The Engaged Family Gaming team has the mission to provide information and support families who want to play video games with their kids (and board games too). We work hard to provide parents with the tools they need to make informed decisions about their children’s gaming. To facilitate this, we help parents who might not be “gamers” themselves learn to understand the games their children are playing and help them find great video games for their kids.
The “EFG Essentials” is a core collection of games we frequently recommend across different genres. The purpose of these essentials is to provide a starting point for families to engage with high-quality games. Below are our EFG Essential games for kids for both the PS4 and PS5. We have chosen at the moment to include both of these systems on to one list as there are currently very few PS5 exclusives at the moment, and even fewer that would fall under the “Family Game” umbrella.
Minecraft
- ESRB rating: E 10+
- Survival
- Also Available On: PS4, Xbox One, and Everything that has an electronic signal
Minecraft is one of the best selling games of all time, and one of EFG’s family games of the last decade. It is so well known that I questioned whether or not to include it here. But, it is too important of a game to leave off.
Minecraft holds a special place in a lot of kid’s hearts because it is so flexible. It can be so many different games for so many different people. It can be a survival game, a creative outlet, a multiplayer battle game, and more. It even ends up being the equivalent of a popular TV show considering how many hours of the game are consumed globally each month (Hint: It’s a lot.)
Marvel’s Spider-Man
- ESRB Rating: T
- Action-adventure
- Exclusive
Spider-Man was our game of the year in 2018, and would easily hold its own against other games of the year that we’ve announced in the past. Insomniac Games was the perfect developer to bring the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man to life. They were able to capture the true essence of what makes Spider-Man a fun hero to watch and to play: the traversal.
Swinging around New York City looking for backpacks, finding crimes to fight, and battling with super villains was a blast from the very first second until its emotional end.
Madden 2021
- ESRB Rating: E
- Sports Game
- PC, Xbox One
Madden 2021 is the singular NFL title for all your gaming needs. If you are looking for a high quality football simulation with all the applicable NFL licenses this is going to be your go to.
MLB The Show 21
- ESRB Rating: E
- Sports Game
- Exclusive
The exclusive Major League Baseball property across all platforms, MLB The Show 21 is an exceptional baseball simulation. This year’s version brings two changes to the classic game. First, there is now a ballpark creator mode that allows you to custom-build your own ballpark to whatever specifications you desire. Secondly and we believe more importantly this is the first time that this is not a Sony Exclusive and instead has been released on both the Playstation and Xbox platforms, allowing access to the game to a whole slew of players that could only look on from behind a Sony sized wall.
NBA 2K21
- ESRB Rating E
- Sports Game
- Also Available On: PC, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Android, iOS, Google Stadia
The NBA 2K games are far and away the most consistent and best performing NBA property on the market today. This is truly a basketball simulation that allows you to play as any of the current NBA teams, customize your own, or even play as some of the iconic teams of the past. One final note, for the second year running 2K21 will you to play as any of the twelve teams in the WNBA.
WWE 2K19
- ESRB Rating: T
- Sports Game
- Also Available On: PC, Xbox One
In WWE 2K19, you can take your dream of becoming a WWE superstar and make it a reality. With over 200 superstars from throughout WWE’s history to choose from, you and your family will enjoy laying the Smackdown on each other in a family friendly way. You can choose from legends such as Dusty Rhodes and Brutus “the Barber” Beefcake to current superstars like Bray Wyatt and Seth Rollins. In WWE 2k19, you get the opportunity to play through the career of Daniel Bryan or start up your own company in the WWE Universe mode. WWE 2k19 is the pinnacle in sports entertainment video games and is a great addition to any gaming library of wrestling fans.
Rocket League
- ESRB Rating: E
- Sports Game
- Also Available On: PC, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, macOS, Classic Mac OS, Linux
Rocket League is, quite literally, soccer as played by rocket-powered vehicles. It launched in in 2015 to great fanfare and has only grown as they added more game-modes like “hockey” and “basketball”
This is a great game to play (and watch) because of how wild the matches can be. There is just something exciting about watching race cars flying around a trach crashing into a massive steel ball and trying to score a goal.
The Messenger
- ESRB Rating: E 10+
- Platform Game
- Also Available On: PC, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
Simply put… The Messenger is a modern response to the Ninja Gaiden series from the NES era. Sabotage Studio is a team full of people who love that game and have gone out of their way to show their reverence in game form.
It isn’t an easy game, but the experience is well worth the effort. The soundtrack alone is worth spending time with the game. But, exploring the different levels AND playing with time travel mechanics are rewarding.
This is definitely a game that needs to be on your radar.
Sackboy: A Big Adventure
- ESRB Rating: E
- Platform Game
LittleBigPlanet gave the world a gift in Sackboy. Sony didn’t really have a mascot until he came along and he finally gets his own dedicated game in Sackboy: A Big Adventure.
Overwatch
- ESRB Rating: T
- First-person Shooter
- Also Available On: PC, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
Overwatch is a great alternative for parents looking to let their kids play a multiplayer shooter. It features cartoonish graphics, a diverse cast of characters, and a number of game modes that keep things interesting. One of the things we love about Overwatch is that the cartoonish aesthetic helped keep the ESRB rating down, and makes this more of an Avengers-like experience than a Saving Private Ryan one.
Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart
- ESRB Rating:E 10+
- Platform Game
- PS5 exclusive
The sixth installment of the wildly successful Ratchet & Clank series, Rift Apart leverages the capabilities of the PS5 to provide exceptionally smooth gameplay and stunning visuals that were not possible on the previous versions of the Playstation. This game stays true to the themes and style of the previous Ratchet and Clank installments; it introduces plenty of new twists and turns such as the “Rift Tether” that allows the player to instantly change worlds, and the introduction of Rivet, the first playable female character in the franchise.
Kingdom Hearts All-in-One
- ESRB Rating: E 10+
- Action Role-playing
- Also Available On: Xbox One
The Kingdom Hearts All-In-One package includes 10 different Kingdom Hearts experiences dating back to the PlayStation 2. This is an amazing value for Disney fans who are looking for an Action RPG series to sink their teeth into. Once you finish this amazing collection you can pick up Kingdom Hearts 3.
Stardew Valley
- ESRB Rating: E 10+
- Simulation
- Also Available On: PC, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Playstation Vita
Stardew Valley is a remarkable game. It is a farming and life simulator where you play as a younger person who inherits relatives run-down farm. You need to build it up, explore the surrounding wilderness, meet people, get married, etc. It is a wildly engaging game that has been a sensation since it’s release. This is a great game to relax with.
Final Fantasy XV
- ESRB Rating: T
- Action Role-playing
- Also Available On: PC, Xbox One, Stadia
The Final Fantasy Series is a benchmark in which all role playing games are weighted against. Final Fantasy 15 is one the best stand alone role playing games of the PS4/Xbox One era. The Final fantasy series incorporates fantasy and futuristic elements into a compelling story.
Final Fantasy 15 is coming of age story, as the young prince Noctis grows from a brash teen to an adult and wielder of magic powers. His journey is assisted by three friends that are as much mentors as they are friends, each with stories in their own right.
With a steady, fast pace in mind, Final Fantasy 15 handles action in the third person view. It has simple commands mapped to the controller ahead of time. Combat happens in real time, players can choose to pause the action for an opportunity to plan and strategize that is an anchor point of the RPG experience.
The Final Fantasy Series represents a collection of stories through gaming history. All of the games are great in their own right, and everyone has a favorite that can be endlessly argued
FIFA 2021
- ESRB Rating: E
- Sports Game
- Also Available On: PC, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Stadia
Soccer (Football for our international readers) is the most popular sport on Earth. It stands to reason then that the digital version would be wildly successful as well. If your kids play soccer, then they likely have this game on their wish lists every year. I can’t say that I blame them. FIFA does amazing work each year in crafting as authentic and fun of an experience that they can.
Tetris Effect
- ESRB Rating: E
- Puzzle
- Also Available On: PC, Oculus Quest
Just like the original Tetris, Tetris Effect requires you to place tiles in order to clear lines. This update though adds themes and music through different levels based on the beat of music. It also adds a mechanic that allows you to place several blocks at once and a VR compatibility which varies greatly from your standard Tetris game. This is a high quality addition to one of the most popular gaming titles ever.
Horizon: Zero Dawn
- ESRB Rating: T
- Action Role-playing
- Also Available On: PC
Horizon: Zero Dawn is an open world action and adventure title that takes place in land so far removed from a global catastrophe that civilization has reset again in the ruins of ancient cities. The game encompasses a rich story, beautiful landscapes, and solid voice acting. In addition there is the thrill of hunting giant robot dinosaurs.
The Story of Horizon: Zero Dawn centers around Aloy, a young woman raised as an outcast, and her struggles to navigate and explore the lands beyond her home. She discovers a small piece of technology, advanced to the point of magic for her. What comes of this technology is a sprawling narrative that links her world to a distant past, which is better described as our distant future.
This game also features puzzling environments to climb and explore, and colossal robot beasts to hunt, all while using weapons and tools primitive in construction featuring futuristic materials.
Rocket League
- ESRB Rating: E
- Sports Game
- Also Available On: PC, Nintendo Switch, PS4, macOS, Linux
Rocket League is, quite literally, soccer as played by rocket powered vehicles. It launched in in 2015 to great fanfare and has only grown as they added more game-modes like “hockey” and “basketball”
This is a great game to play (and watch) because of how wild the matches can be. There is just something exciting about watching race cars flying around a trach crashing into a massive steel ball and trying to score a goal.
Hollow Knight
- ESRB Rating: E 10+
- Platform Game/Metroidvania
- Also Available On: PC, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, macOS, Linux
Hollow Knight is an independently developed action game that blends the best of Castlevania and Dark Souls into a beautiful and family friend title. You take on the role of a wanderer who is brought to the entrance of The Hollowness from unknown circumstances.
The Hollowness is an interconnected dungeon with multiple entrances and exits to each beautifully crafted zone. Every part of the Hollowness is built to be both journey and destination, with levers and gates revealing back tracking paths to the surface, and many difficult challenges focusing on platform based movement and fair, but brutal combat.
Hollow Knight is built to unfold by itself in a very organic path. Exploration and curiosity open up alternate paths and entire sections of the world. Your skills and the story are shown rather than told and are left for you to discover through environment and inference rather than straight and simple exposition.
LEGO Games
- ESRB Rating: E 10+
- Action Adventure
- Also Available On: PC, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, macOS
From Harry Potter and Star Wars to Marvel and DC, LEGO has consistently captured the imagination of kids 0-99. That they have somehow managed to consistently do this with their video games titles is somewhat remarkable. Most of their games follow the same basic format of providing you familiar characters to interact with your environment while collecting blocks either by battling enemies or destroying objects in the world around you. This has proved a winning formula time and time again and has provided tens of thousands of hours of entertainment to its fans.
Plants vs Zombies: Neighborville
- ESRB Rating: E 10+
- Tower Defense
- Also Available On: PC, Xbox One
Parents regularly approach the EFG team looking for alternatives to more violent M rated shooters on the market. We regularly suggest the Plants Vs Zombies Garden Warfare series. This is the latest entry to the series, but any of them are worthy additions to your collection.
Everything about this game is all bright colors and goofy characters. There is even a Disco Zombie character!
Everybody’s Golf
- ESRB Rating: E
- Sports Game
- Exclusive
The latest installment in the series “formerly know as Hot Shots Golf” published specifically for Sony platforms. Everybody’s Golf is a cartoony arcade style golf game that allows for single player or online multiplayer game play. The gameplay is refreshing and simple allowing for easier accessibility to players of all ages. In keeping with the theme Sony has also decided that if you need a break you can feel free to drive your golf cart anywhere you like. This is typically frowned up by the “establishment” for those that would like to know and infinitely entertaining. Go out, play golf with everybody, and have a great time.
Journey
- ESRB Rating: E
- Adventure Art Game
- Also Available On: Playstation 3, PC, iOS
Journey is one of the best games to come out in the last decade. It is a relatively short experience where you guide a cloaked wanderer through a desert, but the way that this game handles multiplayer will take your breath away.
No Man’s Sky: Beyond
- ESRB Rating: T
- Survival
- Also Available On: PC, Xbox One
No Man’s Sky released in 2016 and wasn’t very well received. However, Hello Games has been releasing regular, free updates since launch. It is almost unrecognizable from its original form now. It still have the exploration mode, but it has base building, a creative mode, multiplayer, and more!
Dragon Quest 11: Echoes of an Elusive Age
- ESRB Rating: T
- Role-playing
- Also Available On: PC, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo 3DS
Dragon Quest XI is the most recent edition to an ongoing series of role playing games by Square Enix. The series is known for the art style of Akira Toriyama, the creator of Dragon Ball.
Dragon Quest is a series that consistently comes out with a reliable turn-based combat system that has seen nothing but simple improvements.
Its place as an EFG essentials is based on its ease of entry in an ongoing, fantasy story. The fantasy elements that many other games work off of got their start here with a chosen warrior of light and a band of friends and heroes rally to fight the darkness.
Dragon Quest has had a consistent following in Japan since its first incarnation on the NES in the 1980’s. That following was earned by creating a game as much storybook as turn/quest based game.
Addendum: Fortnite
At this point almost every kid on Earth has played Fortnite. But, we wanted to include it here for the sake of completion. It is a worthy recommendation though. Fortnite is huge. It is a great alternative for more mature shooters since it there is no blood and most of the action is over the top and silly as opposed to violent.
The EFG Essentials are reviewed and updated every few months to make sure we have the most current information for our readers. Last updated 11/7/20.
The EFG Essential Guide Collections
Check out our other Essentials Guides for great collections of games!
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!
Follow us on Facebook!
Like us on Twitter!
Follow us on Instagram!
Subscribe to our Newsletter!
Subscribe to our Podcast!
