Sony’s PlayStation 4 has a fantastic variety of games for a range of ages. But while some of their more mature games get most of the hype, they’re not always appropriate for younger players. Luckily, there are some great PS4 games for kids available without all the violence, gore, and language. Many of these games can be played in co-op mode with 2-4 players, and are pretty entertaining for adults as well.
To pick our top 5, we reviewed dozens of PS4 games for kids to identify the best of the best. We looked at age appropriateness, multiplayer availability, ease of gameplay, and overall story or themes. All of these PS4 games can be purchased online at Amazon.
There’s a good reason this game is so popular across multiple platforms. In Minecraft, players can build to their heart’s content, limited only by their imaginations. And with the multiplayer option, kids can play with up to 4 people locally, or 8 people online.
The 5 Top-Rated PS4 Games for Kids
Editor's Picks | Brand | Rating |
---|---|---|
Best Creative PS4 Game for Kids | Minecraft | 4.7 |
Best Lego PS4 Game for Kids | LEGO Marvel Collection | 4.8 |
Best Racing PS4 Game for Kids | Crash Team Racing - Nitro Fueled | 4.7 |
Best Sports PS4 Game for Kids | NBA 2K20 | 4.7 |
Best PS4 Game for Older Kids | Marvel’s Spider-Man | 4.8 |
*Ratings are from Amazon at the time of publication and can change
Best Creative PS4 Game for Kids: Minecraft
By now you’ve probably at least heard of Minecraft, either from the games, toys, or other pixelated merchandise products. Kids of all ages love playing it, and the PS4 Minecraft game is bigger and better than the last one. There are several game modes for your kids to enjoy. In Creative Mode, players let their imaginations run wild and build whatever they can think of, while Survival Mode has players collecting resources and building shelters while fighting off the mobs of monsters that spawn during the night. The game can be played as a single player or with up to four people on a split screen. If you have an active PlayStation®Plus membership, kids can play online with seven friends on the PlayStation Network.
This version of Minecraft includes all the features from the PS3 version, but adds bigger worlds and a greater draw distance. It’s rated Everyone 10+ for fantasy violence. Reviewers rave how much their kids like to play it and how even kids as young as 6 were able to pick up the controls and gameplay. If your child has enjoyed playing Minecraft previously, they’ll love the PS4 version as well.
Minecraft Key Features:
- Single player or co-op
- Creative Mode lets you build your own world
- Build, collect resources, and fight mobs in Survival Mode
- Rated Everyone 10+
Best LEGO PS4 Game for Kids: Lego Marvel Collection
This LEGO Marvel Collection game pack is three games in one. In LEGO Marvel Super Heroes, kids can take control of many of their favorite Marvel super heroes as they stop Loki and other Marvel villains from building a super weapon that can destroy the world. They can fly and smash their way through LEGO New York, Asgard, and the X Mansion as they follow an original storyline through different Marvel worlds. This is the easiest of the three games and reviewers say kids as young as 4 and 5 have no trouble playing the game.
Picking up the story where the first Super Heroes game left off, LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2 features an entirely new adventure with an expanded line up of heroes and villains from across different eras and realities. Join new characters such as the Guardians of the Galaxy, Doctor Strange, Green Goblin, Spider-Gwen, Ms. Marvel, and Ant-Man fight against Kang the Conqueror, a time traveling villain. The open world hub of Chronopolis lets kids discover 18 different Marvel locations. There’s even a battle mode for four players to either play against each other or together in themed challenges and battle arenas.
The third game in this pack, LEGO Marvel’s Avengers, lets kids join the Avengers and relive moments from the films in LEGO style. The open world and free roam gameplay allows players to explore scenes from the movies. Kids can play with up to 2 players locally, or up to 4 players online. This 3 pack of games also includes all season pass content for every game. Reviewers say these games are all kid friendly, easy to learn, and very fun. Even adults enjoy joining in on the cooperative play with their kids.
Lego Marvel Collection Key Features:
- Includes 3 Marvel Games: LEGO Marvel Super Heroes, LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2, and LEGO Marvel’s Avengers
- Multi player competitive and cooperative play options
- Rated Everyone 10+, but reviewers say younger kids can easily understand
Best Racing PS4 Game for Kids: Crash Team Racing – Nitro Fueled
Are your kids looking for a great arcade racing game? Look no farther than Crash Team Racing – Nitro Fueled. This update of the classic game has all of the original game characters, tracks, modes, weapons, and power-ups, but has added new carts and tracks. It also has updated graphics and way more content to enjoy. Kids can customize their cars and race their friends through all sorts of tracks. The offline split screen multiplayer mode lets them race with up to four people, and they can play with up to eight players online with a PlayStation®Plus membership and compete on the online leader board.
Reviewers say this is a great choice if your kids are looking for a PS4 racing game similar to Mario Kart, and that their kids and grandkids love it. It’s a fun game for kids or for the whole family, and kids as young as four can easily understand how to play. It’s won several awards for the Best Racing Game of 2019 and is rated Everyone 10+ for cartoon violence comic mischief.
Crash Team Racing – Nitro Fueled Key Features:
- Play with up to 4 players locally with split screen
- Easy for younger kids to understand gameplay
- Rated Everyone 10+
Best Sports PS4 Game for Kids: NBA 2K20
For kids that love basketball or sports games, NBA 2K20 provides amazing graphics, excellent game modes, and advanced character customization. They can play as their favorite current NBA teams, or choose from over 100 legendary teams such as the 2009-2010 Portland Trail Blazers or the 2002-2003 Phoenix Suns. And now 12 WNBA teams and 140 players are available in the PlayNow and Season modes.
The gameplay and graphics lend themselves to the most realistic player control ever, and provides advanced shooting controls, a react defensive game, and new dribble size-up system. More than just a basketball simulation game, NVA 2K20 features broadcast quality game presentation with all-new studio shows, game intros, and MyPLAYER interviews. Play with up to four players locally, or with a PlayStation®Plus membership kids can play with up to 10 players online and experience their immersive open world neighborhood. It’s rated Everyone for mild language.
Reviewers say that kids as young as seven love playing this game and they like how you can play different versions of each team such as the current roster or an all-star roster option.
NBA 2K20 Key Features:
- Best in class graphics and gameplay
- For 1-4 players locally, or up to 10 players online
- Rated Everyone
Best PS4 Game for Older Kids: Marvel’s Spider-Man
While the LEGO Marvel games are great for younger kids, your older kids and teens may prefer the challenges of the more advanced Marvel’s Spider-Man. Created by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Insomniac Games, and Marvel, this single player game is a brand-new Spider-Man adventure set in New York City, featuring icon Marvel and Manhattan landmarks.
This open world style game is full of parkour, web slinging, and wall crawling action as players take advantage of Spider-Man’s distinct acrobatics to defeat the villains with blockbuster style action. Featuring an older and more experienced Peter Parker/Spider-Man, the story follows him as a crime fighting master as he tries to take down big crime bosses in the city while managing his career and personal life.
This game has received rave reviews from critics and magazines alike, and reviewers say this is the best Spider-Man game created so far. They mention that it’s easy to pick up and it has fun and understandable gameplay mechanics. This game is rated Teen for blood, drug reference, language, and violence so it might not be appropriate for younger players, but reviewers say that their older kids and teens (and adults) love playing it.
Marvel’s Spider-Man Key Features:
- Single player game
- Open world explores Manhattan with iconic Marvel landmarks
- Rated Teen
Playing video games for a few hours here and there can be a great way for kids to be entertained and play with their friends, especially if they’re stuck at home. And with some of these multiplayer games, you can even join in the excitement and play with your kids, making it a fun bonding experience. If you need an extra hard drive to store the game files and downloads, be sure to take a look at our list of The Best External Hard Drives.