A SuperParent guide to the best games on Microsoft's console.
While our top 10 list contains some of the more recent Xbox games that we love, these are the equally great games that we’ve previously featured in our Top 10 or those that just warrant your attention. These are still great options for kids and teens!
Crash Team Racing Nitro Fueled
Rated E10+ for Everyone 10+
This family-friendly kart racing game is a remake of the original Crash Team Racing, which was released on PlayStation in 1999. Now, it’s on Xbox One! It stars characters from the popular Crash Bandicoot franchise, who must get behind the wheel on a variety of racetracks in order to protect their planet from the evil Nitros Oxide. Similar to other kart racing games, Crash Team Racing lets players collect items as they race, which they can use to sabotage their opponents or give themselves a temporary boost.
de Blob / de Blob 2
Rated E for Everyone / E10+ for Everyone 10+
The de Blob games are colorful platformers that challenge players to restore life to a black and white world that has been stripped of its color by the nefarious INKT Corporation. De Blob himself is a rolling ball of paint, so players need to make de Blob touch various objects (buildings, billboards, trees, and more) to paint them and complete quests. While both games share this same basic premise, de Blob 2 also contains side-scrolling platforming levels that give you more variety in things to do.
NBA 2K Series
Rated E10+ for Everyone 10+
This continually best-selling series also happens to be a gorgeous, fun, and deep simulation of NBA basketball. NBA 2K features every current team, player, and coach, along with a host of NBA legends. Over the years, the franchise has added story modes, the WNBA, and a whole online world that lets you hang out with others. Even a full-fledged esports league has sprouted up around the NBA 2K franchise.
PARENT’S NOTE: One thing to keep in mind for your kids is that there is an aggressive in-game purchase system in place in NBA 2K. Between stat boosting, clothing, accessories, and more, you could quickly feel the wallet drain. If you do plan to buy this game, make sure to toggle off in-game purchases through your system’s software.
Overcooked, Overcooked 2
Rated E for Everyone
Prepare for culinary chaos! The premise of the Overcooked games is to fill orders as quickly and accurately as you can. But it’s not like you can just drop off an order and pick it up. No, no. You need to chop vegetables, tenderize meat, make sure the soup doesn’t burn, and oh yeah — your kitchen is full of obstacles for you to deal with, like moving platforms. If you’ve ever played Diner Dash, you have a good idea of how intense the scramble can get. It’s an uproarious good time that teaches kids cooperation, leadership, and great communication skills. There’s very little reading, so this is appropriate for pre-reading kiddos, too.
Starlink: Battle for Atlas
Rated: E10+ for Everyone 10+
We’re going to let you in on a little secret: this is the Star Fox game that you’ve always wanted. Yes, yes, we know that Star Fox is a Nintendo thing, but this planetary exploration action game really is fun for the whole family. When Starlink first came out, it was all about the plastic toy line that could snap together as you played. Turns out, if you buy the digital version, it skips all the peripherals and you can just enjoy playing an awesome game. Read our take on Starlink, here.
Spyro Reignited Trilogy
Rated E10+ for Everyone 10+
The Spyro Reginited Trilogy contains updated versions of the first three Spyro games that were released on the original PlayStation: Spyro the Dragon, Spyro 2: Ripto’s Rage, and Spyro: Year of the Dragon. Each game is full of colorful and varied platforming levels, which challenge players to help a small purple dragon named Spyro defeat enemies and collect treasures. If you played these games when you were younger, you’ll notice a major difference in the Reignited Trilogy right off the bat: the in-game worlds have been updated with new, modern graphics that give the game a fresh look, while retaining the gameplay we knew from way back when.
Dragon Quest Builders 2
Rated E10+ for Everyone 10+
This role-playing game challenges players to defeat a cult called the Children of Hargon, which has “outlawed the building, cooking, and creation of all things.” To do this, they’ll need to travel to a variety of islands where they can mine for and collect resources, defeat enemies of multiple shapes and sizes, and complete quests for the world’s citizens (who have lost the ability to build) by constructing different rooms to suit their needs. The game’s resource gathering and building mechanics make it similar to Minecraft, but the inclusion of a lengthy story mode gives the game more direction. In addition to this story mode, the game includes an online multiplayer mode that lets players build with friends.
Minecraft
Rated E for Everyone
Originally released back in 2011, Minecraft lets players mine cubes, gather resources, craft items, and build pretty much whatever they can dream up. It’s available on every platform under the sun and has been spun off into several cool side projects, including an adventure game (Minecraft: Story Mode) and a classroom-ready educational tool (MinecraftEDU). Whether your kids are reconstructing Hogwarts, trying to take down the fearsome Ender Dragon, or glued to a Minecraft YouTuber like Stampy or CaptainSparklez, they’re probably thinking about Minecraft right now.
Rocket League
Rated E for Everyone
If you haven’t heard of this game yet (REALLY?!?!), let’s sum it up quickly: It’s supercar soccer. The game has been around for ages – it’s readily available on PC and all consoles. You can play together on a couch, against others online…or, one fun suggestion for the family: Let your kid play (solo against AI is always an option) and you do a live shoutcast of the match in the living room like you’re the commentator. For more information about Rocket League, check out our guide.
Zoo Tycoon: Ultimate Animal Collection
Rated E for Everyone
Time management, money management, crisis management — and zoo animals — it’s all here in this new rendition of a classic video game series. The goal of this management simulation game is to create the zoo of your dreams, attract a large customer base, and then keep everything in balance. Our favorite part of this game is toggling between the Tycoon view and the exploration view of the map. The first gives you a top down view of the zoo, where you build and manage your attractions. The best part is when you actually get to walk through your zoo, visit and interact with animals, and drive a buggy from one side of the zoo to the other. It’s such a zen experience, and is really a part of the game that will appeal to the youngest in your family.
Editor’s Note: The original version of this article was written by Libe Ackerman.
