A SuperParent guide to the best kids games on Sony's console.
The PlayStation 4 is a huge console with an extensive library of games. While Sony may not lead with their family-friendly games like Nintendo does, the PS4 still has a solid lineup of fun, engaging games that kids can play along with you.
Keep checking back with SuperParent, as we’ll regularly update this list with new games your kids may want to try. If you want to see any of the older games we’ve featured — which are equally recommended — head over to Page 2.
Dreams
Rated T for Teen
Have you — or your kid(s) — ever considered making video games? Dreams is an amazing first step for everyone to get a taste of what it’s like to be a designer. Its simple introduction allows you to quickly assemble elements and make your own games, or you can get really into the weeds and do everything from laying out the art and animation to creating your own soundtracks. When you’re done, you can upload your game — or download the creations of other online “Dreamers.” A piece of advice for you: Make sure to check out any downloaded games before you let your kids at ’em. The Dreams team is pretty good at policing inappropriate content, but it never hurts to check for yourself.
Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled
Rated E10+ for Everyone 10+
This family-friendly kart racing game is a remake of the original Crash Team Racing, which was released on PlayStation in 1999. It stars characters from the popular Crash Bandicoot franchise, who must get behind the wheel on a variety of racetracks in order to protect their planet from the evil Nitros Oxide. Similar to other kart racing games, Crash Team Racing lets players collect items as they race, which they can use to sabotage their opponents or give themselves a temporary boost.
de Blob / de Blob 2
Rated E for Everyone / E10+ for Everyone 10+
The de Blob games are colorful platformers that challenge players to restore life to a black and white world that has been stripped of its color by the nefarious INKT Corporation. de Blob himself is a rolling ball of paint, so players need to make him touch various objects (buildings, billboards, trees, and more) to paint them and complete quests. While both games share this same basic premise, de Blob 2 also contains side-scrolling platforming levels that give you more variety in things to do.
Marvel’s Spider-Man
Rated T for Teen
Marvel’s Spider-Man challenges players to save New York City from villains by becoming the popular crime-fighting superhero. Along the way, players encounter famous characters from the Spider-Man universe, like Electro and Scorpion. They’ll also be able to web-swing around a digital version of New York City. While Spider-Man is a popular character with kiddos, Marvel’s Spider-Man is rated T for Teen by the ESRB, and has content descriptors for “Blood,” “Drug Reference,” “Language,” and “Violence,” so it may not be appropriate for younger players.
MLB: The Show Franchise
Rated E for Everyone
Since the beginning, Sony knew it had a grand slam with MLB: The Show. The series may have evolved over the years, but this Sony platform exclusive has always been a hit with baseball fans. You can have exhibition matches between your favorite teams, or simulation fans can dive deep and create a dynasty over multiple seasons. There’s a lot of love put into the these games, and whether or not you’re able to make it to a real ballpark, MLB: The Show is the next best thing to being there.
Untitled Goose Game
Rated E for Everyone
Geese, mother nature’s jerks. Bet you haven’t seen anyone say that on National Geographic. Obviously, they haven’t played Untitled Goose Game. There’s something just undeniably fun about this one. It could be the storybook-esque visuals, the soothing soundtrack…nah, most likely it’s this honking wise-quacker whose sole mission is to mess with people around town. Loaded with slapstick comedy, you control the titular Goose as you do everything from befuddle a gardner to swipe a man’s morning paper and a whole lot more. This game is guaranteed to have the whole family laughing, and it will even test your problem-solving skills along the way.
Spyro Reignited Trilogy
Rated E10+ for Everyone 10+
The Spyro Reginited Trilogy contains updated versions of the first three Spyro games that were released on the original PlayStation: Spyro the Dragon, Spyro 2: Ripto’s Rage, and Spyro: Year of the Dragon. Each game is full of colorful and varied platforming levels, which challenge players to help a small purple dragon named Spyro defeat enemies and collect treasures. If you played these games when you were younger, you’ll notice a major difference in the Reignited Trilogy right off the bat: the in-game worlds have been updated with new, modern graphics that give the game a fresh look, while retaining the gameplay we knew from way back when.
Kingdom Hearts 3
Rated E10+ for Everyone 10+
The latest installment in this popular role-playing game series stars a young boy named Sora, who teams up with Donald Duck and Goofy to defeat creatures known as the Heartless, who have invaded a variety of Disney and Pixar worlds. Players can interact with returning characters like Hercules and Jack Sparrow, as well as meet new (but familiar) faces, including Rapunzel from Tangled, Elsa, Anna, and Olaf from Frozen, and Woody and the gang from Toy Story. The Kingdom Hearts games have accessible gameplay for newcomers, but the overall storyline is quite complicated, so younger players may need help understanding what’s going on.
Dragon Quest Builders 2
Rated E10+ for Everyone 10+
This role-playing game challenges players to defeat a cult called the Children of Hargon, which has “outlawed the building, cooking, and creation of all things.” To do this, they’ll need to travel to a variety of islands where they can mine for and collect resources, defeat enemies of multiple shapes and sizes, and complete quests for the world’s citizens (who have lost the ability to build) by constructing different rooms to suit their needs. The game’s resource gathering and building mechanics make it similar to Minecraft, but the inclusion of a lengthy story mode gives the game more direction. In addition to this story mode, the game includes an online multiplayer mode that lets players build with friends.
Lego Games
Rated E10+ for Everyone 10+
It’s no surprise that games featuring Lego minifig characters are just playfully fun. It’s a tried-and-true formula — take any well-known franchise and sprinkle in puns and plenty of wink-and-nod humor — but it constantly works. Better yet, most Lego games have been designed to work in couch co-op as you travel around worlds made of the famous bricks. This means you and your kids can sit side-by-side and play together. Two superheroic suggestions: Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2 and Lego The Incredibles.
