Over the years, numerous players have perceived children’s video games as nothing more than mindless fun. Some even think that most of these titles have simple stories unmatched by the games made for adults. People also believe kids' games do not have good lore compared to titles such asElden RingorMass Effect.
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However, most of those beliefs are farther from the truth as many children’s games are well thought out and full of lore. Let’s look at a few titles that showcase that kids' games are just as deep as some of the best titles made for adults. To make things simpler, all the games on the list would have an ESRB or PEGI rating of 12 years or below.
9Portal 2
IncludingPortal 2on this list will shock many players who felt it was an adult game. However, Valve’s classic puzzle-platformer video game from 2011 is a children’s game, which is why it’s mentioned onlearningworksforkids.comas a must-play for child development.
Portal 2came out in 2011 on multiple platforms, including Windows, Mac OSX, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and more. It features a story of a character named Chell, who’s escaping the Aperture Science Enrichment Center with the help of a portal gun. The entire reason for the center,Chell’s backstory, and the inception of the portal gunare kept hidden from the players in the main story. However, the people who pay good attention to the environment can find the answers to many questions due to the game’s rich lore.
8Cuphead
Cupheadis a 2017 run-and-gun platformer that originally came out on Windows and Xbox One. However, the game’s popularity brought it to various other platforms, including macOS,Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and more. Even today, the game is one of the highest-rated 2D games with a PEGI 7 rating.
Cupheadis a colorful gameinspired by good-old kids’ cartoons from the 1950s. It’s a simple game that showcases the story of two characters, Cuphead and Mugman, as they embark on an adventure to explore beautiful worlds full of lore. Interested plays can learn more about the game’s lore through the ongoing Netflix kids' cartoon series,The Cuphead Show!
7Disney Dreamlight Valley
Disney Dreamlight Valleyis one of the latest children’s video games on the list. It recently came out in Q3 2022 on all platforms, including macOS, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and S. The game features nonlinear gameplay, as players are free to live among iconic Disney characters.
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Disney Dreamlight Valleyallows players to explore a huge worldfull of iconic cartoons, all with their backstories. Hence, the game is full of lore Disney has built through different movies and shows since the 1950s.
6Fortnite
Fortniteis one of the most popular children’s games for various reasons. The online-only title is modern, colorful, and cartoony in visuals. At the same time, it offers an addictive battle royale mode and sandbox-style building gameplay that most kids love to play.
From the outside,Fortniteseems like a straightforward gamewhere many players jump into a map, and the last team remaining wins. However, there’s a big reason behind the game’s concept and a massive lore reason for everything happening in the matches. Interested players can learn more about it by analyzing the game’s environment or reading official content such as Batman/Fortnite: Zero Point book.
5Kingdom Hearts 3
Kingdom Hearts 3is an action role-playing game and the 3rd main installment in the iconic series of the same name. It’s a 2019 title that came out on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, and more. While the Disney game may not be the highest-rated one in the series, it still expanded the in-game universe with outstanding storytelling.
SinceKingdom Hearts 3is an RPG that follows the stories of the past two games, it is full of deep lore. The game is rated E for Everyone, and the Disney cartoon characters and theover-the-top fantastical storylineare brilliant to keep kids engaged for hours.
4The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wildis the latest entry in the long-running Zelda series, which featuresa boy named Link and his magical adventuresthrough the kingdom of Hyrule. The action-adventure game came out in 2017 and is only available on Nintendo Switch and Wii U.
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Like all major Nintendo games,The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wildserves all kinds of players and has an E for Everyone rating. The game’s setting, colorful environments, and fairytale plot are full of deep lore and mind-blowing details.
3Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Sagais the latest title in the Lego video game series and one of the best-rated games of 2022. The Warner Bros Interactive Entertainment title is an action-adventure game that combines the nine films of Skywalker Saga into one, making it worth every penny.
Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Sagafeatures 384 unique charactersand costumes and is filled with extensive details from the movies. Moreover, the game is a love letter to the best Star Wars saga filled to the brim with lore.
2Minecraft
The history ofMinecraftis just as deep as the lore it carries within. The iconic sandbox survival game originally came out in 2011 but is still one of the most endorsed games on kids' YouTube channels. The Mojang Studious title is also among the highest-rated children’s games ever.
Minecraftis one of those games that has twice the lore within it. First is the one that thedevelopers have crafted within the game for playersto immerse themselves in. At the same time, the other is the one the community has created over the years around characters, objects, and items.
1Pokemon Sword and Shield
Pokemon SwordandPokemon Shieldare two of the best children’s games out there based on the eighth generation ofPokemontitles. The Nintendo exclusive titles came out in late 2019 and quickly became one of the highest-selling Role-playing games on Switch that expand on the long-running series.
Pokemon SwordandPokemon Shieldexpand on thePokemonlore players have known through anime and manga. The Nintendo titles are full of mini-quests, environmental storytelling, and some of the best adventures players can have in games.
