Super Smash Bros. Ultimate sends the year out with a bang.
Just because 2018 is almost over doesn’t mean all of the year’s good games have already come and gone. December will see the release of one of the biggest games of the year — Super Smash Bros. Ultimate — along with lots of other kid-friendly games your family can enjoy.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Rated E10+
Appropriate for: Kids who are comfortable with fast-paced gameplay
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is a kid-friendly fighting game that brings together characters from Nintendo’s games and other series (like Mega Man and Sonic) to do battle in intense environments. Ultimate includes every fighter from every Super Smash Bros. game ever released, as well as lots of new fighters, like Daisy from the Super Mario series, Isabelle from the Animal Crossing series, and Inkling from the Splatoon series.
Great if your kids love: Other Super Smash Bros. games, Street Fighter V, Soul Calibur VI
Katamari Damacy REROLL
Rated E
Appropriate for: Kids who are comfortable using analog sticks
Katamari Damacy REROLL is an updated version of the original Katamari Damacy, which launched on PlayStation 2 way back in 2004. The game challenges players to recreate the stars and other objects in the sky after the King of All Cosmos accidentally destroys them. How, you ask? By rolling around a sticky ball known as a katamari, which will automatically pick up items it touches, so long as they’re small enough to be grabbed. The more items players collect, the larger the katamari becomes, and the larger the items that can be scooped up. Gameplay is split into different levels, each with its own goal to complete.
Great if your kids love: Donut County, Slither.io
Persona Dancing: Endless Night Collection
Rated T
Appropriate for: Teens who like testing their reflexes
Persona Dancing: Endless Night Collection contains two rhythm games that challenge players to press the correct buttons on their controller in time with visual cues on the screen. Persona 3: Dancing in Moonlight is based on Persona 3 (a role-playing game released in 2007), while Persona 5: Dancing in Starlight is based on Persona 5 (a role-playing game from 2017). Both of these RPGs are rated M for Mature, while the dancing games are ok for teens.
Great if your kids love: Just Dance, Guitar Hero, Rock Band
PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds
Rated T
Appropriate for: Teens who enjoy multiplayer shooters
Previously released on PC and Xbox One, this battle royale game challenges 100 players to be the last one standing in each match. Users can explore buildings and other areas in order to find weapons and other items that can help them survive. During each game, players must stay within a safe zone, which shrinks in size over time, forcing players into closer proximity to one other.
Great if your kids love: Fortnite, H1Z1
Notable kid- and teen-friendly titles are in bold.
Saturday December 1, 2018
Rock Boshers DX: Director’s Cut, Switch
Monday December 3, 2018
Demetrios – The BIG Cynical Adventure, Switch
Tuesday December 4, 2018
Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom, Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Toki, Switch
Gear.Club Unlimited 2, Switch
Atelier Arland series Deluxe Pack, Switch, PlayStation 4, PC
Atelier Rorona ~The Alchemist of Arland~ DX, Switch, PlayStation 4, PC
Atelier Totori ~The Adventurer of Arland~ DX, Switch, PlayStation 4, PC
Atelier Meruru ~The Apprentice of Arland~ DX, Switch, PlayStation 4, PC
Pinball FX3: Williams Pinball – Volume 2, Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
Harvest Life, Switch
Gwent: The Witcher Card Game, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
Persona 3: Dancing in Moonlight, PlayStation 4 [VR Compatible]
Persona 5: Dancing in Starlight, PlayStation 4 [VR Compatible]
Persona Dancing: Endless Night Collection, PlayStation 4
Just Cause 4, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
Override: Mech City Brawl, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
Subnautica, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Assassin’s Creed Odyssey: Story Arc 1 – Legacy of the First Blade [DLC], PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
The Council Episode 5: Checkmate, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
Gods Remastered, Xbox One, PC
Monica e a Guarda dos Coelhos, Xbox One
Hearthstone: Rastakhan’s Rumble [DLC], PC, iOS, Android
Wednesday December 5, 2018
Energy Cycle Edge, Switch, PlayStation 4, Vita, Xbox One
Thursday December 6, 2018
Battle Princess Madelyn, Xbox One, PC
Rival Megagun, Switch
Carcassonne, Switch
Beholder: Complete Edition, Switch
LongStory: A dating game for the real world, Switch
The Last Remnant Remastered, PlayStation 4
Jagged Alliance: Rage!, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
Pathfinder: Kingmaker – The Wildcards [DLC], PC
Stellaris: MegaCorp [DLC], PC
Friday December 7, 2018
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Switch
Katamari Damacy REROLL, Switch, PC
Sega Genesis Classics, Switch
Hello Neighbor: Hide & Seek, Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, PlayStation 4
On a Roll 3D, Xbox One
Monday December 10, 2018
Guacamelee! 2, Switch
Tuesday December 11, 2018
Kingdom: Two Crowns, Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
EVERSPACE: Stellar Edition, Switch
Desert Child, Switch, PlayStation 4, PC
Solar Flux, Switch
S.O.N, PlayStation 4
Double Switch: 25th Anniversary Edition, PlayStation 4, PC
Earth Defense Force 5, PlayStation 4
Knights of Pen & Paper 2: Deluxiest Edition, PlayStation 4
Gungrave VR, PlayStation 4
Gungrave VR U.N., PlayStation 4
Idle Champions of the Forgotten Realms, PlayStation 4
Europa Universalis IV: Golden Century [DLC], PC
Wednesday December 12, 2018
Desert Child, Xbox One
Doom and Destiny, Xbox One
Insurgency: Sandstorm, PC
Thursday December 13, 2018
Sega Ages Phantasy Star, Switch
GRIS, Switch, PC
Omensight, Switch
Starman, Switch
SNK Heroines: Tag Team Frenzy – Jeanne D’Arc [DLC], Switch, PlayStation 4
Hunter’s Legacy: Purrfect Edition, Switch
Knights of Pen & Paper 2: Deluxiest Edition, Switch
Oxyjet, Switch
Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire – The Forgotten Sanctum [DLC], PC
Friday December 14, 2018
Big Crown: Showdown, Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
Lazy Galaxy: Rebel Story, Switch, Xbox One
Borderlands 2 VR, PlayStation VR
Rally Racers, Xbox One
Knights of Pen & Paper 2: Deluxiest Edition, Xbox One
Below, Xbox One, PC
Idle Champions of the Forgotten Realms, Xbox One
Kingmaker: Rise to the Throne, Xbox One
Plague Road, Xbox One
Monday December 17, 2018
Nippon Marathon, Switch, PlayStation 4, PC
Tuesday December 18, 2018
Donut County, Switch, Xbox One
Warhammer: Vermintide 2, PlayStation 4
Nippon Marathon, Xbox One
Wednesday December 19, 2018
Hellfront: Honeymoon, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
R-Type Dimensions EX, PlayStation 4
Road Redemption, Xbox One
Thursday December 20, 2018
Funghi Puzzle: Funghi Explosion, Switch
Nightshade, Switch
Guess the Character, Switch
Battle Princess Madelyn, Switch, PlayStation 4
Friday December 21, 2018
Clouds & Sheep 2, Switch
Sundered: Eldritch Edition, Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
Asdivine Hearts II, Xbox One, PC
Sunday December 23, 2018
Mech Rage, Switch
Monday December 24, 2018
Omega Strike, Switch
Brandy Berthelson has been writing about video games and technology since 2006, with her work appearing on sites including AOL Games, Digital Spy, and Adweek. When she’s not gaming, Brandy enjoys crafting, baking, and traveling with her husband.
