Since this is coming out on Black Friday, I thought it would be appropriate to talk about one of my passions.
Video Games.
I’ve been playing since I was a little kid and still play regularly. Also working in NextGen, I’ve seen a lot of kids exposed to games and media way before they’re ready because of their parents' ignorance.
It doesn’t have to be this way though. Every game has a rating ranging from E for Everyone to M to Mature. (There is a higher Adult Only rating, but those games are few and far between.) As a parent or pastor knowing what games are going to be fun and appropriate for your kids is important.
For this post, I’ll pick three games from each system that are family-friendly and can be played easily with multiple people. I won't make recommendations on consoles, but you can see
my buying guide here.
In addition, many of these games are on sale for Black Friday. If you’re looking for Christmas or update the games in your kidmin or student ministry this is a great time to buy.
Here are my top family friendly picks for each major system.
Nintendo Switch, Switch Lite, Switch OLED
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury
This is technically a rerelease from the Wii U but has Bowser’s Fury added on. Both games are fabulous and 3D World can be played with up to 4 players. With collectibles galore, challenging platforms, and an engrossing story, your kids will love coming back to it over and over.
Lego Star Wars The Skywalker Saga Deluxe Edition
If you’ve never played a Lego Video Game, you’re missing out. They’re funny, adventurous, and have a ton to do. This is the culmination of the developer’s efforts over years of experimentation. Your kids will love playing through all the stories of the main Star Wars stories with over 300 characters plus vehicles and exotic locales. Even though it’s rated E10, for cartoon violence many younger kids can play. In my experience, they usually need an older player to figure out the puzzles.
Mario Party Superstars
This is the classic party game full of nostalgia. It has 5 game boards from the N64 and 100 minigames from the history of Mario Party. Your whole family will love playing together or create your own playlist at Mt. Minigames. It features 8 playable characters and hours of fun.
PlayStation 4 or 5
PlayStation is not good at kids’ games. I had a hard time finding games that fit our criteria.
Rocket League
- Rating: E for Everyone
- Cost: Free
- Online Features: Yes (optional)
- Kid Friendly: 5/5
- Multiplayer: 1-4 players local up to 8 online
Think soccer, but with monster cars. This game is crazy, fast-paced, and fun. Kids will love designing their cars with perks they unlock from playing the game, and then playing against each other in frenetic soccer action. To get the best looks for the cars, there are in-app purchases. However, you don’t have to have online access to play.
Hot Wheels Unleashed
Kids love to collect and build, and this game lets you do both. You can make awesome courses and then race your favorite hot wheel cars through it. Players unlock more cars from playing the game or through in-app purchases. If you have creative kids that love cars, they’ll keep coming back again and again.
Madden NFL 23
I’m not really into sports games, but a lot of kids are. Madden is the gold standard for football games where kids can play as their favorite teams and players. They can build their own teams and players and try to win the Super Bowl or just have head-to-head action with this year’s teams and rosters. This is available on Xbox systems as well.
Xbox One, Series S, Series X
Rabbids Party of Legends
This game is available on all three systems, but I thought I’d feature it here. This is a party game where like Mario Party players play multiple mini games to see who is the best. They’re ridiculously fun and easy to play. It also includes a story mode where players will be challenged to play and win all 50 mini-games.
Minecraft
I know this is an old game, but it’s evergreen. My son is playing it now on his Switch after hours and hours of building sometimes both of us together. It’s endless random world building challenges players to explore and create. Your kids will keep coming back to this game over and over again. In addition, the game has cross-platform play so kids can play on any system and pick up where they left off or play with others even if they don’t have the same system.
Nickelodeon Kart Racers 2: Grand Prix
If you’ve ever played Mario Kart, then you’ve played this game, but this time with your favorite Nickelodeon characters. Kids will love unlocking over 100 characters as they race through slime filled courses to see who will be the best.
No matter what game you choose for your family or ministry, make sure you check the ratings and reviews. You don’t want to buy something for your church and get backlash from parents because their kids played something they don’t approve of. Been there, done that.
Also, if you're looking for something that really resonates with your kids, ask them. They're probably talking about it already and will go a long way to being relevant and meeting them on their level.
Happy shopping and Merry Christmas!
Do you have video games in your ministry? What do you play?
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