Selecting appropriate games

Video games are diverse

If you’ve ever played computer games before, you probably know what action adventures and jump ’n’ runs are. But are you familiar with the terms brawler, battle royale shooter, game creator platform or Steam? If not, don’t be concerned for now. What’s important to know is: There are many types of games and platforms offering a variety of gaming environments. To help your child select appropriate games, it is advisable to learn more about games, platforms, and relevant age ratings, because not every game or platform is suitable for every age or child.

Parental duty: The care and upbringing of children

Based on Article 6 of Germany’s Basic Law, parents have the right to decide which media content they want their child to have access to. But this right applies only to their own child, not to visiting children. To fulfill your responsibility to care for and raise your child, you need to carefully consider what content is suitable. The USK age ratings give you a point of reference. They indicate which content is safe for a given age and help you select the right games for your child.

These questions can help you select suitable content:

• What is the game’s age rating? Is it appropriate for my child’s age group?
• What information do I have on this game?
• Does my child have the skills needed to use the game?
• Are there any alternatives that are better suited to my child’s age and stage of development?

USK age ratings and rating information

When selecting a game for your child, the USK age rating is a good place to start. It indicates the minimum age at which a game is considered safe based on youth protection requirements. In other words, the game content is not harmful or detrimental to the well-being of children of this age or older.

Important to know: The USK age rating provides no information about how difficult a game is or whether it is beneficial to your child’s development. The rating indicates whether a game is suitable for your child’s age based on youth protection requirements, contains no content capable of impairing child development, and has no online functions that could expose your child to uncontrolled risks.

In addition to the USK age rating, additional information is provided:

• Why was this game approved for this age group? The age rating is accompanied by descriptors, such as “violence,” a “dark atmosphere,” or “increased incentives to buy,” to indicate if content could be problematic for children. Features like online chats or in-game purchases are also critical depending on how they work and whether the game has parental controls.
• What functions does the game have that you should be aware of? Games often have added functions,, such as chatting, purchasing, and location sharing, that require a connection to the Internet. These functions can be associated with certain risks, especially when used without supervision.

Detailed explanations of the USK age ratings and the added rating information can be found on the USK website. Families can find USK age ratings and added rating information on the back of the game packaging and in the USK’s classification database at usk.de, or on many common online gaming platforms like Nintendo eShop, Google Playstore, Xbox Store, or Sony PlayStation Store.

Important to know: Only if you see the USK age rating can you be sure that a game has been evaluated by the USK. Caution is advised if you do not find a USK rating. In this case, be sure to thoroughly test the game yourself.

Educational video games

If you are wondering whether a game is of educational value to your child or if you want general information on gaming, it is worth taking a look at some of the relevant specialist websites. They provide educational assessments, age recommendations, independent reviews, and awards for the most outstanding and recommended games.
The various rating categories and symbols will help you to quickly find the most important facts.

A list of sites that provide educational assessments of video games can be found here.

Learning with video games

Video gaming is fun – and you can learn a lot too. Games enhance many skills such as logical reasoning, problem-solving and eye-hand coordination—often with minimal to no involvement of teachers or parents—but they can teach children and adolescents so much more. Exciting stories help kids to view things from other perspectives, virtual excursions into the past bring history to life, and interactive systems can break down complex subject matter for them to better understand. For example, the purpose of supply chains can be explained more easily using a building and simulation game than a poster. Video games can offer a range of learning opportunities if parents or teachers know which games are suitable for which purposes and get creative about using them.