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Family-Friendly PC Games

Overview

Like any other form of entertainment, video games are made with specific audiences in mind. This sometimes means that a game is designed to be played by mature or adult audience, complete with content that is very inappropriate for children. To help make it a little easier to find games that the entire family can enjoy, I've put together this list of family-friendly titles.

Simply click on a game's title to view the full review.

Games in this List

0 - B C D - F G - J K - M N - R S T - Z

Captain Bible in The Dome of Darkness

ESRB Rating:	NR - Not Rated
My Rating:	Everyone
Genre:	Trivia / Adventure
Platforms:
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A free demo is available
In the far future, the Enemy has trapped a town in a Dome of Darkness. This deception field causes people to be easily misled by tricks and lies, and evil Cyber Deceivers are patrolling the streets to ensure the population doesn't learn the Truth!

Only by correctly applying the scriptures can Captain Bible free the population and destroy the Dome of Darkness!

Brief thoughts: The two main issues someone may have with this game lie in the short combat sequences and a few of the topics that might be discussed. However, none of the battles are particularly violent, and since this game was aimed at children, the game's installer has an option to disable the more serious topics.

Car Mechanic Simulator 2014

ESRB Rating:	NR - Not Rated
My Rating:	Everyone
Genre:	Simulation
Platforms:
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Car Mechanic Simulator 2014 is almost entirely explained by its title: the entire game revolves around repairing damaged cars or making changes to their components to make them run a little better. Surprisingly, it's actually a really fun game and a great way to spend a relaxing evening.

Brief thoughts: There is nothing offensive to be found here, though I'd suggest playing one of the newer Car Mechanic Simulator games instead, as they offer better features.

Car Mechanic Simulator 2015

ESRB Rating:	NR - Not Rated
My Rating:	Everyone
Genre:	Simulation
Platforms:
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Car Mechanic Simulator 2014 was an extremely fun game for what it was. I didn't expect it be much fun at all, but then that game went and surprised me with how much fun it was! However, there were some things that could have been done better, and Car Mechanic Simulator 2015 not only fixes the majority of these details, but it also adds some new concepts that make repairing virtual cars even more fun!

Brief thoughts: This game doesn't contain anything to be concerned about, unless you frequently lose track of how long you've been playing. In which case, plan to quit at a given time and stick to it.

Car Mechanic Simulator 2018

ESRB Rating:	NR - Not Rated
My Rating:	Everyone
Genre:	Simulation
Platforms:
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The 2018 edition of popular the Car Mechanic Simulator series brings with it a host of new features and quality of life improvements that fans of this franchise are sure to love! Importantly, DLC has been relegated to optional content - licensed cars and so on - so you can enjoy all of the new mechanics with just the base game!

Brief thoughts: You won't find anything offensive in this game - unless you count the way some people have treated their cars. On the other hand, it's easy to play for longer than intended, so be sure to watch your time.

Castle of Illusion

ESRB Rating:	E - Everyone
My Rating:	Everyone
Genre:	Platformer
Platforms:
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In this remastered classic, Mickey and Minnie's picnic was interrupted by the evil witch Mizrabel, who flew over and trapped Minnie in a magical bubble! Now Mickey must enter the witch's castle, defeat the Masters of Illusion, and save Minnie before Mizrabel can steal her youth!

Brief thoughts: Although this game does feature a witch and contains a lot of the classic Disney magic, there's nothing too serious to worry about here.

Catlateral Damage

ESRB Rating:	NR - Not Rated
My Rating:	Everyone
Genre:	Simulation
Platforms:
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Have you ever wanted to be a kitty cat? Well here's the game for you. The entire point of this silly game is to explore your environment, play with cat toys, and perform the feline's most sacred duty: knock things off the table.

Brief thoughts: The entire point of the game is to cause mayhem by knocking stuff over. In other words, you'll acting like a typical housecat.

Cats Organized Neatly

ESRB Rating:	NR - Not Rated
My Rating:	Everyone
Genre:	Puzzle
Platforms:
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Do you like solving puzzles? How about cats? In this cute game, you'll spend your time trying to figure out how groups of cats fit into the space available.

Brief thoughts: There's nothing offensive to be found here - this is a purrfectly clean and wholesome little game!

Cat Goes Fishing

ESRB Rating:	NR - Not Rated
My Rating:	Everyone
Genre:	Sports
Platforms:
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Cat Goes Fishing is one of those games that explains themselves with just their title. You're playing as a cat that decided to go spend their time fishing. But while that's all you do in this game, there's a lot of things going on underwater as the marine life in this game is alive and behaves more or less realistically. This can make it hard to catch specific species, but that's also what makes this game fun.

Brief thoughts: There's a small amount of blood shown whenever something nibbles at the fish you've hooked, but this is pretty ignorable.

Cave Digger

ESRB Rating:	NR - Not Rated
My Rating:	Ages 10 and up
Genre:	Arcade / Other
Platforms:
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In this virtual reality game, you'll take up your pick and mine precious minerals and other treasures from cavern walls. Backed by the best of frontier science, there's no limit to the amount of wealth you can acquire from beneath the Earth!

Brief thoughts: This is a generally clean game with a lot of imagination behind it, but there is one small issue that stands out - players can "eat" questionable mushrooms found deep in the mine with silly results.

Cave Story

ESRB Rating:	E10 - Everyone (Ages 10 and up)
My Rating:	Ages 6 and up
Genre:	Metroidvania
Platforms:
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This game is free, but a paid version is also available
Cave Story is an incredibly popular Metroidvania game about a mute little robot. When he wakes up in a dark cave, he's lost his memory and sets out to explore. However, it soon becomes apparent that this floating island is in the middle of a dangerous war between a power-mad Doctor and a dwindling resistance.

Brief thoughts: The plot of this game is focused around a war that pits the timid Mimigas against a mad scientist and his magical henchmen. Thus, characters die, there's a moderate amount of violence, and a lot of evil magic.

At the same time, most of this is depicted in a family friendly manner - compare it to older Disney movies like Sleeping Beauty.

Celeste

ESRB Rating:	NR - Not Rated
My Rating:	Ages 6 and up
Genre:	Puzzle Platformer
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Celeste tells a story about a girl named Madeline and her quest to accept herself; the puzzle platformer gameplay just makes things a little more fun. But don't make the mistake of labeling this as yet another coming of age drama. Madeline struggles with severe (and often crippling) anxiety. In fact, she has a number of anxiety attacks during the game, and the player will need to guide her through these situations.

Brief thoughts: Celeste itself is a magical mountain that warps reality so that those who climb it are literally confronted with their own inner demons. Thus, things get rather spooky at points, but the catharsis is definitely worth it.

Chicken Invaders: The Next Wave Remastered

ESRB Rating:	NR - Not Rated
My Rating:	Everyone
Genre:	Shoot 'em Up
Platforms:
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Although this sounds like a chicken-themed clone of Space Invaders, it's more than that. While most levels have you face off against Space Chickens, they rarely fly in a grid formation and there are plenty of levels that don't even feature them, making this a fun new twist on an old idea.

Brief thoughts: Even though you're shooting down flocks of Space Chickens with different types of ray guns, this is a very silly and family friendly game overall.

Chime

ESRB Rating:	NR - Not Rated
My Rating:	Everyone
Genre:	Rhythm / Puzzle
Platforms:
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Chime is a puzzle game where you place various pieces on a grid in order to create "quads". This game's unique twist comes in what happens as you cover a level: where and how you place the pieces causes changes in the level's music and visual effects!

Brief thoughts: The only possible issue here is with the lyrics of one of the songs. The song in question is "Still Alive", which is the credits theme from Portal, and it's really only an issue if you're not familiar with the song's context.

Chime Sharp

ESRB Rating:	E - Everyone
My Rating:	Everyone
Genre:	Puzzle
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The original Chime was a great little game with a devoted following. Unfortunately, this sequel feels unpolished and in some cases, even unfinished compared to the first game.

Brief thoughts: This puzzle game doesn't have any objectionable content to worry about.

Chip's Challenge

ESRB Rating:	NR - Not Rated
My Rating:	Everyone
Genre:	Puzzle
Platforms:
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This game is completely free!
In order to join the Bit Busters and hang out with the girl of his dreams, "nerdy" Chip McCallahan must solve an elaborate series of brain teasing puzzles!

Brief thoughts: This game is quite family friendly - even though Chip can be hurt by various hazards, it's just a "bummer", and nothing more.

The Chronicles of Emerland: Solitaire

ESRB Rating:	NR - Not Rated
My Rating:	Everyone
Genre:	Card Game
Platforms:
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In this game, you take on the role of a young apprentice to an elderly "card wizard". But before your training can really begin, his evil former student arrives and threatens to destroy the world. Yes, it's admittedly as corny as it sounds, but a corny story now and then is worth it if the game is fun, making this title a worthwhile palette cleanser among all of the serious and gritty games out there.

Brief thoughts: As this game is based around a fairy tale style story, it's full of magical creatures and magic. But at the same time, this game is more lighthearted than most Disney movies.

Chuzzle Deluxe

ESRB Rating:	E - Everyone
My Rating:	Everyone
Genre:	Match 3
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This cute puzzle game is all about matching "Chuzzles" - the adorable little fuzzballs that make up the game pieces. Line them up in groups of three or more to change them back into magical energy and collect them in your flask, clearing the level and earning points!

Brief thoughts: There's nothing to worry about here - just a bunch of cute little fuzzballs popping when you match them.

Coloring Pixels

ESRB Rating:	NR - Not Rated
My Rating:	Everyone
Genre:	Other
Platforms:
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This game is free, but paid features exist
Have you ever tried a color by number kit? That's the idea behind Coloring Pixels. Each pixel displays a number, and you simply color the pixel using the color that number represents. There are a huge number of images to paint, and more come out as DLC on a regular basis!

Brief thoughts: Since all you do here is color in images, the most offensive things you'll find here are puzzles depicting things from mythology or holidays like Halloween, and even then, everything is kept very family friendly.

Cooking Fever

ESRB Rating:	E - Everyone
My Rating:	Ages 10 and up
Genre:	Time Management
Platforms:
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This game is free, but paid features exist
Take on the role of a short order cook as you work your way through multiple restaurants and build a culinary empire.

Brief thoughts: The main issue with this game isn't its content, but rather the constant need to use gems for various things. While they can be earned very slowly via gameplay, players normally buy them using real money.

The Counting Kingdom

ESRB Rating:	NR - Not Rated
My Rating:	Everyone
Genre:	Edutainment
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Counting Kingdom is a mixture of edutainment and tower defense gameplay, and it works out fairly well. As the monsters advance, you use mathematical "spells" to make them disappear. Although it never really gets beyond basic math, this is an amusing way to practice crunching some numbers.

Brief thoughts: Although you're using "magical" potions and spells to defeat "evil monsters", this is just a framework to help children visualize math problems.

Cradle of Persia

ESRB Rating:	E - Everyone
My Rating:	Everyone
Genre:	Match 3
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In Cradle of Persia, you gather supplies by clearing chains of matching tiles. As your resources grow, you build up the Persian Empire and eventually release the genie from Aladdin's famous lamp.

Brief thoughts: The main issue with this game is that it's set in a stereotyped Islamic culture, complete with having the player construct a Mosque and a palace for their harem. Nothing indecent is shown, but this may make some people uncomfortable.

Cradle of Rome

ESRB Rating:	E - Everyone
My Rating:	Everyone
Genre:	Match 3
Platforms:
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Cradle of Rome is a by the book Match 3 game. As you match the various tiles, you collect resources to assist you in building the Roman Empire from the ground up. You don't command troops, manage taxes, or anything like you'd see in a city management game; you just provide the means to build the infrastructure, and the world moves on around you.

Brief thoughts: In-story, the player builds temples to the Roman gods and eventually becomes a god themselves. If you are just here for the Match 3 gameplay, this is easy to ignore.

Cuphead

ESRB Rating:	E10 - Everyone (Ages 10 and up)
My Rating:	Ages 6 and up
Genre:	Platform Shooter / Shoot 'em Up
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After being tricked into gambling away their souls, Cuphead and Mugman strike a deal to avoid paying up. Now tasked with collecting the "soul contracts" from other some of the Devil's other clients, the pair is led into one elaborate boss battle after another.

Brief thoughts: The Devil himself is the game's antagonist, and most of the characters in the game are indebted to him in some way. Yet, it's important to remember that at the end of the game, players are given the option to defy the Devil and save everyone from his clutches.

Cutesy: Quest of the Unicorn

ESRB Rating:	NR - Not Rated
My Rating:	Everyone
Genre:	Puzzle
Platforms:
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Bunty is a magical unicorn who can create cupcakes out of thin air. Unfortunately, this unique ability makes it hard for her to relate to others, who often bully her and chase her away. In this game, you'll be solving 15-Puzzles depicting different scenes from her adventure.

Brief thoughts: There really isn't anything wrong with this game, but the lack of support and outdated feature set makes it a poor choice for a modern gamer's library.