game. As such, there’s always something new to get into in Fortnite even if you’ve been playing since day one.
If you have a few consoles, you can play Fortnite with your kids and try to take home that top spot from the rest of the players. In Fortnite, the goal is to survive by the end of the game as the map closes in. You can either go in guns blazing or you can also sneak your way into the top spot. The choice is yours. Unlike in previous years, Fortnite no longer puts focus on building on the map. Instead, you’ll just have to focus purely on your shooting skills to take the top spot.
It’s a great change of pace for the game, and it’s something that a lot of players have come to love. What’s great about Fortnite is that it’s challenging enough to make your kids feel really accomplished once they get the big victory by the end of the challenge. Fortnite’s best draw is its exclusive skins that your kids can get. If they enjoy IPs like Naruto, Spiderman, Deadpool, and more – then they’ll be more than excited to see their favorite characters as part of the game.
Competitive Fun and engagingContinous stream of content
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