15. Miitopia - Nintendo
Kids are not dumb and shouldn’t be treated that way; that’s something I learned from Alex Hirsch, creator of one of my favorite pieces of media ever. Kids can of course play RPGs, and what a perfect way to do it so with such a lighthearted and funny one as the recent 3DS port of Miitopia.
14. Plants vs. Zombies: Battle for Neighborville Complete Edition - EA
PvZ: Battle for Neighborville was a good enough title for it to make an entrance into the Nintendo Switch catalog; fortunately, for those who want this excellent not-so-gory videogame for their children, this version has all the unlockable items for no extra money as their Xbox and Playstation counterparts did.
13. New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe - Nintendo
Do I really need to go deep into this one? It’s a Super Mario platformer not only awesome to play by yourself but also along with your family; and while this might not be the best or most original entry out of all the Super Mario IP, we’re talking about kids, not about a guy in its forties angry at Nintendo because Bowsette is not a mainline playable character.
12. Kirby and the Forgotten Land - Nintendo
A couple of days ago, Arlo, one of my favorite Nintendo YouTubers, uploaded an Aesop Rock parody song rapping about Kirby; and if there’s something that really got stuck in my mind is the fact that Kirby is meant to be enjoyed by everybody. So it doesn’t matter if you’re 8 or 80, any Kirby entry, but this time with an extremely honorable mention for bringing new things to the IP is Kirby and the Forgotten Land; the 3D platformer everybody wanted.
11. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe - Nintendo
Mario Kart is already an amazing game to play with everyone in your family; it doesn’t only have some incredible tracks (both to ride and listen to), but the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe version has some extra features that let everyone with any kind of capabilities play and enjoy the best selling racing game of all time.
10. Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury - Nintendo
At this exact moment, I can hear my 10-year-old roomie’s nephew playing the Wii U version of this Nintendo masterpiece; and while he’s definitely not a brilliant guy, Nintendo has always had those nice little things that make their games accessible to anyone who wants to experience them. He just went to the bathroom; I really hope he washed his hands or I’ll never touch that Wii U Gamepad ever again.
9. Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy - Activision
I’m trying to go the “if I played in my childhood, it has to be a masterpiece nowadays” route; but gosh, this collection of the original trilogy of Crash Bandicoot remastered holds up extremely nicely while bringing a little bit of challenge to the small ones in the family.
8. Animal Crossing: New Horizons - Nintendo
I don’t think New Horizons was ever targeted at children as there were mainly adults the ones who have been playing this Animal Crossing masterpiece ever since it was released during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Nevertheless, this title can be highly enjoyed by kids thanks to the wide variety of options the game offers to the player depending on their personality.
7. Fortnite - Epic Games
I mean… Do I really need to?... It’s Fortnite! Whether you love it or hate it, there are millions of kids all around the world playing this huge media phenomenon; and whether we agree or not with their supposedly micro-transactions, it’s the responsibility of the parents to both supervise their children and teach them they don’t need every Marvel skin that gets released every two months.
6. Big Brain Academy: Brain vs. Brain - Nintendo
If you’ve got a nerdy one at home, this is the perfect option for your kid. With several options, modes, and areas of the brain to train this isn’t only the perfect opportunity to have fun but also to activate the brain. As a teacher myself, I’ve included a little bit of this videogame at the beginning of my class with adults, so I’m pretty sure it’ll also go great with children.
5. New Pokémon Snap - The Pokémon Company
Seven words; taking pictures of Pokémon in their natural habitats.That's it.
4. Game Builder Garage - Nintendo
This is another one for the smarties; as an adult, I thought I was going to feel a little bit dumb trying to understand videogame programming, but the guys at Nintendo did an amusing job providing the tools to anybody with a Nintendo Switch to understand the basics and make their own games. Game Builder Garage is not only a tool to learn basic programming easily and interactively for people of any age, but it also has the most wholesome and funny characters.
3. Yoshi’s Crafted World - Nintendo
This is an underrated Nintendo Switch gem that should be brought up a little bit more; and what a perfect opportunity to do it by recommending it to the small ones at home. Yoshi’s Crafted World is not necessarily an easy game, but its accessibility along with the relaxing music, outstanding visuals, gameplay mechanics, and… YOSHI!!! Makes it a great option for everyone at home.
2. Among Us - Innersloth
The 2020 phenomenon is still alive! And their Twitter account rocks, by the way; if children are going to play it, I’d highly recommend it to it with them sharing the same space so they can build some communication skills along with the ability to lie and betray their friends while holding a poker face.
1. Minecraft - Mojang Studios
The world hasn’t been the same ever since Minecraft gained popularity in the early 2010s and became a cultural phenomenon; and honestly, it could’ve had died if it wasn’t because of the brilliant minds of hundreds of thousands of players around the world. This is, in my opinion, one of the best games a kid can play on any platform to put into practice their creativity and ability to be free in a limitless world.
