Is Among Us Appropriate for Your Kids?

Among Us is rated E10+ for Everyone 10+, with Content Descriptors that include Fantasy Violence and Mild Blood. It also has Interactive Elements that include “Users Interact,” meaning players are able to chat with one another, and “In-Game Purchases,” which lets parents know the game offers the ability to make additional purchases using real-world currency.

ESRB’s Rating Summary provides more detail, stating that “players can attack other characters by using various weapons (e.g., knives, pistols, spikes); brief animations depict characters eliminating each other (e.g., getting impaled, stabbed, shot), leaving behind a cartoony corpse for others to discover.”

While the action is very cartoony and lighthearted, some parents may want to look up gameplay videos to make sure it’s appropriate for their kids.

Where Can I Play Among Us and How Much Does it Cost?

Among Us is available to download on just about every platform you can think of with varying prices, including:

• Windows PC – $4.99
• PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 – $4.99
• Nintendo Switch – $5.00
• Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S – $4.99
• Android – Free-to-play
• iOS – Free-to-play

There are also several physical (e.g., boxed) versions of Among Us available to purchase at your retailer of choice, such as Among Us – Crewmate Edition or Among Us – Ejected Edition. These versions typically include in-game and (sometimes) physical extras in addition to the game disk. As such, price varies, starting at $29.99 for the Crewmate Edition, $49.99 for the Imposter Edition, and $89.99 for the Ejected Edition.

As mentioned, all versions include the ability to purchase in-game currency using real-world money, which can in turn be used to exchange for bundles of in-game cosmetics. The in-game currency, known as Stars, can be purchased for:

• 20 Stars – $1.99
• 30 Stars – $2.99
• 40 Stars – $4.99
• 110 Stars – $9.99
• 300 Stars – $24.99

As mentioned, these can be used to exchange for bundles of cosmetic items, which are strictly visual, and only customize the appearance of your Crewmate. These include accessories like hats, clothing (called “skins”), pets, visors, and more.

Alternatively, Crewmates can earn the Beans – the free in-game currency – through regular gameplay. Beans can be exchanged for individual cosmetic items as you play, meaning all purchases are strictly optional and do not impact the gameplay in any way. Note that you have to complete a match to earn Beans.

Both Beans and stars can also be used to exchange for “Cosmicubes.” According to Among Us developer, InnerSloth, Cosmicubes are “special items that have themed cosmetics you unlock via a branching path.” By activating a Cosmicube your player can earn a third kind of currency called pods, which can be used to unlock specific, themed cosmetics within that branching Cosmicube.

Make sure you visit ParentalTools.org for our step-by-step parental controls guides that can help you restrict (or block!) spending on your kids’ game devices.

How Does Among Us Play?

Among Us is an online, multiplayer whodunnit game that casts the players in one of two roles: The Crewmates (good guys!), or the Imposters (bad guys!). Crewmates are given specific jobs or tasks to complete, which change depending on the map. Meanwhile, Imposters are aliens that pose as Crewmates while sabotaging the environment and killing the real Crewmates.

For example, the original Among Us map took place on a spaceship in need of maintenance. Some Crewmates may be tasked with fixing wires, cleaning vents, clearing asteroids, and more, all with the goal of keeping the ship running smoothly. Imposters can sabotage these jobs and/or kill Crewmates to slow down the process.

Should the body of a Crewmate be found (which it will!), players can report it to start an emergency meeting. This meeting brings all players together to go over evidence, discuss who may be the culprit, and vote to eject someone.

The game ends when either all of the Imposters are ejected or there are as many Imposters as there are real Crewmates.

There’s a surprising amount of depth to Among Us, especially when you take into account the ever-growing number of maps, tasks, and roles (which dictate the tasks your Crewmate is best suited to tackle).

Managing Online Gameplay

A big part of Among Us is the social component of discussing a murder and scrutinizing evidence with your fellow Crewmates. Fortunately, between platform level controls, and in-game filters, there’s a lot you can do to keep things appropriate for your kids.

From the jump, make sure you set up a child account for your kids – especially if they’re under the age of 13. In fact, with all online services, it’s essential that your kids know to enter their correct birthday when creating an account. Children under the age of 13 are afforded numerous protections under the law regarding information that can be collected from them. During the signup process the game will prompt your kids to enter your email address, which will give you the opportunity to provide permission to set up a child account.

Once your kids’ account is set up, they will automatically be set to “Quick-Chat Mode”, which enables a set of canned phrases to communicate with other Crewmates. Furthermore, they cannot communicate directly with other users at all. As the parent, you are free to provide permission to allow your children to communicate directly through the game’s parent portal.

Beyond this, virtually every device offers additional parental controls to help manage or block online communication between players.

Being an Involved Crewmate

Most parents want to be the Crewmate that creates appropriate video game experiences for their kids, and the best way to do that is to stay as involved as you can. This can be as simple as encouraging an ongoing, judgement-free conversation with your kids about what they’re playing, why they like it, and more.

Depending upon the device, parental controls can help parents manage what their kids play, for how long, with whom, and whether (and how much) they can spend money on in-game purchases. ESRB offers free, step-by-step parental controls guides for many platforms as well as a Family Gaming Guide at ParentalTools.org.

The post What Parents Need to Know About Among Us appeared first on ESRB Ratings.

Is Among Us Appropriate for Your Kids?

Among Us is rated E10+ for Everyone 10+, with Content Descriptors that include Fantasy Violence and Mild Blood. It also has Interactive Elements that include “Users Interact,” meaning players are able to chat with one another, and “In-Game Purchases,” which lets parents know the game offers the ability to make additional purchases using real-world currency.

ESRB’s Rating Summary provides more detail, stating that “players can attack other characters by using various weapons (e.g., knives, pistols, spikes); brief animations depict characters eliminating each other (e.g., getting impaled, stabbed, shot), leaving behind a cartoony corpse for others to discover.”

While the action is very cartoony and lighthearted, some parents may want to look up gameplay videos to make sure it’s appropriate for their kids.

Where Can I Play Among Us and How Much Does it Cost?

Among Us is available to download on just about every platform you can think of with varying prices, including:

• Windows PC – $4.99
• PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 – $4.99
• Nintendo Switch – $5.00
• Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S – $4.99
• Android – Free-to-play
• iOS – Free-to-play

There are also several physical (e.g., boxed) versions of Among Us available to purchase at your retailer of choice, such as Among Us – Crewmate Edition or Among Us – Ejected Edition. These versions typically include in-game and (sometimes) physical extras in addition to the game disk. As such, price varies, starting at $29.99 for the Crewmate Edition, $49.99 for the Imposter Edition, and $89.99 for the Ejected Edition.

As mentioned, all versions include the ability to purchase in-game currency using real-world money, which can in turn be used to exchange for bundles of in-game cosmetics. The in-game currency, known as Stars, can be purchased for:

• 20 Stars – $1.99
• 30 Stars – $2.99
• 40 Stars – $4.99
• 110 Stars – $9.99
• 300 Stars – $24.99

As mentioned, these can be used to exchange for bundles of cosmetic items, which are strictly visual, and only customize the appearance of your Crewmate. These include accessories like hats, clothing (called “skins”), pets, visors, and more.

Alternatively, Crewmates can earn the Beans – the free in-game currency – through regular gameplay. Beans can be exchanged for individual cosmetic items as you play, meaning all purchases are strictly optional and do not impact the gameplay in any way. Note that you have to complete a match to earn Beans.

Both Beans and stars can also be used to exchange for “Cosmicubes.” According to Among Us developer, InnerSloth, Cosmicubes are “special items that have themed cosmetics you unlock via a branching path.” By activating a Cosmicube your player can earn a third kind of currency called pods, which can be used to unlock specific, themed cosmetics within that branching Cosmicube.

Make sure you visit ParentalTools.org for our step-by-step parental controls guides that can help you restrict (or block!) spending on your kids’ game devices.

How Does Among Us Play?

Among Us is an online, multiplayer whodunnit game that casts the players in one of two roles: The Crewmates (good guys!), or the Imposters (bad guys!). Crewmates are given specific jobs or tasks to complete, which change depending on the map. Meanwhile, Imposters are aliens that pose as Crewmates while sabotaging the environment and killing the real Crewmates.

For example, the original Among Us map took place on a spaceship in need of maintenance. Some Crewmates may be tasked with fixing wires, cleaning vents, clearing asteroids, and more, all with the goal of keeping the ship running smoothly. Imposters can sabotage these jobs and/or kill Crewmates to slow down the process.

Should the body of a Crewmate be found (which it will!), players can report it to start an emergency meeting. This meeting brings all players together to go over evidence, discuss who may be the culprit, and vote to eject someone.

The game ends when either all of the Imposters are ejected or there are as many Imposters as there are real Crewmates.

There’s a surprising amount of depth to Among Us, especially when you take into account the ever-growing number of maps, tasks, and roles (which dictate the tasks your Crewmate is best suited to tackle).

Managing Online Gameplay

A big part of Among Us is the social component of discussing a murder and scrutinizing evidence with your fellow Crewmates. Fortunately, between platform level controls, and in-game filters, there’s a lot you can do to keep things appropriate for your kids.

From the jump, make sure you set up a child account for your kids – especially if they’re under the age of 13. In fact, with all online services, it’s essential that your kids know to enter their correct birthday when creating an account. Children under the age of 13 are afforded numerous protections under the law regarding information that can be collected from them. During the signup process the game will prompt your kids to enter your email address, which will give you the opportunity to provide permission to set up a child account.

Once your kids’ account is set up, they will automatically be set to “Quick-Chat Mode”, which enables a set of canned phrases to communicate with other Crewmates. Furthermore, they cannot communicate directly with other users at all. As the parent, you are free to provide permission to allow your children to communicate directly through the game’s parent portal.

Beyond this, virtually every device offers additional parental controls to help manage or block online communication between players.

Being an Involved Crewmate

Most parents want to be the Crewmate that creates appropriate video game experiences for their kids, and the best way to do that is to stay as involved as you can. This can be as simple as encouraging an ongoing, judgement-free conversation with your kids about what they’re playing, why they like it, and more.

Depending upon the device, parental controls can help parents manage what their kids play, for how long, with whom, and whether (and how much) they can spend money on in-game purchases. ESRB offers free, step-by-step parental controls guides for many platforms as well as a Family Gaming Guide at ParentalTools.org.

The post What Parents Need to Know About Among Us appeared first on ESRB Ratings.

Find out everything you need to know to decide if Tears of the Kingdom is appropriate for your family.

Is The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Appropriate for Kids?

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is rated E10+ (Everyone 10+), with Content Descriptors for Fantasy Violence and Mild Suggestive Themes. Tears of the Kingdom does not have any Interactive Elements assigned, meaning players do not have the ability to interact online or make in-game purchases.

According to the ESRB Rating Summary, “Players use swords, hammers, bows, and explosives to attack enemies that generally disappear amid smoke puffs and/or collectible items. Stylized battles are sometimes frenetic, accompanied by impact sounds, cries of pain, and brief explosions.”

The Rating Summary also cites that some characters “wear revealing outfits.”

Where Can I Play The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom?

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is available on the Nintendo Switch.

How Much Does The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Cost?

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom costs $69.99 for the standard edition. If you’re interested (and can find one) there is also a Collector’s Edition, which includes some additional goodies for $129.99.

What is The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom?

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is the newest installment in the long-running series from Nintendo. The first game – The Legend of Zelda (Everyone) – was released in 1986 and created a template for action-adventure games that continues to influence game design to this day. With approximately 20 mainline Zelda games (not including spinoffs), the overarching story of the Zelda series is complicated. Between alternate dimensions, reincarnation, resurrection, time travel, and at least three separate timelines, it’s hard to keep the chronological events of Hyrule straight. Not to mention the fact that Nintendo is notoriously tight-lipped about the official timeline! That said, most of the mainline games in the series follow some thematically consistent underpinnings:

• There’s always at least one Link, and there’s (almost) always a Zelda. Most of the time these are various reincarnations of Link and Zelda, but there are a few direct sequels.
• There’s always an insurmountable evil. This often takes the form of the Demon King Ganon and/or his human form Ganondorf. He’s mean and scary and powerful; we don’t like him. Sometimes there are other evil big bad guys that want to resurrect Ganon. Other times there are big bad guys that are independent evil contractors and have nothing to do with Ganon.
• Link needs to traverse the world to collect powerful weapons and/or artifacts to defeat Ganon/Ganondorf/big bad guy to save the world!
• I’ve always thought of Zelda games as puzzle boxes. Be it in one of the series’ dungeons (which are large, themed environments often designed around a specific ability or item) or out in the open world – players can gradually unfold more and more of the environment by solving spatial puzzles of increasing difficulty.

Tears of the Kingdom is one of the few direct sequels in the series and picks up with the same Link and Zelda we saw in 2017’s The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (E10+). Breath of the Wild featured the first open-world environment in the Zelda series, allowing players to explore a seamless, open-ended Hyrule. Tears of the Kingdom looks to up the ante by changing up Hyrule’s environment, adding mysterious floating islands to explore, and introducing new abilities.

How Does The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Play?

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is a single-player, open-world, action/adventure game. Players will join Link in a combination of puzzle solving, monster fighting, and exploration, as he looks for Zelda and tries to defeat the resurrected Ganondorf. Tears of the Kingdom adds to the vast landscape of Hyrule with the addition of floating islands – aptly named Sky Islands – and new abilities to interact with the world.

One such ability is called Recall, which allows Link to essentially reverse the flow of time on a specific piece of the environment. For example, if a boulder falls from one of the world’s Sky Islands, Link can climb onto said boulder and use Recall on it to fly into the sky to more easily reach one of the mysterious floating masses. Link can also use this ability to gain the upper hand in combat. An enemy may launch a boulder at Link, but with Recall he can target said boulder and reverse its movement to instead bonk the enemy.

Tears of the Kingdom will allow the player to solve puzzles creatively using the Fuse ability. The player can fuse items found in the environment to create new and enhanced gear. Say you’re stuck fighting enemies with a frail branch… the thing is going to break after a couple of hits, leaving you high-and-dry. Using the fuse ability Link can combine that branch with a boulder to create a durable hammer to bonk enemies. This can be done with all manner of items and weapons, from swords and shields, to plants and monster parts.

Similarly, players can use the Ultrahand ability to create complex machines – like chariots, boats, flying machines, and more – that allow Link to traverse Hyrule with speed and pizzaz. Much of the traversal in the game is dependent upon a stamina meter. If Link is climbing a mountain and runs out of stamina he’ll fall to his doom. But using the Ultrahand ability Link can combine some logs, fans, and a balloon to reach the top of the mountain in safety.

Players will also battle various baddies using swords, axes, shields, fragile twigs, and more.

Link can also use the Ascend ability to… ascend! The catch is that Link can only Ascend through ceilings. Players can quickly navigate caves, buildings, and traps using this ability.

The extent of these mechanics is still unknown, but it’s clear that experimentation and imaginative problem solving will play a huge role in Tears of the Kingdom.

Players will also battle various baddies using swords, axes, shields, fragile twigs, and more. Players will help Link assess enemies, strategize, dodge, block, and attack to overcome a variety of classic (and new) Zelda enemies. Look forward to battling Bokoblins, to Moblins, to the fierce Lynel, and more! Seriously… watch out for those Lynels… save your game.

While much of the game is still a mystery, it’s clear that Link will need to find Zelda and join forces to save Hyrule again!

Be the Hero of Your Kids’ Video Game Play!

The best way to know what your kids are playing is to stay involved, whether they’re exploring Hyrule alone or jumping into another game with friends. As we all know, parents are the heroes of their homes, so it’s time to travel the Kingdom of Your Domicile on a quest to make sure your kids are having appropriate video game experiences.

A great first step is to visit ESRB Land to check the assigned rating information for a game before you decide to buy or download for your kids. There, you’ll find everything you need to know about the content in a game and (thanks to Rating Summaries) the context in which it’s presented to the player.

ESRB’s annual parent surveys reveal that many parents and caregivers also playing the game, watching gameplay online, and talking to other parents are very helpful in the decision making process. You may even want to pick up a controller yourself! Once you engage with video games, it will be that much easier to nurture an ongoing, judgement-free conversation with your kids about why they love them.

Tears of the Kingdom adds to the vast landscape of Hyrule with the addition of floating islands – aptly named Sky Islands – and new abilities to interact with the world.

Next on your quest is a trek along Household Rules Road. And by this, I mean it’s really helpful to set household rules for the whole family. Establishing rules around what your kids can play, when and for how long, with whom, and whether they can spend money on new games or in-game purchases can help everyone stay on the task and avoid speed bumps on your journey. Remember, some of these rules may even apply to you, like appreciating the rhythm and timing of a quest or match!

But everyone makes mistakes, so it’s helpful to equip your family with the Legendary Parental Controls. Virtually all video game devices – including consoles, PCs, smartphones, and some games themselves – offer parental controls to back up your household rules. We even have step-by-step guides to help you navigate activating these settings at ParentalTools.org.

While you’re there, you can visit the Family Gaming Guide for ancient wisdom on topics from managing screen time to keeping multiplayer experiences appropriate.

The post What Parents Need to Know About The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom appeared first on ESRB Ratings.

But what if you don’t know anything about Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment? Well, ESRB is here to outline what parents need to know so you can make sure it’s appropriate for your family.

What is Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart?

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is a single player, third person (meaning the camera is behind the character’s back) action platformer/shooter. For the uninitiated, this basically means that the gameplay involves a lot of running, jumping, exploring, and shooting!

Rift Apart’s visuals can best be described as a playable Pixar movie.

You and your kids will be dropped into the boots of Ratchet and series newcomer, Rivet, as they try to repair an inter-dimensional disaster set in motion by one of the series’ long-time villains, Dr. Nefarious. With the help of the eponymous Clank, some familiar faces, and new allies, Ratchet and Rivet will need to travel across multiple planets and dimensions to prevent the destruction of the known universe.

Saving the universe has never been so fun, colorful, and visually captivating. Insomniac has iterated on the tried-and-true gameplay of Ratchet & Clank while upping the ante to incorporate elements that solidify its status as a “next generation” video game. One aspect of this is Rift Apart’s visuals, which can best be described as a playable Pixar movie; accompanied by charming voice acting and relatable storytelling. The gameplay is also refined, expanding upon the tentpole mechanics of the Ratchet & Clank series with more varied movement (including a “rift tether” mechanic that allows players to traverse great distances in a blink), larger and more explorable areas, and frenetic combat (see below for what “combat” looks like in this game).

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is only available on the PlayStation 5, and while there is no multiplayer mode, the single player experience has multiple difficulties and dozens of collectibles that encourage replaying the game over and over. Even though only one person can play at a time, nothing is stopping you from sitting down with your kids and experiencing the game as a team!

Is Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart Appropriate for Your Kids?

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is rated E10+ (Everyone 10+) with Content Descriptors including Alcohol Reference, Animated Blood, and Fantasy Violence. It also includes the Interactive Element for In-Game Purchases, which in this case refers to the ability to upgrade to the “Deluxe Edition” edition with an additional purchase.

Many of the weapons are highly stylized and rather than simply shoot, have cartoony and entertaining effects.

ESRB’s rating summary of Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart goes into more detail, explaining that “players use over-sized blasters/ranged weapons, defeating enemies with fiery explosions, lightning, plasma blasts, and other effects (e.g., ice, fire). Players can also use a wrench for melee attacks at close range.”

Many of these weapons are highly stylized and rather than simply shoot, have cartoony and entertaining effects. While the Burst Pistol is a more straightforward laser gun, players can also use inventive weapons like the Topiary Sprinkler, which turns enemies into hedge-art (think Edward Scissorhands), and the Cold Snap, which freezes enemies in place as you continue to wreak havoc. Ratchet & Clank typically has a varied and innovative arsenal of silly weapons, and Rift Apart promises to continue the tradition.

How Much Does Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart Cost?

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart for the PlayStation 5 is available at various video game retailers for $69.99.

As mentioned, ESRB assigned the In-Game Purchases Interactive Element to highlight the players’ ability to purchase an upgrade to a “Deluxe Edition” which has additional content via the PlayStation Store for approximately $10.00. Beyond that, there are currently no additional offers to purchase digital goods for this game.

Don’t forget to visit ESRB’s step-by-step parental control guides at ParentalTools.org to help you  manage what your kids play, with whom, for how long, and how much money they can spend (if any!).

The post What Parents Need to Know About Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart appeared first on ESRB Ratings.