How do I know if a game fits my child's skill level?
We encourage you to play video games with your children. Watch which games your children are playing and talk about games with them and others as often as possible. You can never have too much knowledge about the games your children are playing and the games they like to play.
Please note that age ratings assigned to games don't take skill level into account; they solely judge the content of games and whether it is appropriate for certain age groups.
It is important to note that by ages seven or eight, most children have the necessary reading level, problem-solving skills and hand-eye co-ordination (or skill level) to play just about any game. After this age, all you need to determine is what kind of game your child likes to play, and what kind of game content is appropriate.
For children under the ages of seven or eight, take a close look at their reading level, their problem-solving skills and their hand-eye co-ordination. This should help you determine the best kind of game to purchase.
What is the child's reading level?
If your child is not able to read more complicated sentences and vocabulary, you may want to avoid role-playing games (RPGs), strategy games and adventure titles. These games typically feature a large amount of written text, and because such text usually tells the player how to go about completing game challenges, many children who cannot read will struggle. Action and sports games are the best types of games for those still early in their reading career.
What is the child's problem-solving skill level?
When your child is given a puzzle to solve, do they tend to give up quickly or do they stick with it? Players who enjoy mind challenges tend to favour games like puzzle, adventure, RPGs and certain action titles. Stronger reading skills may be required for some of these games, however – especially text-heavy adventure games. Research the game on our website for a better overview, or rent it first to see if the child understands and enjoys the title. Some games may feature English screen text only – please refer to our site's main Games section for details about each game.
How is the player's hand-eye co-ordination?
Does your child enjoy working with their hands? Do they tend to do well in activities that require fine motor skills, such as colouring between the lines and writing practice? The better a child's hand-eye co-ordination, the better they will enjoy action, sports, and racing games. These games can actually help develop such skills, and usually offer different difficulty settings to suit a player's level of skill. If a child is still developing these skills, some edutainment titles oriented towards young children are a good place to begin.