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Amanda Farough

Definition of the week: Cozy/Wholesome Games

by Amanda Farough January 24, 2023

Every week the EFG staff will be defining a gaming term that is either confusing or ill-defined. Please leave a comment with any terms you find confusing and we will try to include them in future editions!‘

The gaming definition this week is a series of terms that is applicable to video games:

What are Cozy/Wholesome Games?

A wholesome game is a little difficult to pin down because there are so many different kinds of wholesome games. The one underpinning piece of what makes up a wholesome (or cozy) game is that it is non-violent. Some wholesome games are bright and vibrant. Others are a bit more muted. Some cozy games are social simulation games like Animal Crossing or Cozy Grove or chill, low-key match-three games like Spirit Swap or even spatial awareness games like Unpacking.

A picture of a player standing in front of their house in Animal Crossing New Horizons.

Wholesome games are more about how they feel rather than what genre they are. If a game allows for a player to comfortably exist in that digital world without violence or high-stakes competition, it’s wholesome (in some way). The biggest strength of what defines wholesome/cozy games is in how subjective it is. Its breadth and depth allows for developers and players alike to define what wholesome means to them.

Cozy (wholesome) games are considered a trend, but an entire digital conference presentation has popped up around these games called Wholesome Games’ Wholesome Direct. The Wholesome Direct is a presentation that usually happens during June (around E3, whatever form that happens to be) and features a wide array of games that are considered “wholesome” in their “vibe”. The Wholesome Direct was also shrunk down to a “snack-sized” presentation in the lead-up to the Game Awards in 2022.

What do you think? Sound off in the comments and let us know your thoughts!

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January 24, 2023 0 comment

Video Games

Minecraft Eaglercraft: What It Is and Why Kids are Using It

by Amanda Farough January 15, 2023

written by Amanda Farough

Minecraft is primarily either available via Bedrock (a safer, more secure version of the game available on all major gaming platforms) or Java (more customizable with more mods and modes available). There is a new (old, really) version of Minecraft that kids are starting to use more and more: Eaglercraft.

What is Eaglecraft?

Eaglercraft is an instance of Minecraft 1.5.2 that players can access on any modern web browser. It supports both single-player and multiplayer gameplay. By putting Minecraft in a web browser, as opposed to a standalone application like with Java or Bedrock, effectively changes how the game will be moderated in work or school settings.

We’ve all experienced some kind of content blocking as we’ve worked and studied in different environments. Chromebooks and computer labs are locked down to within an inch of their digital existences so that students focus on the tasks in front of them. Schools have instituted these rules partly to protect themselves from liability (in case someone accesses something deeply inappropriate) and partly to ensure data protection and privacy.

Why Kids Use Eaglecraft and Issues Which May Arise

Kids are using Eaglercraft to get around the content blocking. On the one hand: good for the kids. We love the ingenuity to find ways to always be playing Minecraft. On the other hand: playing Minecraft, even in a browser, on one’s Chromebook or school computer is almost always going to be a direct violation of the Code of Conduct that gets signed at the beginning of a student’s time at a given school.

It’s important to keep the school’s IT Code of Conduct in mind when talking to your kid about some of the ethical challenges around using Eaglercraft on a school-assigned system. If a school finds out that a system has been used for non-school purposes in an egregious manner, much as playing a version of Minecraft to subvert content moderation, they will likely remove the system and potentially seek suspension (or expulsion) depending on the severity of the infraction.

Eaglercraft is ingenuitive, but maybe not the right choice for a school PC.

What do you think? Sound off in the comments and let us know your thoughts!

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January 15, 2023 1 comment

Video Games

Everything You Need to Know About VR, AR, and MR

by Amanda Farough January 15, 2023

written by Amanda Farough

With the new PSVR (PlayStation VR) headset on the way to players all over the world, virtual reality is on the forefront of parents’ minds. The world of virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR) is fascinating and, in all fairness, kind of confusing. Some of these experiences aren’t just relegated to video games, either. Let’s dive into some definitions and recommendations.

Definitions

Virtual reality (VR) is an immersive experience that is accessed through a headset that covers a player’s eyes and controllers that act as haptic (to simulate the sense of touch) feedback and interactivity in the experience itself. Headsets provide a field of view (FOV), on average, between 96 and 108 degrees so it doesn’t quite mirror a human’s full FOV, but it gets close. As a result of modern VR hardware, VR allows a player to fully immerse themselves in anything from a video game to chat to movies.

Augmented reality (AR) superimposes a digital world onto the physical world, which allows players to see virtual objects in their physical environment. AR is typically accessed through a smartphone or tablet, which uses a camera to display the real world and overlay virtual objects on top of it. The best example of AR in video games would be Pokemon Go, the world’s most successful AR video game.

Mixed reality (MR) is a combination of VR and AR technology, which allows players to interact with virtual objects in a way that is tethered to the physical world. MR requires special headsets (HoloLens, Magic Leap, and nReal are best known) and many of these headsets have not been updated in at least four years. It’s supposed to create experiences that feel seamless between virtual objects and the real world in a way that AR or VR couldn’t manage alone.

Safety

One of the most important things to remember about virtual reality headsets is that they are not recommended for children under 13, namely due to their growing eyes and the eye strain that VR requires for everyone that uses the headsets. Though there isn’t peer-reviewed research to explore the sensory effect on children in VR, everything in virtual reality is much more vivid than they are on a flat screen. Violence in VR is particularly jarring, as are startling changes in environment or proximity.

For children over 13, it’s important to enforce rigid time limits to minimize long-term eye strain. We recommend three hours maximum time in VR with breaks every thirty minutes to give eyes a break.

Additionally, all VR requires enough room (8×10 rectangle of space is recommended) to move safely. The Meta Quest & Quest II require a “guardian” space to alert players when they are about to move into space that is no longer defined as “safe” within the operating system. Controllers should always be strapped and tethered to one’s wrists (like the Nintendo WiiMotes) and hands to make sure that controllers don’t get tossed across the room by accident.
Check out EFG Essentials list for the Meta Quest. We also recommend the very adorable What the Bat?, a VR spiritual successor to What the Golf? from Triband.

What do you think? Sound off in the comments and let us know your thoughts!

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January 15, 2023 0 comment

Parent Resources

A Parent’s Guide to the Metaverse

by Amanda Farough January 15, 2023

written by Amanda Farough

Ah yes, the Metaverse: everyone’s favorite love-to-hate buzzword that doesn’t really mean anything. Well, that’s only partly true. The Metaverse does have a definition but it’s not what smarmy marketing suits have been selling you and your kids for the past couple of years.

There are larger social implications at work that spread beyond “hey, this might be cool.” Remember that technology is often asking itself the wrong question. It often asks itself, “Can we do it?” The more important question is, “Should we do it?” While the Metaverse sits firmly in a realm of answering neither of these questions, it’s important to keep them in mind as we continue on our journey into what the Metaverse is and what it means for our kids.

Defining the Metaverse

The idea of the Metaverse has been around since Neal Stephenson coined the term in his book “Snow Crash” in 1992. His version of the Metaverse was as a speculative virtual reality successor to the internet that he envisioned would take over as the primary modality of communication between people.

How the Metaverse Works

The Metaverse is a true “virtual universe”. It’s a single, shared, immersive, persistent, virtual space where people experience life in ways they could not in the physical world. It’s worth noting that the Metaverse is still only an idea, not something that has been fully developed or executed on by any of the games/experiences/platforms that claim to be working towards that vision (no matter how diligently).

In modern gaming terms, the Metaverse also heavily involves User Generated Content (UGC), where players take time to create in-game content in the form of mini-games, structures, and/or objects. This UGC can either be directly monetized (Roblox’s Robux) or available for free (Fortnite, Dreams). It’s worth noting that Dreams isn’t considered a true Metaverse, but rather a “game universe” in which players create.

The Risks of the Metaverse

As with any experience that’s tied to being online, there is inherent risk to allowing your children to interact with strangers online.

Chat moderation isn’t perfect: Inappropriate content can get flagged automatically in some instances in chat, but the rest of it requires human moderators that are inherently imperfect.
Perfect content moderation is impossible: Protecting our children from everything inappropriate online isn’t reasonable, but content moderation usually helps to curb the worst of it. Unfortunately, there are still too many instances of inappropriate content being generated (and propagated) in places that children can and will access, whether that’s in VR Chat or Roblox.
Children sharing Third Places with adults: The Third Place — a place outside of work/school and home — for children is often a playground, community house (like the YMCA), or a friend’s home. In the case of the Metaverse, this is a digital playground that is meant to be safe and secure for play and joy. Children sharing their Third Place with adults in an uncritical, ungoverned capacity is inherently dangerous.
Grooming: This is a big issue that many online spaces are going to contend with where predators can (and will) use these Metaverse platforms to create content (and elicit interactions) that will lure children into inappropriate contact with an adult.

Notable Examples of “Metaverse” Games

Second Life: A virtual world created by Linden Lab in which users can create and customize their own avatars, explore virtual environments, and interact with each other.

VR Chat: A virtual reality social platform that allows users to meet and interact with each other in a variety of virtual environments.

Fortnite: A popular online multiplayer game that includes a virtual world called the “Island,” in which players can explore, build, and battle with each other.

Roblox: A game that allows players to play a wide variety of games, create games, and chat with others online. It combines gaming, social media, and social commerce.

Projects in Development

Project Sansar: A virtual reality platform created by Linden Lab (Second Life) that aims to provide a more realistic and immersive metaverse experience.

Horizon: A virtual reality metaverse created by Epic Games, the developers of Fortnite, which aims to provide a more realistic and interactive virtual reality experience.

Is the Metaverse Safe for Kids?

The short answer is no.

Regardless of the breadth of parental supervision, the current expression of the Metaverse is not a well-moderated or well-curated experience for children. Fortnite remains the only exception to that rule, as Fortnite is more of a digital playground that you can build fun things in. Epic has done exceptionally well in content moderation on their platform, so Fortnite is the safest of the options.

We cannot stress this enough to parents: do not under any circumstances let your children play Roblox. Ever. There are countless stories as to why Roblox is not safe for children. We acknowledge that the Trust & Safety division at Roblox is doing its best in changing things for the better, but the grim reality is that it’s too little and far too late. For all of the reasons (and many more) listed in the stories linked, including grooming and simulated sexual violence, Roblox is considered an absolute no-go in any of the EFG households (including mine).

Can the Metaverse be Safe for Kids?

More work needs to be done between developers and trust and safety agencies around the world. The World Economic Forum has an excellent primer on what they feel needs to happen in order for the Metaverse to be safe for everyone, including children.

What do you think? Sound off in the comments and let us know your thoughts!

Make sure to keep your eyes on Engaged Family Gaming for all of the latest news and reviews you need to Get Your Family Game On!

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January 15, 2023 0 comment

Gaming Glossary

Gaming Definition of the Week: Parasocial Relationships

by Amanda Farough October 28, 2021

written by Amanda Farough

Every other week the EFG staff will be defining a gaming term that is either confusing or ill-defined. Please leave a comment with any terms you are confused by and we will try to include them in future editions!

The gaming definition this week is a term that is actually relevant in both the gaming space and elsewhere: Parasocial Relationships.

In the age of the influencer, the line between the audience and the personality on the other end of the camera has become rather blurry. We’re made to feel like the person we’re watching on Twitch, YouTube, TikTok, or Instagram is our friend, someone that surely must care about us as much as we care about them. In actuality, this one-way parasocial relationship was defined back in the 1950s by psychologists Donald Horton and R. Richard Wohl as the result of television hosts establishing “the illusion of intimacy” and making their fans feel like the broadcast is just for them.

Parasocial relationships rarely apply to one-off viewers, since they can sometimes treat the person on the other side of the camera with much more detachment.

Now that we’re interacting with both social media stars and actual celebrities in more ways than not, parasocial relationships have wormed their way into our lives in relatively normal, but sometimes insidious, ways. Streamers and influencers create interactions that feel deeply personal to those that they’re interacting. Parasocial relationships are entirely one-sided, which means that even if you feel particularly attached to a streamer or influencer, they aren’t your friend. It’s not that parasocial relationships are bad. In fact, quite the opposite! There are a number of studies out there that have explored parasocial relationships and their benefits, including for young people finding their own identities and for those with lower self-esteem.

Dr. Rachel Kowert published a great video on this subject. I’ve embedded it below so you can take a look!

What do you think? Sound off in the comments and let us know your thoughts!

Make sure to keep your eyes on Engaged Family Gaming for all of the latest news and reviews you need to Get Your Family Game On!

The EFG Essentials

Video Games for kids on Xbox One
Video Games for kids on PS4
Video Games for kids on Nintendo Switch
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October 28, 2021 0 comment

Parent Resources Video Games

Video Game Definition of the Week: Compulsion Loop

by Amanda Farough October 28, 2021

written by Amanda Farough

The gaming definition this week is a term that is applicable to video games: Compulsion Loop

Compulsion Loop describes a series of gameplay actions designed to be repeated multiple times. offering feedback in such a way as to encourage constant, continued play and discouraging or penalizing shorter play sessions.

The compulsion loop was first defined in game design by John Hopson, then a researcher at Bungie (now a business intelligence analyst at NCSoft), in a Gamasutra article about Behavioural Game Design. Compulsion loops are often confused with core loops, which is the loop that defines the gameplay experience. However, Adam Crowe defines a compulsion loop as “a habitual, designed chain of activities that will be repeated to gain neurochemical reward: a feeling of pleasure and/or a relief from pain.”

Compulsion loops are composed of three stages: take an action, gain a reward to trigger a biological response with either dopamine or serotonin, and build anticipation.

The key in compulsion loops is the biological response, which is how the game establishes the compulsion. Many mobile and free-to-play (F2P) games have compulsion loops built-in to ensure that players come back over and over again, otherwise known as user retention. It’s important to note that everyone is susceptible to this because of the biological response that the compulsion loops elicit.

For children and vulnerable players, compulsion loops can be particularly challenging to break out of, especially if the rewards might be locked behind paywalls or hefty in-game currency.

What do you think? Sound off in the comments and let us know your thoughts!

You can also look at our other video game definitions from previous weeks here!

What do you think? Sound off in the comments and let us know your thoughts!

Make sure to keep your eyes on Engaged Family Gaming for all of the latest news and reviews you need to Get

Your Family Game On!

The EFG Essentials

Video Games for kids on Xbox One
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Video Games for kids on Nintendo Switch
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October 28, 2021 0 comment

Console / PC Gaming

Best Family-Friendly Indie Games of 2021

by Amanda Farough August 24, 2021

written by Amanda Farough

Disclaimer: These are the indie games that have come out already and we’ve had the opportunity to play. It’s an evolving list!

Alekon: In some alternate universe that we didn’t get New Pokemon Snap in 2021, Alekon would’ve been the most sought-after Snap-alike on the market. That doesn’t mean that Alekon isn’t worth paying attention to. As you move your way through Alekon’s lush landscapes, taking inspired photos of beautiful, unique creatures, you can unlock mini-games to playback at the game’s hub. Each creature has a fun personality to uncover, much like in New Pokemon Snap. And at $19.99, it’s a joyful (and affordable) alternative to Nintendo’s New Pokemon Snap.

An Airport For Aliens Currently Run by Dogs: If you’ve ever thought to yourself, “Self, I wish I were playing one of the weirdest and most delightful indie games out there, but also please make sure there are dogs,” then you’re in luck. An Airport for Aliens Currently Run by Dogs is a witty, strange, and hilarious indie game that has you flying all around the (un)known universe as the last human. Well, and your wife. This game is beyond categorization and classification, but if you loved the quirky beauty of Hypnospace Outlaw, you’ll love this.

Beasts of Maravilla Island: Two Snap-alikes in one year? Clearly, we’ve all been thinking about how much we wanted a new Pokemon Snap game and between Alekon and Beasts of Maravilla, we’re all set! You follow a young wildlife photographer as she traverses Maravilla Island, taking photos of the magical wildlife and learn all about their personalities. In this year of 2021, with everything being what it is, the pursuit of restoring magic to the world is an incredibly tantalizing prospect, which is exactly what you’re set to do on Maravilla. It’s a delight.

Chicory: A Colorful Tale: The world has lost all of its colour and Chicory, the master of a magical paintbrush, has gone missing. It’s up to you, an anthropomorphic dog, to pick up your employer’s (no, really) mantle and try to fight back the darkness. You’ll meet friends to help, puzzles to solve with your colourful skills, and enemies to defeat along the way. Can you save the world from the darkness? Can you make cool clothes? You’ll figure it out and have a blast doing so.

Cozy Grove: Animal Crossing: New Horizons kind of fell apart with content updates during the pandemic, which means that those of us who love those kinds of farming and social simulation games have been kind of left in a lurch. Cozy Grove is all about that slow, slow burn. Also, it’s a little spooky. You play a Spirit Scout, stranded on a haunted island that can’t seem to make up its mind about what it is. As a Spirit Scout, you help the resident spooks and find hidden secrets along the way. Best part of Cozy Grove? It’s designed to be played in 30-60 minute chunks. Bliss.

Embr: Saving people and putting out fires – that’s what we’re doing at Embr Corp! You can dial up Embr and, much like how Door Dash sends out delivery folks to pick up your food, a team of (un)qualified firefighters will come and save the day. They definitely won’t screw up, let the house burn down, neglect to save everyone, or steal a bunch of cash. That would never happen. But if it did happen, it wouldn’t be Embr’s fault. Embr did its due diligence and you’re on your own, bud. Good luck.

Knockout City: Don’t let the game’s title fool you – Knockout City is a dodgeball game. No, it’s a three-versus-three dodgeBRAWL game. There are special dodgeballs, fun cosmetics (yes, there are microtransactions), and whole teams of people for you and your family to knock into a whole other dimension. You can throw dodgeballs, become a dodgeball and be thrown by your team (or your opponents, so be careful there), and hang-glide from spot to spot, dodging and catching and bopping along the way. Knockout City is surefire way to get your family to bond over smacking down the competition, but make it cute and wholesome.

Lost Words: When we’re young, the whole world is magic. The possibilities are endless. It’s doubly so when you’re a burgeoning writer, diving into your talents and discovering your voice. Lost Words is an exploration of youthful creativity and coming to terms with immense loss. It’s a gorgeous side-scrolling platformer that relies on using words to help propel your intrepid heroine towards her goal. We get to help Izzy, the game’s protagonist, as she moves through her grief using her creativity to process how she feels. It’s a beautiful, heart-wrenching experience.

Overcooked: All You Can Eat: Overcooked is an absolutely frenetic, bonkers-town multiplayer game that puts you and your family (and friends) in a kitchen to serve hungry, sometimes impatient customers, on your way to save the world. Learn how to cook dishes, move as a single unit (or not), clean dishes, and traverse bizarre kitchen layouts in this grand collection of every Overcooked game and its DLC. (No yolk! It’s real!) Be ready for shouts, jabs, and laughter as you win (and fail) together.

Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion: I’m a blueberry!

What do you think? Sound off in the comments and let us know your thoughts!

Make sure to keep your eyes on Engaged Family Gaming for all of the latest news and reviews you need to Get Your Family Game On!

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August 24, 2021 0 comment

Video Games

Turnips and Playing the Stalk Market in Animal Crossing: New Horizons

by Amanda Farough July 22, 2020

written by Amanda Farough

STONKS AND TORNPS

Playing the actual stock market is a magnanimous task and, quite frankly, isn’t really for kids. But hey, since the Fire Nation is currently attacking the world at large, it’s a great time to understand microeconomics and how investing works… but on a much, much smaller scale. After all, how else are you going to pay off Tom Nook’s multiple home loans in Animal Crossing if not by gaming the system?

Let’s begin!

What is the Stalk Market in Animal Crossing: New Horizons?

Once your island reaches a place where your Resident Services is no longer operating out of a tent and is, in fact, in a proper building, in addition to Nook’s Cranny moving into a building of its own, the stalk market will open up. Every Sunday morning, from 5am and 12pm, Daisy Mae (sounds like Fanny Mae, for those of us who remember that nonsense) will visit your island and sell turnips for anywhere between 90 and 110 bells.

You’ll be able to spot Daisy Mae by the turnips on her head. She’ll wander your island from early morning until noon.

After you’ve purchased your turnips for the week, the Nook boys, Timmy and Tommy, will buy them for you for a wide range of bells (I once sold my turnips for 560 bells per stack of 10). If you’re looking to store your turnips, you can put them in your house (in stacks of 10) or somewhere on your island, but it will affect your island rating as turnips count as “random” items.

They will rot on Sunday morning, if you don’t manage to sell them by then. Or, if you decide to “time travel” and artificially move time forward to a week (or more) in the future.

What’s the purpose of the Stalk Market?

Put simply: to earn some bells and pay off your Nook island mortgage(s), in addition to putting money away for island infrastructure (bridges, inclines, and decorations). Beyond that, it’s a “push your luck” kind of mini-game that teaches folks to pay attention to patterns in turnip prices on your island.

How do you know when to sell your turnips?

There are a few different ways to determine when is the best time to sell your turnips. If you’re curious about how the turnip price patterns may work on your island, Polygon has an excellent guide to understanding what turnip trends are in Animal Crossing: New Horizons.

If you’re looking to track turnip prices on your island, you can use Turnip Prophet. Turnip Prophet allows you to input your turnip prices throughout the week and will help you to better understand the Stalk Market patterns on your island. There’s a graph with labels on what every data point means, too.

If you’re looking to branch out and look to other people and their islands for turnip prices, both for purchasing and for selling with the Nook boys, you can use Turnip Exchange. Hosts open their islands with Dodo Codes — special codes that you type in to visit people who aren’t on your Animal Crossing friend list — and you can join a queue to visit and sell at a higher price than what you might be able to sell on your own island.

What’s the purpose of being a “turnip host”?

If your turnip prices spike, opening up your island to family and friends is kind of a no-brainer. Share the wealth and everyone ends up happier as a result. Opening up your island to strangers is a bit more of a risk, especially if you don’t want people harvesting your fruit or you don’t have it set up with fences to funnel people where you want them to go.

And.

Sharing the wealth often means that folks will leave you tips in bells, which means that when they sell for big money, you may get a slice of that. It’s really up to the folks that are visiting.

What happens if the turnips “go bad”?

You lose them. They’re gone. You make no money off of them.

The most important thing to remember is it’s better to take a major hit to your investment than for you to make zero return on your investment. So, when it comes to Saturday afternoon, make sure that you sell your turnips for something, rather than let them rot in your inventory or your house.

What do you think? Sound off in the comments and let us know your thoughts and strategies!

Make sure to keep your eyes on Engaged Family Gaming for all of the latest news and reviews you need to Get Your Family Game On!

Looking for information about how multiplayer works in Animal Crossing? Check out our guide here!

Our new player tips for Animal Crossing are here!

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July 22, 2020 0 comment

Video Games

Family-Friendly PlayStation 5 Games: Everything You Need To Know About Sony’s Lineup

by Amanda Farough June 12, 2020

written by Amanda Farough

In another life, this week would have been E3 2020 at the Los Angeles Convention Centre. The glitz, the hubbub — all of it would be laid out to reveal what to expect from the hotly anticipated fall releases of the Xbox Series X and the PlayStation 5. Xbox gave us a nibble of third-party games in its previous showcase, y’know, as a treat. Unfortunately, the vast majority of what Xbox put on display was rated M.

But Sony gave us the whole (mostly kid-friendly) meal.

The console’s design, mostly shown standing upright but it will be able to lay flat, while being subject to some rather hilarious memes, is sleek and beautiful in white, black, and blue, reminiscent of Mass Effect’s aesthetic. The new DualShock controller will match. The PlayStation 5’s additional peripherals (not seeing a PlayStation VR headset yet) will also be in white, including controller chargers, a 3D audio headset to take advantage of the PS5’s built-in 3D audio, and a new PlayStation camera.

Sony revealed that there will be two PlayStation 5’s available at launch, one with disc-drive and one without. Microsoft has yet to confirm whether or not an all-digital edition (much like the Xbox One S All Digital) will be available at launch, meaning that Sony’s ahead of the game there.

Sadly, there is no word on pricing for either flavor of the PS5, meaning that we can’t even pre-order the darn thing just yet.

But! It wasn’t just a day for the console’s form factor or how much it may cost at launch. It was also a day about games.

In case you didn’t catch the stream, here’s what we can anticipate for kid-friendly and teen games on PlayStation 5.

For Teens

Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales

We’re finally seeing Miles Morales firmly taking the reins in the follow-up to 2018’s Marvel’s Spider-Man. Insomniac’s interpretation of Spidey brought in some serious accolades (and certainly stoked our infinite hype train). Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales will be coming out this holiday season, although we don’t know if it will be considered a launch title or will be released shortly thereafter.

Miles Morales, the Spider-Man from Earth-1610 in the Marvel Comic Universe, is primed to take over for Peter Parker in the video game space, especially after his exceptional appearance in the much beloved animated film, Into the Spiderverse. We’re looking forward to taking to New York City with Miles’ new powerset at our fingertips.

Note: Sony has clarified that Miles’ new game is a stand alone expansion similar in scope to Uncharted: Lost Legacy.

Horizon: Forbidden West

Believe it or not, Horizon Zero Dawn, released in 2017 on PlayStation 4, is rated T. Yes, Aloy’s treacherous journey through the beautiful tech-infested wilderness, is a T-rated game. Sony revealed today that Aloy’s next adventure, Horizon: Forbidden West, will be coming to PlayStation 5. Aloy will be facing even more arduous challenges in unforgiving terrain. There’s currently no release date for Forbidden West, but if you haven’t had a chance to play Zero Dawn, now is the time. The first game, Horizon Zero Dawn, will be coming to Steam sometime this summer and is currently available on PlayStation 4.

Gran Turismo 7

Gran Turismo has long been a PlayStation staple — much longer than Forza has been the racing game for Xbox. But there hasn’t been a numbered Gran Turismo game since Gran Turismo 6 on the PlayStation 3. (We got Gran Turismo Sport on PlayStation 4.) Gran Turismo 7 appears to be an homage to the most beloved, in this writer’s opinion anyway, entry in the series: Gran Turismo 3, which came out for the PlayStation 2.

Gran Turismo 7 is, much like its predecessors, breathtaking. It’s certainly putting the ray-tracing capabilities of the PlayStation 5 through its paces. As of the June showcase, there is no release date available for Gran Turismo 7.

Goodbye Volcano High

Who doesn’t love a coming-of-age story about anthropomorphic dinosaurs? Goodbye Volcano High, a game from Ko_op Mode, is a “cinematic narrative game” and, of course, a love story. And no teen love story is complete without a great soundtrack, which Goodbye Volcano High will have. The game will be available on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and Steam in 2021. Want more? Check out their website.

Destruction Allstars

Vehicular mayhem sans visceral violence means that Destruction Allstars, from Lucid Games, is likely going to be a T-rated game, even if it’s on the more mature end of the T-range. (We’re looking at you, Final Fantasy VII Remake). With a future-tech Mad Max vibe and Burnout levels of carnage, Destruction Allstars is definitely going on our wishlist as a must-play high-intensity romp.

For Kids

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart

We knew that the PlayStation 5 would have to bring us some Ratchet & Clank, but we weren’t sure if it would be a launch title or if we would be getting it somewhere down the line. Well, Insomniac’s beloved anthropomorphic-robot buddy action-adventure platformer doesn’t have a release date yet, but the next installment in the series, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, does look beautiful.

Rift Apart follows in the narrative footsteps of 2016’s Ratchet & Clank, so if you were a little lost on what’s going on with the story, you can pick that game up today on PlayStation 4.

Sackboy: A Big Adventure

Sackboy is back! Who knew that we would miss the little guy so much? We’ve been hanging out in Sackboy’s world since 2008’s debut title, LittleBigPlanet, for the PlayStation 3. But this next adventure looks a little different than any of the previous installments in the series — it’s a full 3D platformer now! (Remember that LBP is a mostly 2D side-scrolling platformer.)

Sackboy: A Big Adventure will still allow you to play with up to three of our friends (or family), but we don’t know much more than that at the moment. There is no release date announced as of the conference.

Kena: Bridge of Spirits

There is something so wholesome and welcoming about a lush green forest, magic, and furry puffball friends to keep safe. Kena: Bridge of Spirits is exactly the kind of game that we love to see geared towards kids, too. Kena is a story-driven action-adventure game. According to the developers, Ember Labs, the main protagonist (Kena) needs to “find and grow a team of tiny spirit companions called the Rot, enhancing their abilities and creating new ways to manipulate the environment.”

It’s a breathtaking game that will definitely tug on our collective heartstrings. No release date is available, but we’re crossing our fingers for 2021.

Astro’s Playroom

There is almost nothing we can say about this game, other than Astro’s Playroom is building on the utter adorableness of Astro Bot Rescue Mission, a PlayStation VR game that came out in 2018. Astro’s Playroom trailer is light on gameplay and what the game is actually about, but it definitely got us excited about the return of Astro Bot!

Bugsnax

This is probably one of the weirdest games included in the PlayStation 5 stream, but don’t let that deter you. Bugsnax, from the studio that made Octodad, is achingly cute… albeit odd. Who knew that half-snack, half-animal creatures could cause one woman to squeak in sheer delight? Well, not this writer. Not until after the trailer, anyway.

According to Sony’s blog, Bugsnax is all about investigating the “mysterious Snacktooth Island, home of the legendary half-bug, half-snack creatures.” Bugsnax will be available this holiday season, but it’s unclear as to whether or not it will be a launch title or just within the launch window.

What do you think? Sound off in the comments and let us know your thoughts!

Make sure to keep your eyes on Engaged Family Gaming for all of the latest news and reviews you need to Get Your Family Game On!

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June 12, 2020 0 comment