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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) are helpful, but they mostly answer: "What content is in this game?" (violence, language, sex, gambling, etc.)
For kids and teens, research suggests the more important questions are often elsewhere.
For children and adolescents, research suggests that the more important questions often lie elsewhere:
GameCompass was built to bring that nuance into a simple, family-friendly rating: not just "is there blood?", but **"what is this game doing to my child's mind, emotions, and habits?"**
Kids and teens are still learning how to recognize what they're feeling, calm themselves down, persist through frustration, and shift focus. Well-designed games can help with that.
A 2022 review found that digital games frequently reduce negative emotions and help practice emotion regulation strategies, with small but meaningful effects.
The flip side is that weak emotional regulation can also be a risk factor for problematic gaming.
A 2023 study found that emotional dysregulation predicted a more addictive gaming style, suggesting that young people who struggle to manage emotions may turn to games in unhealthy ways.
This distinction is at the heart of GameCompass: we care less about "how many hours" and much more about **whether the design pushes toward compulsive, dysregulated use**.
There's 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 designing, planning, or inventing new solutions.
A 2023 study found a positive relationship between playing video games and creativity at work, mediated by psychological resources like confidence and hope.
Studies show that enjoyment and user experience strongly correlate with what kids actually learn: if the game engages healthily and feels good to use, they remember more.
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," or random rewards that can be purchased with real money. These systems feel and behave like gambling.
Children and adolescents are especially vulnerable to dark patterns: design tricks that push them to spend more time or money than they intended, such as:
Children's rights researchers note that these patterns can conflict with rights like privacy, rest, play, and protection from exploitation.
Not all intense engagement is bad: a child can be deeply absorbed in a project or game and still be healthy. But evidence suggests risk increases when playing becomes the main way to escape distress, rather than one tool among many.
This is why GameCompass rates **Addictive Monetization** and **Time Pressure & FOMO** as explicit risk dimensions.
Putting it all together:
"This game has violence / language / mature themes."
With traditional ratings, parents often have to guess. GameCompass exists to close that gap.
We take these findings and turn them into our **7-dimension system**:
We combine these dimensions into a **Health Score (0–100)**: 60% from what the game gives and 40% from how safe the design is.
Think of GameCompass as a **nutrition label** for video 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 "zero games." It says:
GameCompass is built to make those choices visible and practical—without having to read academic PDFs to figure it out.
Browse our catalog of rated games to find healthy options for your family.