PS4: The Best Games For Kids

The PS4 has the best array of different games that your kids will love. Here, we’ll highlight the best PS4 games, featuring characters of games.

PS4 Games

Parents, especially those who haven’t played PlayStation 4 or have been out of the video game loop, should do their research before buying a PlayStation 4 game. Here are some considerations.

Age Appropriate

The notion that kids’ gaming is on the decline persists, even though some still cling to this belief. This frequently prompts parents to buy M-rated titles for their kids, causing immediate outrage over the content. Parents should research to ascertain whether a game suits their family, appeals to kids of all ages, or is explicitly designed for older kids or teenagers. Options suitable for kids are usually within their age range, aligning with their level, especially in terms of complexity, and tend to resonate the most.

Ratings provide guidance on appropriateness, located in the bottom corner of game covers. In the US, four commonly used ratings convey the level of content:

• E – Everyone. This rating is also known as KA, or kids to adults, in older titles from the 1990s. Indicating its suitability, kids can play this. Family titles usually bear an E or E10 rating, equivalent to a G rating in movies. Lego, often rated E, enhances family interactions with interactive experiences suitable for everyone.
• E10 – Suits children around 10, similar to a PG rating, it is generally family-friendly with adventurous plots, possibly featuring mild violence, language, or themes suitable for a young audience, making it one of the best PS4 games for kids.
• T – Teen is suitable for teenagers, akin to the PG-13 rating in movies, containing stronger violence, language, or themes deemed inappropriate for younger audiences.
• M – Mature is for individuals 17 and over, requiring parental permission for those under 17 to purchase. These options feature extreme violence, language, sexual themes, and content unsuitable for younger players, comparable to an R rating in movies. 

Family Fun Or Multiplayer

If you enjoy gaming, you might prefer video options that suit both personal play and watching your child engage with them. Many options offer multiplayer features, accommodating up to four players, and promoting inclusive family entertainment. Co-op modes, where you or a sibling can join in, enhance the family fun. Some options support local co-op, allowing play on the same TV and console, while others are online, enabling your child to engage with others virtually. Seek family options that ensure enjoyment for everyone. Multiplayer selections, including racing options, can provide an excellent choice for shared enjoyment.

It’s A Quality Game

Choose high-quality video options, as parents often select titles based on popular movies or shows, like Marvel’s Spider-Man or the MARVEL™ SUPERHEROES series by Warner Bros. However, some options with the same or similar names may be low quality and poorly received. Conduct thorough research, checking customer and critic reviews to ensure you get the desired experience. Quality, though subjective, can be assessed by objective factors such as being free from glitches. Kids not only prefer options within their age range but also those that provide a fun, quality experience, such as Minecraft Dungeons.

Note: The PlayStation 4 offers numerous age-appropriate and entertaining game options for kids. It’s crucial to balance their gaming time with educational activities. One way to do this is by introducing them to the typing program for kids, which can significantly enhance their computer skills while having fun.

Child’s Best Game Is Fun

Determine your kids’ preferred game genres when you search titles on Sony PlayStation 4 or other consoles, be it Xbox One or Nintendo Switch. Preferences vary, with some desiring narrative-rich RPGs, and others opting to enjoy basketball and football sports or adventures like Sackboy: A Big Adventure are great options. Some enjoy replayable club arcades, while others lean towards creative building options like Minecraft. Others like them all. You may even want to check out our list of the best Xbox One games for girls or the best Xbox One games for teens.

Choose options based on your child’s genuine interests, avoiding choices that are merely playable, like toy cars or Lego-themed. A game becomes a child’s best companion when it aligns with their preferred genre, capturing their attention, stimulating their imagination, and providing hours of enjoyment. Super Mario exemplifies this, offering action-packed exploration, skill improvement, and the chance to earn gems and coins.

Options: PS4 Games

Rayman Legends

Rayman Legends, featuring the titular character Rayman, an action-adventure title and a familiar experience if you’ve played other Rayman entries. It offers an enjoyable platforming experience with a slight challenge and a diverse range of levels. The game includes musical levels where coordinating your jumps and movements to the music adds a unique twist, creating a delightful co-op experience that can be enjoyed by both kids and adults. If you’ve played Rayman before, Legends continues the tradition of providing a complete and excellent gaming experience.

This multiplayer type can be a fantastic child’s companion, and it’s equally enjoyable for you. Beyond Legends, explore similar Rayman titles like Rayman Origins, maintaining the same art style but predating Legends. To experience a greater challenge, consider the original Rayman, a side-scrolling adventure that dwarfs Legends in difficulty. Rayman 2 and 3 are also fantastic, although they shift to 3D platforming instead of 2D.

Crash Bandicoot N’Sane Trilogy

Crash Bandicoot, a classic PlayStation series from the original PlayStation 1 era, offers a thrilling gaming experience centered around platforming and timing. The trilogy follows the adventures of Crash, a bandicoot, in his battle against the nefarious Dr. Cortex. Remastered for the N Sane Trilogy, these feature refreshed graphics while maintaining their nostalgic charm.

The trilogy comprises challenging levels that can be your child’s companion, offering a mix of difficulty and fun across numerous stages in the base game and first game. The first installment presents a heightened challenge reminiscent of the original PS1 version, with new features like time trial modes enhancing replayability.

The second game, “Cortex Strikes Back” builds on the platforming excitement, introducing new challenges, secrets, and gimmicks. The Warp Room system allows flexibility in level progression, enabling your child to switch between levels, track, and take on bosses at their own pace.

The trilogy’s third game, “Warped” introduces novel concepts like riding on a tiger, underwater levels, and various vehicles with responsive player controls. Each defeated final boss rewards players with power-ups, enhancing the gaming experience. While including some mild violence and crude humor, the overwhelmingly positive reviews affirm that these titles stand among the best on the PS4, also available on the Nintendo Switch. The continuous release of free DLC, including the challenging Stormy Ascent level, ensures a consistently enjoyable experience.

Rocket League

Rocket League, known for its unique blend of arcade-style soccer and vehicular mayhem, is one of the most popular competitive retro choices out there, and it’s for many consoles, including the Nintendo Switch. It’s one of those sports types that has a twist, and it gives fun to the entire family. Rocket League involves rocket-powered cars and arcade-style soccer. Yes, you heard that correctly. Rocket League is a game that is so good, that even those who typically don’t compete in or enjoy sports-themed competitions can find it engaging and entertaining.

Mega Man Legacy Collection

If your child enjoys Mega Man, they’ll love the Mega Man Legacy Collection, featuring the iconic Capcom character in this exciting survival game. Tailored to kids of all ages, this collection includes the first six Mega Man. Fit parents wanting to share a piece of their childhood with their kids, the side-scrolling gameplay provides an enjoyable experience. Simple to learn, the side-scrolling is an extension of the original anniversary collection. While initially part of the anniversary collection, this one includes more games, making it a great addition to your collection.

Parents familiar with classic SNES will find the side-scrolling challenge perfect. Alternatively, the Sega Genesis Classics offer similar enjoyment, featuring popular games from the Sega Genesis era.

Any Lego Games

Legos are a childhood staple, and the Lego video game series adds a unique twist to popular franchises. Lego Marvel SuperHeroes and Lego DC Super-Villains allow your child to explore Marvel and DC universes, respectively. Lego Star Wars offers various choices, including the upcoming Skywalker Saga.

For an open-world experience akin to Minecraft, there’s Lego Worlds available on PlayStation 4. The Lego Movie game, based on the original movie, provides a fun action game with a child-friendly story mode, infused with some humor and cartoon violence.

Lego Universe offers an exciting adventure with diverse characters from different dimensions in story mode. Lego Games cater to all ages, not just kids. Give them an attempt to try!

 

 

Crash Team Racing: Nitro Fueled

Crash Bandicoot is making a comeback in the revamped Crash Team Racing, a 1999 classic complete remake. with engaging split-screen multiplayer and tight controls, is a game that can be equally enjoyable for those who prefer to play solo. Play as characters from the original trilogy and additional ones from later games, offering a challenging and unique racing experience that appeals to both parents and kids.

Similar to Mario Kart, Crash Team Racing features high speeds, power-ups, and a diverse cast of characters. However, it distinguishes itself with a single-player campaign, including challenges like time trials and races against boss characters, adding a storyline element. While the plot is simple—preventing an alien from turning the world into a concrete parking lot—it contributes to the overall appeal.

Compared to Mario Kart, Crash Team Racing demands more strategic gameplay, requiring skillful drifting and boost usage for victory. It strikes a balance between accessibility and mastery.

The game offers numerous unlockables, DLC, and other engaging elements, ensuring long-lasting enjoyment for your child in this exciting racing adventure.

Ratchet And Clank 2016

The Ratchet and Clank franchise, dating back to the PS2 era, saw a re-imagining in the 2016 PS4 game, featuring a variety of playable characters, complemented by its movie. The series revolves around traversing diverse worlds, battling enemies with a wrench, collecting bolts, and acquiring weapons for chaotic adventures. While not excessively violent, it’s geared toward slightly older kids, offering action without explicit content. Suitable for kids, it features mild violence and fantasy elements.

Little Big Planet 3

Little Big Planet 3 is a captivating Lego game series that debuted on the PS3, with the third entry for PS4, featuring a host of colorful characters. Little Big Planet 3, a beloved title for its creative gameplay, involves creation, puzzles, fun, and a little imagination all with a cute little character called Sackboy. Its creativity will have your child on it for hours, so give it a go. We can recommend this game for sure.

Spyro Reignited Trilogy

Spyro is another cherished character from the PS1 era. Perhaps you recognize him from Skylanders. Yet, the Spyro Reignited Trilogy, offering a nostalgic journey to the classics, hails from the titles that initiated it all, including the iconic PlayStation Classic.

The goal is to free all of the dragons trapped by the Gnasty Gnorc and defeat him. The series includes all three games, including Ripto’s Rage, which is the second where you have to stop the evil Ripto. The third involves an evil sorceress that Spyro has to stop.

Kingdom Hearts The Story So Far/Kingdom Hearts 3

If your child is old enough to understand the story of Kingdom Hearts, or they just love Disney Worlds, then this is a great collection. The story so far includes every game and movie related to the Kingdom Hearts lore, including those for handheld party games. They’re all fun, and quite challenging, and your child will still love it regardless. Join Sora as he fights heartless, nobodies, and other strange creatures, and every single game in the series is included in this, so there is a lot here for the child to love. Kingdom Hearts 3 marks the final chapter in the current saga, featuring Sora and the gang in their ultimate showdown against the forces of darkness. Give Kingdom Hearts a try today.

LittleBigPlanet 3

This quirky and engaging game, starring the customizable character Sackboy, offers a unique experience for your kids. Collect items to enhance individuality in a handcrafted world stitched with love. The solid environments and appealing graphics make it enjoyable for both you and your kids. With loads of adventures, it’s a fun PS4 game your child will love.

Explore creative worlds and face the nefarious Newton with new friends. The growing community allows for creative customizations, making it a dynamic and enjoyable PS4 game with endless possibilities. Despite containing mild and fantasy violence, it stands out as one of the best action options. The complex story might be a bit much for some kids, but if they enjoy the combat, it’s a great choice.

Minecraft Story Mode 

If your child enjoyed this game on the Xbox 360, Xbox One, and other systems, it’s worth considering. It’s not an action game, but it features a story mode and is often described by kids as a fun experience with a great narrative. This is also available for the Xbox 360 Xbox One and other systems, but on the PS4, it is one of the best games out there.

Tearaway Unfolded

This game is frequently characterized by kids as an action-packed adventure set in a world made out of paper. While it does contain mild violence, it stands out as a top choice among kids for a platformer. Imagine taking control of someone made of paper, and you control how they move.  It is a challenge, but it is quite a fun game if you’re looking for something different.

LittleBigPlanet 3

This quirky and enjoyable game, starring the customizable character Sackboy, offers a unique experience for your kids. Collect items to enhance individuality in a handcrafted world filled with love-stitched heroes. The solid environments and appealing graphics make it a cool adventure for both you and your kids.

Explore creative worlds, confront the nefarious Newton, and join a growing community where customization options abound. This game not only looks great but also allows endless customization for both players and the game itself. A worthwhile and fun journey for you and others to enjoy.

Dragon Ball Fighterz

Dragon Ball Xenoverse was super popular, and from this, a new fighting game came out. Dragon Ball Fighterz is the name of it, and it involves loved Dragonball characters, and famous fights from the anime itself, with some great fighters. New ones are being added, including characters from the series that you know and love, and new faces. This is a pretty easy fighting game to learn, so kids can enjoy it, but it is pretty challenging to master. If your child likes fighting games, but they don’t have a system for Smash, then this is a great one to master gameplay and fighting as well. This is an Arc System creation, indicative of their expertise in fighting, as evidenced by their development of other popular titles like BlazeBlue.

Overcooked

Overcooked, an obvious pick for fans of chaotic kitchen adventures, is a co-op cooking game that’s a little harder than you’d think. It involves up to 4 people, and essentially, you’re all a bunch of chefs who need to prepare, create, and then serve a variety of customer orders before they storm out. You have to be fast, and with this epic journey, you’re tackling challenging and bizarre actions that involve cooperation and coordination between you and the other chefs, it’s a fun game. If you want to get a fun game that involves working together, then this simple game is the way to go. It’s a lot harder than you’d think!

Hasbro Family Fun Pack

The Hasbro Family Fun Pack, a compilation of classics like Monopoly, Scrabble, and Risk, offers a variety of game modes for the smart home console. While some old-fashioned parents may prefer physical board games, these all bring a unique twist, with many modes to choose from. The Hasbro Family Fun Pack is great if you want a family game night moment as an opportunity to play some classic board games. It lets you play without the pieces and clean up when someone gets mad! It’s a great game for kids and adults alike.

1. Gang Beasts. It’s a silly party PS4 game that may be worth checking out. It’s a beat ’em up extravaganza.
2. Everybody’s Golf. As the title suggests, it’s a golfing PS4 game. It may be worth playing.
3. Jurassic World Evolution. Many Jurassic Park games involve the player fighting dinosaurs. But in this game, you build the park and manage it, kind of like Roller Coaster Tycoon. It’s rated T.

Famous PS4 Games 

Here are some notable mentions—Fall Guys, a whimsical battle royale, among other games—that, while not universally age-appropriate or critically acclaimed, might still be worth exploring:

• Star Wars Battlefront 2: A multiplayer shooting PS4 game with a T-rating, so caution is advised.
• Sonic Forces: One of the latest 3D Sonic the Hedgehog games with mixed reviews, particularly when compared to its 2D counterpart Sonic Mania. Sonic Colors is also praised as one of the best entries in the Sonic series.
• Dragon Quest 11: A classic JRPG series worth trying, but its complexity and T rating may be a deterrent for some parents. There’s also Dragon Quest Builders, available in a more recent enhanced version for Nintendo Switch.
• Street Fighter V: A classic fighting PS4 game franchise with a complex fighting system and a T rating, which might not be suitable for all parents. Despite its intensity, it’s not a bloody PS4 game.

Here are some of the top-notch kids’ games, with some also available on other consoles like Xbox or Switch. The PS4 offers a robust gaming experience for both kids and adults, providing a wide range of options. These games are user-friendly and tell captivating life adventures. While a few are tailored for older kids, the majority are suitable for kids of all ages. What’s even better is that many of them support one or two players to multiple players, making them perfect for family enjoyment. Consider these options for a delightful gaming experience that the whole family can share.

PS4 Games FAQs

Is PS4 Child-Friendly?

Play Station 4’s continuous success since its launch in 2013 proves how kids, teens, and adults are loving this gaming device. It’s definitely child and family-friendly and allows you to choose from almost anything and a variety of games that you can play with other kids and family members.

What PS4 Games Are Good For A 4-Year-Old?

Letting a child play video games is now a common way to keep him or her busy so a parent can work on the house errands. Your child would even like it better if you give him or her some of the top PlayStation 4 games for kids. So here are the recommended games for 4-year-olds: Just Dance Games for those who love the dance floor, Paw Patrol, Nickelodeon Kart Racers, New Super Lucky’s Tale, Spongebob Squarepants, Lego Games, and Disney Infinity.

What Is A Good PS4 Game For A 5-Year-Old?

If your child is turning 5, there are a few top-notch PlayStation4 games for kids that you can consider giving him. Check out Little Big Planet 3, Plants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare 2, Hot Wheels Unleashed, Lego Worlds, and Lego Marvel Super Heroes. All these are recommended for kids under 10 years.

What Are The Suggested Age For PS4 Games?

There is no recommended age for the PS4. It is a single console accessible to everyone. However, age matters when selecting games for your child. It is the parent’s responsibility to choose games suitable for their child’s age.

What Is The Ultimate PS4 Game Of All Time?

There are so many PS4 games to mention for both adults and kids. Let us summarize some of the top-rated and PlayStation4 games for kids aside from the ones mentioned above.

• A Boy and His Blob
• FIFA 18
• Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions
• Mega Man Legacy Collection
• Unravel One & Two
• The Lego Movie 2 Videogame
• Pix the Cat
• Harry Potter

Suggestions For Top Kids Games On PlayStation4?

Whether you love to play Play Station 4 or not, you may have known some of these top games. These include Battlefield, Bloodborne, Call of Duty, Fortnite Battle Royale, and Grand Theft Auto. Here are a few games suitable for most adults. Now, let’s explore the top 10 children’s games:

• Just Dance
• Rocket League
• Sonic Mania
• Rayman Legends
• Little Big Planet 3
• Lego Marvel Heroes
• Minecraft
• Lego Worlds
• Ratchet & Clank
• Crash Bandicoot N’Sane Trilogy

Last Updated on May 13, 2023 by Rejie Salazar

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