The 20 best games to play with your kids
These 20 titles will help introduce your kids to the wonderful world of interactive entertainment…
Nothing brings a family together quite like gaming. Watching a film or a TV show can be a whole lot of fun, but the magic of video games allows you to indulge in some interactive experiences: you can battle it out against your loved ones or work together towards common goals, with either of those options offering a whole load of enjoyment.
In this article, we’ve decided to bring together the very best games to play with kids. Whether you’re a parent looking for some family-friendly entertainment, a babysitter looking for a distraction, or a friendly relative that wants to be seen as the cool aunt/uncle, you’re bound to find something in this article that will get you gaming in a fun, safe way with the little ones in your life.
So, are you ready to jump into gaming experiences with some kids? If so, read on for our tip-top suggestions…
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Nintendo Switch
An absolute classic for playing in a group, Mario Kart has been a multiplayer institution since its original SNES appearance. This update of the excellent Wii U outing offers more characters, karts and tracks thank you can throw a blue shell at. Easy to learn, difficult to master, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is ideal for kids and adults alike.
Get Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on Amazon
Spyro: Reignited Trilogy
Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox One
Insomniac Games may be riding high on the incredible Spider-Man game of 2018, but we’ll always remember the plucky little purple dragon they created all those years ago. Reignited in HD (and 4K on PS4 Pro and Xbox One X), this remastered trilogy offers three fiery adventures for one very reasonable price. You could call it a hot deal (sorry).
Get Spyro Trilogy Reignited on Amazon
Super Smash Bros Ultimate
Nintendo Switch
While it can take some time to acclimatise to the chaos of everything happening on screen, Super Smash Bros is the ultimate party game. Featuring dozens upon dozens of recognisable characters, each occupying their own unique slice of gaming. Your kids may know Pokémon, but they’ll understand their place in gaming’s rich history a little more after a few rounds of Smash.
Get Super Smash Bros Ultimate on Amazon
The LEGO Movie 2 Videogame
Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox One, PC
If your little one is a fan of real-life LEGO, this title is the perfect way to expand that love into the gaming world. Expanding the story of the movie sequel with heaps of new ideas and loads of opportunities for building things, this game offers simple fun with an air of loveable silliness. There are familiar faces like Batman involved, too, if that helps to get your kids interested!
Get The LEGO Movie 2 Videogame on Amazon
Super Mario Party
Nintendo Switch
Super Mario Party is the biggest Mario Party yet. It deftly weaves mini-games into the most competitive board game you’ll find, making smart use of the Nintendo Switch’s unique joy-cons that’ll have you waving, waggling, shaking and balancing for hours on end. Perfect for bringing parents and their offspring together!
Get Super Mario Party on Amazon
LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2
Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox One
LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2 takes the earth’s mightiest heroes and most infamous villains and mashes them together with slapstick humour and enough comic book references to make the late Stan Lee blush. Whether your little Avengers fancy themselves as an Iron Man or a Spider-Gwen, there are plenty of unique puzzles to solve and baddies to battle.
Get LEGO Marvel Superheroes 2 on Amazon
Pokémon: Let’s Go Eevee and Let’s Go Pikachu
Nintendo Switch
Introduce the younger members of your family to the iconic critter-catching RPG franchise with this modern remake of Pokémon Yellow. While you’re trying to catch ‘em all and battling through countless encounters, you can use the new ‘support trainer’ system to work together. Two players can even throw Poké-balls in unison, using the motion-controlled joy-cons, for an extra level of fun.
Get Pokemon: Let’s Go, Eevee! on Amazon
Super Mario Maker 2
Nintendo Switch
Super Mario Maker 2 takes the original game’s 2D platforming toolbox and runs with it, adding a wealth of new options like slopes and switches. Challenge your little plumbers to complete your most nefarious creations, teach them how to make their own, or download an endless stream of levels online. It’s the gift that keeps on giving.
Get Super Mario Maker 2 on Amazon
Rayman Legends
Mobile, Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4, Xbox One
If you’ve not experienced the beautiful, watercolour aesthetic of Rayman Legends in its engaging co-op mode then you really must. A visually striking platformer with unique ideas (including some fabulous music levels set to a stirring soundtrack), Rayman Legends is well worth your time. It’s challenging, but through co-op play you can help each other out of tight spots.
Rayman Legends Definitive Edition on Amazon
Scribblenauts Showdown
Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4, Xbox One
Taking the unique wordplay-based problem solving of the Scribblenauts franchise and dropping it into a multiplayer-only menagerie of mini-games may sound an odd fit, but Showdown is a surprisingly fun time – at least while it lasts. It doesn’t have the number of diversions you’ll find in something like Super Mario Party, but it does help encourage the use of imagination alongside expanding a player’s vocabulary.
Get Scribblenauts Showdown on Amazon
Minecraft
Mobile, Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4, Xbox One
There’s not much that can be said about Minecraft that hasn’t been said already, but if you’re still unaware then it’s essentially an unlimited box of LEGO. Players can build structures, mine for resources, or battle to survive the creepers found on the map. You can build and survive together, too – making this an ideal arena for encouraging creativity.
Rocket League
Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4, Xbox One
The shortened pitch for Rocket League is that it’s football with cars. As good as that may sound, it does the game somewhat of a disservice – Rocket League takes some time to get to grips with, and can initially feel like the skill ceiling requires a stepladder to reach. Stick with it, though, and there are few games that reward your practice so generously.
Get Rocket League Collectors Edition on Amazon
Overcooked/Overcooked 2
Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4, Xbox One
Ok, this is a cheat, but we simply couldn’t split up the Overcooked games. Both offer crazy culinary shenanigans, with players working in tandem to chop, cook, slice, stir and serve meals to fulfil ever more complicated orders. Just be warned, it can get heated – and you know what they say about heat in the kitchen.
Stardew Valley
Mobile, Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4, Xbox One
If you’ve ever fancied yourself as a simple farmer, free of city life, then Stardew Valley may well become your new obsession. Inheriting a relative’s old farm, you’ll grow crops, raise animals, and go mining in perilous caves. Co-op has been added to the game, too, meaning you can farm together as a family.
Fortnite
Mobile, Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4, Xbox One
This free-to-play Battle Royale title has become stratospheric in popularity, eclipsing, well, everything. Despite what naysayers may say, the game itself remains a fantastic place to play with friends, especially with a new creative mode offering plenty of reasons to come back aside from competing to be the last man or woman standing.
Get Fortnite Darkfire Bundle on Amazon
Crash Bandicoot: N Sane Trilogy
Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox One
Original PlayStation mascot Crash Bandicoot has finally been given the love he deserves, with a sensational 4K remaster. Whether you’re battling your way through the incredibly difficult first game, giving Dr Cortex a rematch in Crash Bandicoot 2, or crashing through time in Warped, you and your little bandicoots will find challenge and charm in equal measure.
Get Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy on Amazon
Dragon Quest Builders 2
Nintendo Switch, PS4
If you like the idea of Minecraft but prefer a little more structure to your gameplay, then Square Enix has you covered with this mashup of builder and JRPG. Dragon Quest fans will appreciate plenty of small details, but those new to the franchise shouldn’t be put off – Builders 2 is a welcoming playground that’s equal parts fun and therapeutic.
Get Dragon Quest Builders 2 on Amazon
Crash Team Racing Remastered
Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox One
It’s that damned Bandicoot again, except this time he’s power-sliding his way to victory in a kart racer that’s arguably more difficult than Mario Kart 8: Deluxe. Bundling in tracks from the first and second kart outings, and with dozens of characters (including newly unlockable Spyro), Crash Team Racing is as addictive now as it ever was.
Get Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled on Amazon
Hasbro Game Night
Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox One
Family board game night is a staple of many a childhood, but those games don’t come cheap. If you’re looking for something a little more forward-thinking (and looking to save shelf space), you can do a lot worse than the Hasbro Family Fun Pack. Included inside are classics Monopoly, Trivial Pursuit, and Risk – quite a lineup, we’re sure you’ll agree.
Get Hasbro Game Night on Amazon
Just Dance 2019
Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4, Xbox One
In our experience, there are few things better than challenging your relatives to a dance-off in Just Dance, and this year’s game is no exception. It’s become a worldwide hit due to its simple controls, and there are heaps of hit songs on the soundtrack – we’re sure you’ll find something that every member of the family can boogie along to!
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