32 multiplayer games to play with kids
In this list created by my son and I, we share some of our all-time favourite video games to play together.
We all love gaming in this house and find video games a really fun way to spend time together if we are unable to go out or if we’re not in the mood for more intense activities. Nowadays, screens are almost unavoidable, and we believe quality video games can be an interesting and educational addition to any lifestyle if managed appropriately.
As parents, we’d much rather our children played proper console games that require a bit of brain power and that we can join in with rather than popping them in front of a tablet full of brain numbing and pointless apps. We’ve tried tablets before, and they just weren’t for us. One thing we do advocate, though, is the importance of online safety. If your child uses any electronic device, we highly recommend that you have very tight privacy settings, ensuring that your child is unable to interact with strangers on the Internet. Instead, we recommend playing local multiplayer or restricting it to a very tight and regularly managed friends list of people that you know and trust well. This goes for tablets, consoles, pcs, mobiles, etc. You should also research online safety and security before allowing your child to use any device with online capabilities.
1. Lego jurassic world
Nintendo Switch, PS3, PS4, Wii U, PC, Xbox 360, Xbox One,
PEGI 7
We’re kicking off our list with one of our favourite games to play together. My son loves all things dinosaur related and is a HUGE fan of the jurassic World / jurassic Park franchise. We also love the Lego games, and this one certainly doesn’t disappoint. The storyline is entertaining and keeps a good pace. The puzzles are enjoyable, and you can collect all of your favourite jurassic world characters and dinosaurs as you go. My son particularly loves creating his own hybrid dinos in free roam, which we think is a really cool feature!
2. Stardew valley
PC, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox one, Nintendo switch
PEGI 12
If you’re playing with a teen who loves cozy gaming, then you simply can’t beat Stardew Valley. After inheriting a farm, it becomes your mission to restore it to its former glory. You get to explore and discover the local village and its people, building friendships along the way. The game is so relaxing and immersive that it’s so easy to get lost in time mining, fishing and crafting the hours away.
3. Minecraft
PC, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox one, Xbox series X/S, Nintendo Switch
PEGI 7
So this one was obviously going to make the list at some point or another! Minecraft is something of a giant when it comes to children’s games, and it’s easy to see why. Minecraft gives children the freedom to express their creativity, building, and exploring as they please. There’s some light engineering that encourages problem solving thinking, and if you choose to play survival, it adds a whole other aspect of fun building and defending against the mobs and trading with the villagers.
Minecraft also offers a whole host of mods on its store, such as role play mods and mods based around movies, books, etc. A lot of these mods offer storylines and quests. Some of our favourite mods include how to train your dragon, Jurassic world, and emergency services mods.
We love that Minecraft has a reasonably priced monthly subscription that offers access to a selection of its mods. Out of personal preference, my son isn’t allowed to play online servers as we keep security settings pretty tight, button it’s still loads of fun to play split screen together or over Xbox Live with family members.
4. Mario party superstars
PEGI 3
If you grew up playing any of the Mario party games, then you don’t need me to tell you how fun they are! I particularly love this one as it features maps and mini games from the older games, which is nostalgic and fun to share with the kids. Race your way around the board collecting stars and coins, then battle it out in a selection of ridiculously fun mini games in true Mario party style.
5. Overcooked 2
Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4, Xbox One, Amazon Luna
PEGI 3
A fun filled party cooking simulator. This is a great family game. It’s totally chaotic and may cause an argument or two, but it’s soo much fun! The aim of the game is pretty simple, follow recipes, work well together, and deliver the meals on time to gain points. Though it rarely ever goes that simply! This game is one of our all-time favourites to play as a family of four.
6. Paw patrol grand prix
PC, Nintendo Switch, PS5, PS4, Xbox one, Xbox Series X/s
PEGI 3
If your little one loves paw patrol and is relatively new to gaming, then this game is a great one to start with. The mechanics are pretty simple to learn, and the kids will love seeing their favourite pups, vehicles and locations!
7. Team Sonic Racing
PS4, Xbox one, Nintendo Switch
PEGI 3
Perfect for any big-time sonic fan, this cute little arcade style racing game will provide plenty of fun and competition with its cast of sonic favourites and cool maps.
8. Dreamworks all star kart racing
Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, xbox one, xbox series X/S
PEGI 3
As huge dreamworks fans, any game where we get to race each other around dreamworks maps as shrek (I Love shrek!), po and Hiccup is an instant win! We loved the vehicle selection, too. This game is a great way to kill an hour and have fun together in the process.
9. Little big planet 3
PEGI 7
There’s a reason why the little big planet games are one of the playstations’ most famous family titles. You get to play as adorable little sack characters and traverse through colourful and quirky levels, solving puzzles along the way. This cute little platformer is fun for the whole family to play cooperatively.
10. Sackboy: A Big Adventure
PEGI 7
A cute twist on a classic. A big adventure brings back the sack boy character that we all know and love with more in-depth maps and levels that are reminiscent of the spyro or Mario titles. Kids and grown-ups alike will be able to enjoy this platformer game and will enjoy picking out the host of radio popular songs that we were surprised to hear!
11. Unravel 2
PS4, Xbox one, Nintendo Switch, PC
PEGI 7
It’s a fun side scrolling platformer puzzle game. I played this one with my son, and we really, really enjoyed it. You play as two sweet little ‘yarnys’, one red and one blue who are connected by a strand of yarn. You work together or as weights and counterweights to travel through the game and to complete levels. Different obstacles require different actions, and we had a lot of fun working through them and deciding who should take the helm.
12. Sonic Superstars
PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox one, Xbox series X/S, PC
PEGI 3
A cute and colourful nod to another one of my childhood favourite games. Work through the different levels collecting those ever precious gold rings and battle the bosses as you go. This game captures all the aspects of the sonic games that we all loved as kids and throws a couple of cool new additions in the mix, too!
13. Farming Simulator 25
PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
PEGI 3
Farming simulator is a boat load of fun for anyone who likes agriculture. Older children will love learning about the different machinery and the necessary processes to grow and develop a farm and its crops. Younger children will simply enjoy riding around on machinery and exploring the area.
14. Lego the hobbit
PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox one
PEGI 7
Picking up this game was a no brainer for us as Tolkien fans and we weren’t disappointed. The gameplay is fun and immersive, the characters are adorable and we had so much fun adventuring through one of our favourite fictional worlds together.
15. Yoshi’s Crafted World
PEGI 3
This game is quite possibly the cutest game i have ever set eyes on. As a big fan of both platformers and crafting, this game was bound to be a winner for us! I love how each level looks like it was handmade with resources straight from the craft box. It’s bright, colourful, and really engaging. Whilst the levels are somewhat simple for many adults, it’s an enjoyable game to play alongside children.
16. Lego harry potter collection
xbox one, xbox series x/s, PS4, Nintendo Switch, PC
PEGI 7
I know I’ve got a lot of Lego games on this list, but there’s a reason why, a lot of kids and adults alike love them! The Harry Potter series is just so enjoyable for all age groups too. The story line, locations and characters on this game are fresh from the movies/books. The entertaining cutscenes, immersive puzzles, and break everything you see gameplay is exactly what you would hope for from a Lego game too!
17. Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime
PC, Xbox one, PS4, Nintendo Switch
PEGI 7
Whilst this game is more suited towards older children or preteens, it definitely deserves a place on our list. The aim of the game is to rescue super cute bunnies from their space prison. Find the best upgrade combinations for your ship possible and travel around the galaxy running from one turret to another to fight off enemies as you search for those pesky bunnies!
18. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
PEGI 12
This game can either be tonnes of fun or the source of some pretty competitive family arguments! Either way we absolutely love this Brawler game. Pick your favourite Nintendo character and battle it out over various maps to be the victor. Only have a couple of players? No worries! Super smash bros offers an excellent bot system with various difficulty settings to keep gameplay extra fun.
19. Cake Bash
PC, Xbox one, PS4, Nintendo Switch
PEGI 7
Cake bash is a super fun and super cute party game that’s exactly what it sounds like. A game where you’re cakes that bash each other around. The game consists of 13 mini games where you compete in hopes of being the winner that gets picked by a customer. Whether you’re toasting marshmallows, collecting toppings that you bash off of other payer’s cakes, or chasing around cute caterpillar cakes, this game is bound to provide plenty of family fun. It certainly has my kids in fits of giggles!
20. Bluey the Video game
PS4, PS5, Xbox one, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, PC
PEGI 3
Who doesn’t love a bit of bluey? We just love watching all the adventures that bluey, bingo bandit and chilli get up to. Bluey is one of those kids’ programmes that you can actually appreciate as an adult, too. So, when they announced the bluey game, we were really excited, especially as it was coming to xbox games pass. My son is a bit too old to admit he likes bluey, and the very simple gameplay was too dull for him. However, it was perfect for my daughter (5) who was just starting to show an interest in games and wasn’t looking for anything too thrilling. Looking for stickers on the map and playing four very basic mini games was enough to make her feel like a real gamer and even though I wasn’t too bothered with the game myself I enjoyed seeing her play along and be so proud of herself.
21. Mario KART 8 deluxe
A Classic family favourite, Mario KART 8 deluxe is a fast paced, fun and colourful addition to an already popular series that has provided hours of fun to multiple generations since it’s original title was released.
22. Paw Patrol Mighty pups save adventure bay
PS4, PS5, Xbox one, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch
PEGI 3
This was one of the first games my daughter ever played, and she really loved it. It took a little practise and even now she still finds some of the jumps a little tricky, but fortunately, players are able to switch characters to offer a little help where needed which is what we did! She loved seeing all of her favourite faw patrol characters, collecting pup treats, and getting to save the day with the pups!
23. Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, PC
PEGI 7
I wasn’t too sure if I was going to enjoy this one when my son chose it – I’ve never really been into Star Wars, but I ended up totally loving it! I felt like a true jedi and really enjoyed following the storyline, solving the classic Lego style puzzles and learning about different characters with my son along the way.
24. Minecraft Dungeons
Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Nintendo Switch, PC
PEGI 7
A cute and simple introduction to the world of dungeon crawlers! This hack and slash adventure is a great way to spend time with the kids working cooperatively to complete each level. My son loves both the ranged and the melee combat and loves working through the quests and earning new weapons, too.
As with the other Minecraft title, I would definitely recommend keeping play to playing together or a selected friends list avoiding online play with others. This is simply to practise and teach good online safety
25. Phogs!
PC, Nintendo Switch, Xbox one, PS4, Amazon Luna
PEGI 3
Phogs is a super cute and colourful addition to this list. You’re basically a sausage dog with no legs and a head at either end of its body. Each player controls a head to solve puzzles in this sweet little platformer. It takes a little bit of practise and patience, but this game is super fun to play with the kids
26. Moving out 2
PS4, PC, Xbox one, Nintendo Switch, xbox series X, PS5
PEGI 3
Team up with your favourite F.A.R.Ts (furniture arrangement and relocation technicians) to clear houses and load furniture in to your removal truck. It’s a pretty simple concept, but we honestly have so much fun trying to beat the times. My son finds it particularly funny to drag the furniture in completely the opposite direction when I’m trying to take my job seriously and load it up! We’d definitely recommend giving this one a go for some light amusement
27. Gigantosaurus The Game
Nintendo Switch, PC, Xbox one, PS4
PEGI 3
Any giganto fan will love working their way through the levels of this cute 3d platformer. We loved finding all the seeds and collecting the eggs too. My son was particular fond of the racing elements. My daughter (5) did find it quite tricky at certain points but it’s worth noting that she isn’t massively into video games and doesn’t play often.
28. Untitled Goose Game
Nintendo Switch, PC, Xbox one, PS4
PEGI 3
The aim of this game? Run around as a goose and create as much mischief as you can for the poor locals. This game is hilarious, and we have so much fun every time we play. Whether you’re trapping someone, breaking something, or just being a general nuisance, the objectives will keep kids (and adults) entertained for ages!
29. Rayman Legends
Nintendo Switch, Xbox 360, Xbox one, PS3, PS4, PC
PEGI 7
A gorgeous platformer with amazing visuals and an excellent soundtrack. This game features all the standard aspects of a platformer that we know and love and is heaps of fun too. We particularly enjoyed the boss battles on this one!
30. Paw Patrol World
Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, PC
PEGI 3
Young children will absolutely love this 3d open world adventure! My daughter loved getting to explore Adventure Bay on her own terms and helping out some of her favourite characters along the way. We loved that you could use all of the different pups and their vehicles, too, and had fun simply travelling around hunting biscuits and badges. This one may be a bit too simple for older children, but for preschoolers and ks1 children, it’s a great introduction to classic open world adventures!
31. My little pony a maretime bay adventure
Xbox one, Xbox series X/S, Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5
PEGI 3
Another one of my daughter’s favourites! Play as sunny a plucky earth pony who is trying to reinstate maretime bay day; a special festival celebrating friendship and magic. Unfortunately, some less than helpful ponies put a spanner in the works, so it ends up becoming sunny’s job to save the day by completing little quests and finding collectables. My daughter really loved finding customisation objects, too. Only the mini games are multiplayer, and whilst it wasn’t particularly exciting as an adult, it was really sweet joining in with something my daughter loved and was proud of herself for doing.
32. All you need is help
PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
This game is visually just adorable. You play as crochet looking, tetris-like pieces, and the aim of the game is to solve puzzles and assemble yourself to match markers on the ground. We don’t use it online. My son isn’t allowed to play with other people, so we switched on duo mode so that we could each control two blocks. It took a bit of practise and a few little squabbles, but once we mastered it, we really, really enjoyed this cute little game! I’d just maybe recommend it for slightly older children.
