Video games appeal players from various backgrounds, interests and ages. How do you find the right game, and what are the criteria to tell if a game is right for you and your family? You will find some explanations to help you understand the official classifications of the games as well as some tips on how to choose the one best suited for your child.
How can I choose a game adapted to my child’s age and preferences?
The best way to assess whether a game is suitable for your child, is to play with them. When choosing a game for your child, here are several criteria to keep in mind:
Your child’s age: some games are suitable for everyone, while others are recommended for a mature audience. We recommend you look to the age rating classifications to choose the most appropriate game for your child. These classifications are clearly displayed on video game packs and online purchasing platforms. To find out more about the age classifications in your country, you can consult the list in the question “What do age rating labels stand for?". You can use parental controls available on all major consoles and PC to set customized age limits.
The game genre: like movies and books, video games offer a range of experiences: action, adventure, strategy, sports, role-playing, first person shooter, third person shooter, racing, puzzle and more. Depending on the genre, your child will exercise different skills to succeed and have fun. For example, a platforming game will require dexterity and perseverance, a strategy game will require focus, thinking and anticipation, and a multiplayer game will require social interaction while a shooter will require quick decision-making and teamwork.
The level of difficulty: some games provide several difficulty levels in order to adapt to different kinds of players and improve the game’s accessibility.
Online interactivity: some games are designed to be solo experiences. Others include an online multiplayer mode where your child may interact with other players via text or voice chat and can share different photos, videos and other kinds of content.
To find out more about the experience offered by a game, you can consult our games’ cards or the Ubisoft web pages for the game in question. Some of our games have free demos available that will allow you to verify whether the content and level of difficulty is appropriate for your child before purchase. For more details on this subject, please visit these leading websites.
Finally, if your child has a disability and you would like to know if our games are adapted to their needs, please see our focus on the accessibility of our games.
What do age rating labels stand for? Where to know more about age rating in my country?
Age ratings in video games are handled by independent organizations such as PEGI in Europe or ESRB in the US. Their role is to advise consumers and parents about the content and suitability of a game for different age ranges. These classifications are displayed on video game packs and online purchasing platforms and usually include two elements:
- A minimum age recommendation
- Content descriptors, notably Violence or Bad Language
For example, the game Rainbow Six Siege in Europe has 3 classification abbreviations:
The first acronym indicates that the game is rated PEGI 18, which means that it is not recommended for anyone under the age of 18. The second acronym informs you that the level of violence contains a "realistic depiction of violence, seemingly unmotivated murder or violence against helpless characters". Finally, the last acronym warns that the game may also contain coarse language.
To learn more about the classification of a game on one of these countries and territories, please visit the corresponding site.
- USA and Canada: ESRB
- Europe (except Germany), Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Israel: PEGI
- Germany: USK
- South Africa: FPB
- Australia: ACB
- New Zealand: OFLC NZ
- Brazil: Classificação Indicativa
- Japan: CERO
- South Korea: GRAC
- Taiwan: CSRR
- Singapore: IMDA
- Saudi Arabia: GCAM
- United Arab Emirates: NMC
How to evaluate the level of violence in a video game?
Just like other forms of entertainment such as books, television series or movies, video games, including those created by Ubisoft, can depict violent content. These games are works of fiction and are created for mature audiences only and are not intended for minors.
There is no credible and objective evidence that shows a link between playing video games and/or being exposed to violent content having an impact on aggression or violent behavior in real life.
We recommend you rely on age classifications and descriptors on the video game packs and online purchasing platforms to choose the most appropriate game for your family. These classifications are displayed on game boxes and online shopping platforms. To find out more about the rating in your country, please refer to the previous question.
You can also set up parental control on consoles and mobile devices that will give your child access to certain games and not others. For more information on how to set up Parental Controls, you can refer to "Setting up Parental Controls".
Last but not least, we think playing with your kids is one of the best ways to ensure that the game content is suitable for them.