Now, the majority of gamers may be younger adults, but people of all ages can join in the fun. Playing games with families is especially encouraged, since many titles are designed to cater to all age groups and can be educational.

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Everyone has a different preference, which is why we've included games from various genres. Most of these games are multiplayer and can be enjoyed by the entire family. We've seen some spectacular family games over the past few years, and now, it's time to introduce a few. These are the best PS4 games (some are system-exclusive, some aren't) for kids and families.

Updated September 25, 2023, by Gabrielle Huston: PlayStation 4 might have been improved upon by the PlayStation 5, but the PlayStation 4 is far from dead! There are still plenty of games on this console for you to introduce your kids to, and we've added some of the best ones to this article.

Video Games For Kids Age 2-4+

Rocket League

A game with a simple premise became so much more than the sum of its parts. Now, millions of people around the world are playing Rocket League. This vehicular soccer game is commonly seen in Esports. The objective of Rocket League is to push a giant soccer ball into the opponent's net. With increasingly difficult opponents, Rocket League matches can be arduous.

In later updates, new basketball and ice hockey modes were integrated into Rocket League. They are variations of the same vehicular soccer game but are nice additions to the base game. If you don't take things too seriously and are just in it for some silly arcade fun, Rocket League is recommended for both kids and families.

Everybody's Golf

It's hard to object to a good ol' golf simulation game. For what it is, Everybody's Golf gets pretty into the intricacies of golf, with the player determining the timing and power behind the swings.

On top of the fun golfing, you can also customize your character, drive freely around golf courses, play mini-games, and enter tournaments!

Sonic Mania

Sonic Mania's developers put together a game that is a combination of the best elements from Sonic the Hedgehog games over the years. Unlockable characters and smart level design make it go beyond the lackluster series entries we've been seeing lately.

Games like Sonic Forces are fun, but it seems like none can compare to the original Sonic formula from the early 1990s. Although it bears similarities to the original games, Sonic Mania is inventive because of its scale of maps, unique boss fights, and all-new competition mode.

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Video Games For Kids Age 5-7+

Madden 22

As usual, Electronic Arts has offered us their latest Madden title. This time around, Madden 22 has added home-field advantages, in which the team that's playing on their own turf gets a special ability after building up enough momentum.

Madden 22 is a fitting kid and family game that is, at its simplest, a football simulation video game! No need to fear: it allows multiple players to face off competitively in multiplayer modes. When in doubt, choose a sports game like Madden 22.

Tearaway Unfolded

Tearaway Unfolded is a game that requires creative use of the DualShock's touchpad! A little like Scribblenauts, you use the touchpad to create things and place them in the game to interact with.

The plot of the game centers around helping Atoi the Messenger to deliver a top-secret letter. You'll need to help out her friends and fight the enemies she faces so that she can reach her destination.

SnowRunner

SnowRunner is an intense off-road simulation driving game where you're tasked with traveling from location to location delivering cargo and completing other jobs. Unfortunately, there aren't really roads to get you from place to place. Thankfully, on the other hand, you're an expert at off-road driving!

If the kid in your life enjoys this game, there are plenty of DLC to purchase which add lots of content to the game.

Sonic Frontiers

Sonic Frontiers came out in 2022 and is the first open-world entry in the franchise! It's still a platformer, like its predecessors, but in an open-ended way, not dissimilar to Mario Odyssey. At the time of this writing, it's the best-selling 3D Sonic game of all time.

The plot is set in motion by Doctor Eggman (who else) when he travels to the Starfall Islands to collect advanced technology from an ancient species. Sonic must destroy the robotic titans on the islands to save his friends.

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Lego Marvel Superheroes 2

Being able to play as a variety of superheroes in Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2 makes it super appealing to all ages just now. There are a lot of great options for Lego games to play, but this one includes characters like Spider-Man, Black Panther, Iron Man, Captain America, and Doctor Strange. With the Marvel world being as phenomenally popular as it's become in recent years, this is the way to go.

Fighting in the streets of London and enjoying multiplayer content beyond the story mode makes Lego Marvel Superheroes 2 a thrilling Lego game.

Untitled Goose Game

The Untitled Goose Game is just as goofy as its name suggests. You play as the titular goose and spend your time exploring the local town. To progress, you need to accomplish a few tasks (mostly by dragging objects around). They vary from simple, like setting up a picnic, to complicated, like annoying certain locals.

If you don't trust us on how good this game is, trust the awards! It has won:

• Breakthrough Award at the 2019 Golden Joysticks Award
• Game of the Year, Outstanding Achievement for an Independent Game, and Outstanding Achievement in Character at the 23rd Annual D.I.C.E. Awards
• Game of the Year at the 20th Game Developers Choice Awards
• Best Family Game at the 16th British Academy Games Awards

Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling

Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling is a 2D adventure role-playing game that features a bunch of bug friends in search of the titular Everlasting Sapling! It's named that because it supposedly grants immortality.

If you enjoyed Paper Mario, you'll love Bug Fables! The gameplay was heavily inspired by it. As you search for the Everlasting Sapling, you gather together four ancient relics said to lead you there, attacking enemies with special abilities and discovering hidden secrets in the environment.

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Video Games For Kids Age 8-9+

Rayman Legends

As a 2D platformer, Rayman Legends surpasses expectations as a family game. There are over one hundred levels contained in Rayman Legends, which makes it have high value for its cost. There is mild violence, which is why the game is rated E for everyone 10 plus.

The puzzles are fun to solve, and the pacing of Rayman Legends makes it a great platformer with high replayability. You won't regret buying Rayman Legends, since it's one of the best family games available on PlayStation 4.

Concrete Genie

Concrete Genie is a whimsical, wonderful adventure game where you control a boy named Ash who is an artist. Using a magical paintbrush (and the DualShock's motion sensors), you'll bring his wonderful drawings to life!

This is an original and beautiful game that should definitely be on your radar. On top of defeating his bullies, Ash also helps his hometown of Denska get back on its feet by cleaning up the pollution in its rivers.

Guacamelee!

Guacamelee! is a stunning Metroidvania action platformer where you play as Juan, a simple farmer who must attempt to stop an evil skeleton from merging the lands of the living and the dead under his rule!

You'll spend your time unlocking upgrades, battling enemies, and exploring the wide world you've been set in. It's inspired by Mexican culture and settings; the art and atmosphere is just breathtaking.

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Astroneer

Astroneer is a science fiction exploration adventure sandbox game where the player explores seven vast planets. You spend your time gathering resources to build bases on these planets, as well as new tools, vehicles, and more!

You can enjoy Astroneer with up to three friends, and build your bases together! They'll make it even easier to journey through deep caves, across vast fields, and even to the core of the planet.

LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga

LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga is the most recent LEGO Star Wars game, and it blew fans away (including us at TheGamer). If you're not familiar with these games, it's exactly what it sounds like: the player controls LEGO versions of the Star Wars characters and plays through missions based on the movies.

It's frankly incredible how much content Star Wars has generated in the last few decades, and The Skywalker Saga does its best to leave nothing behind. If you were a fan of the now-decanonized books, you might be disappointed, but almost everything else can be found here.

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Minecraft

Whether you're playing on Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, PC, mobile, or PlayStation 4, Minecraft is a fun game that is suitable for the whole family. Minecraft offers 4-player split-screen on the PlayStation 4, so you won't have to pass the controller back and forth.

Chances are, you've already heard of Minecraft and have played (or are itching for an opportunity to play) it.

Minecraft is a game about building, but as a survival game, it is so much more. Fighting a boss like the Ender Dragon is a grueling task that requires Minecraft prowess. This title is so universally popular that it's the second-highest selling game of all time, just behind Tetris.

Ratchet & Clank

This next title is based on the original Ratchet & Clank game that released for the PlayStation 2. It takes many of the first game's levels and remakes them, while adding elements of its own. PlayStation 4 is host to a plethora of family-friendly games, but few are comparable to Ratchet & Clank.

Ratchet & Clank is a futuristic title that was developed alongside the motion picture of the same name. This action-adventure game is worth buying despite not having a multiplayer mode.

OlliOlli World

If you're looking for an action-adventure platformer full of energy and attitude, you've come to the right place! OlliOlli World is an indie game from the British developer Roll7, which also made Rollerdrome and Laser League.

You are on a quest for Gnarvana! The gameplay of OlliOlli World involves exploration of levels with multiple paths to explore, characters to meet, and customizables to unlock. Soon, your character will feel as personal as your big toe.

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Video Games For Kids Age 10-12+

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge

TMNT: Shredder's Revenge is a side-scrolling beat 'em up game with all of your favorite radiation-plagued turtles! It was developed out of Montreal, Quebec, by Tribute Games, a studio founded by former Ubisoft developers.

The story is relatively short and takes the expected course of beating up classic Teenage Mutant Turtle Villains like Krang, Bebop and Rocksteady, and, of course, Shredder. The gameplay is awesome, though, and you can enjoy it as any Turtle, Master Splinter, April O'Neil, or Casey Jones!

Knack 2

The PlayStation 4 exclusive Knack 2 improves on its predecessor with stellar graphics and enhanced gameplay. The game's wide selection of abilities makes its dynamic combat a thrill.

Knack 2 isn't afraid to poke fun at itself with smart humor, and its couch co-op should provide hours of entertainment. In short, the game is accessible, colorful fun, fit for the whole family. It's a real step up compared to the original, too, which is definitely an added plus.

Psychonauts

Psychonauts is a goofy, colourful game about a psychic boy named Raz who runs away from his family and the circus lifestyle to crash a summer camp for governmentally-trained psychic preteens. If that sentence doesn't excite you, we just don't know what will.

The game touches on some slightly serious themes, particularly towards the end, but nothing a kid couldn't handle. Plus, if they enjoy this one, a sequel was released recently that continues the story not long after the first game left off!

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Kena: Bridge of Spirits

In Kena: Bridge of Spirits, the player controls the titular character, Kena. She's a Spirit Guide whose job is to help guide spirits from the physical world into the spirit world, aided by little creatures known as the Rot. Kena: Bridge of Spirits is an action-adventure game that includes some puzzle elements.

While this game deals with a heavy subject (namely, death), it's very emotionally nuanced and compassionate; it might even help your child get comfortable with the concept. Besides, it's just fun to play. The game was praised for its light action, epic adventuring, and beautiful graphics.

Shadow of the Colossus

Shadow of the Colossus takes place in a fantasy world where the main character must seek out and defeat a series of colossi: giant creatures who roam the land (using pretty sophisticated AI for the time). Each time you find a colossus, you'll need to work out its particular attacks and how to defeat it. Once finished, you return to a central base and head out to find the next one.

This intense, artistic video game was developed by Japan Studio and Team Ico, then released in 2005 for the PlayStation 2. In 2018, we were treated with a complete remake for the PlayStation 4.

Marvel's Spider-Man

Recently, PS4 has really bolstered its selection of quality exclusive games. Among PlayStation 4's top exclusives is Marvel's Spider-Man. Without a doubt, it's one of the best Spider-Man games ever made.

The gameplay of Marvel's Spider-Man utilizes a robust skill set and includes missions that revolve around detective work. With one of the most detailed renderings of New York City in gaming yet, it includes attractions such as Central Park, the Empire State Building, and the Avengers Tower. Spider-Man is enjoyable even if you only want to explore, and fans of all ages just can't get enough of the Marvel universe just now.

NEXT: The Best Nintendo Switch Games For Kids & Families