Parents may feel they have two choices when they go to buy games for their children: dark, blood-splattered adventures starring burly men or nauseatingly fluffy games with brand-name stars like Barbie. Fortunately, plenty of games fall in between the extremes: puzzlers, nonviolent action titles and quality sports games that aren't too gritty for kids 7 and up and won't make older gamers (of any age) feel like the kid in the pink bunny suit. So whether you're a non-gaming parent trying to cut through the marketing machine, or a gamer looking for some great games that may have flown under the radar, check out this guide, which is organized by platform-type (next-gen, portables and last-gen).
All of the games in this guide are rated E for Everyone by the ESRB, except when noted. A few have an E10+ rating: appropriate for "Everyone 10 and older." There's more information on the Entertainment Software Rating Board.
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