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Video games are neither "good" nor "bad" by default—it's how they're designed, how they're used, and who is playing that makes the difference. Here's the research that shaped our approach.
Traditional rating systems (like ESRB, PEGI, etc.) are helpful, but they mostly answer:
"What content is in this game?" (Violence, language, sex, gambling, etc.)
For kids and teens, research shows that the biggest questions often lie elsewhere:
GameCompass was created to bring that nuance into a simple, parent-friendly rating: not just "Is there blood?", but "What is this game doing to my child's mind, emotions and habits?"
Children and adolescents are still learning how to notice what they feel, calm themselves down, persist when frustrated, and shift attention. Well-designed games can actually help with this.
A 2022 review found that digital games often reduced negative emotions and helped youth practise regulation strategies, with small but significant effects. A 2025 systematic review identified 18 "serious games" specifically created to train emotion regulation for ages 6–18.
The flipside is that poor emotional regulation is also a risk factor for problematic gaming. A 2023 study found that emotional dysregulation predicted addictive-style gaming, suggesting that young people who struggle to manage emotions may turn to games in ways that become unhealthy.
A large study of 4,000+ adolescents showed that "addictive use" of screens (including games), characterized by cravings and inability to stop, was linked to 2–3× higher risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors—while total screen time alone was not the main predictor.
That distinction is at the heart of GameCompass: We care less about "how many hours" and much more about whether the design drives compulsive, dysregulated use.
There is now a robust body of research showing that games can support learning and development:
Studies suggest that video games can be promising vehicles for assessing and enhancing everyday creativity, especially when they require players to design, strategize or invent new solutions. A 2023 study found playing video games was positively related to creativity at work through building psychological resources like confidence and hope.
When games let kids build worlds, tell stories, or solve open-ended problems, they may be nurturing the same creative muscles that matter at school and in life.
Studies show that enjoyment and user experience strongly correlate with what children actually learn: if the game is engaging and feels good to use, kids remember more. So GameCompass pays attention to Educational Value and Creativity as explicit dimensions because the science says they matter.
This is one of the biggest gaps in traditional ratings—and one of the most important for families.
Many popular games include loot boxes, "gacha" pulls, or random rewards that can be bought with real money. These systems look and feel a lot like gambling.
Children are especially vulnerable to dark patterns—design tricks that nudge them towards spending more time or money than they intended, including:
Child-rights scholars argue that these patterns can conflict with children's rights to privacy, rest, play, and protection from exploitation.
Not all intense engagement is bad—kids can be very absorbed in a project or game and still be healthy. But research shows risk increases when gaming becomes the main way to escape distress, rather than one of many coping tools.
That's why GameCompass rates Addictive Monetization and Time Pressure & FOMO as explicit risk dimensions.
Putting all this together:
"This game has violence / language / mature themes."
Parents are left guessing with traditional ratings. GameCompass exists to close that gap.
We took these research themes and encoded them into our 7-dimension rating system:
We combine these into one 0–100 Health Score: 60% from what the game gives, 40% from how safe the design is.
Think of GameCompass as a nutrition label for games. We don't tell you what to play. We show you what each game is likely to give your child—and what it will ask in return.
The science doesn't say "no games". It says:
GameCompass is built to make those choices visible and practical, so you don't have to dig through academic PDFs to figure it out.
We keep updating this list as new research appears—because, like games themselves, this science is always evolving.
Browse our catalog of rated games to find healthy options for your family.