Background information
Gaming with Zoe: my daughter’s first time on the Nintendo Switch
by Patrick Vogt
Scathing judgement for Brawl Stars, Pokemon Go, Fortnite and co.
17.5.2024
Translation: machine translated
Questionable, alarming, unacceptable - this is the conclusion of the German Stiftung Warentest. A number of widely used games apps for children were analysed. Only one game was "okay" for children.
On behalf of Stiftung Warentest, a panel of experts looked at a total of 16 popular game apps for Android, 15 of which were free and one of which was chargeable. The test field included the ten best-selling games in the period from January to March 2024, as well as a further six games that were selected with the help of young gamers because they are particularly relevant for children aged around ten. Here is the list:
For all games, the panel of experts awarded either "appropriate", "questionable" or "unacceptable" in six categories. These categories were:
- Child-friendly content
- safe use
- Report violations / support
- Advertising
- Game printing
- Purchase print
After all, Minecraft is only "questionable"
Five of the 16 games tested received an "unacceptable" rating in four out of six categories: the role-playing game Genshin Impact, Brawl Stars, Clash of Clans, Whiteout Survival and Township. With these games, but also with the others, the supplier is enticing young gamers to play more and buy more. In addition, there is content that is harmful to children, such as violence, sex and hate messages, for example in the games' chat rooms.
Pokemon Go (pressure to play) and Solitaire Grand Harvest (pressure to buy) only came out with an "unacceptable" rating. With sufficient parental control or if the child's account is not linked to a payment option, these games are of little concern.
Typical examples of high gaming pressure are countdown discounts or gifts that are given for daily gaming. It is manipulative when a cow in Township asks with a sad look whether you really want to stop playing and is rewarded with a gift for continuing to play.
Protection of children vs. business interests
The detailed test report is available in the current June issue of Stiftung Warentest or as a payable article online.
Where children can still find good games
In its article, Stiftung Warentest also provides suggestions for recommended games and links to suppliers that list such games. These are:
One possible alternative to mobile games is the console. As a responsible father, my colleague Patrick Vogt recently tried the Nintendo Switch for the first time with his daughter. He wrote down his experiences here:
And gaming expert Philipp Rüegg has written down his tips in this article:
How do you feel about gaming with children? What are your kids allowed to do and what not? Write it in the comments!
Header image: Pexels
Martin Jungfer
Head of Content
Martin.Jungfer@digitecgalaxus.chJournalist since 1997. Stopovers in Franconia (or the Franken region), Lake Constance, Obwalden, Nidwalden and Zurich. Father since 2014. Expert in editorial organisation and motivation. Focus on sustainability, home office tools, beautiful things for the home, creative toys and sports equipment.
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