As a genre, RPGs are a great vehicle for telling fantastic stories in games. They facilitate the need for world and character-building in a way that doesn't come as easily to other genres. However, the reality of an RPG is that the player needs to get invested. The player must be curious about exploring the world as they yearn to see what might happen next. It sparks a sense of wonder that's beautiful.

However, this investment includes a lot of waiting, reading, and patience. Some RPGs will give the player everything, but others are more about what the player puts into the game. This, on the surface, might mean that the genre isn't ideal for younger gamers. That's a misconception, of course, since RPGs are also great to get kids interested in storytelling through both the written word and the environment. Not every game works, but there are plenty of great RPGs for kids. As a note, there are likely tablet-based games that work great, but this is focusing on console games.

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Updated October 28, 2022 by Mark Sammut: RPGs can be overwhelming for younger players. Not only do they tend to be lengthy experiences, the genre frequently touches upon mature themes that might be too much for children. As great as titles like Xenoblade Chronicles 3, Tales of Arise, Diablo 2, and The Witcher 3 are, they are not intended for 8-year-old children. Thankfully, the gaming industry tries to cater to all age groups, and that extends to this genre. This article has been expanded to include a few more kid-friendly RPGs.

17 Final Fantasy Mystic Quest

final fantasy mystic quest protagonist
  • Platform: SNES

Nintendo marketed Final Fantasy Mystic Quest as the ultimate entry-level RPG, one designed specifically for children or newcomers to the genre. As such, the SNES game (and the Nintendo 64's Quest 64) are worth considering for parents who want to start their children on a simpler, old-school RPG. Similarities to the main Final Fantasy games are present through Mystic Quest's battle system, however, there is less room for error. This extends to the exploration as the game is quite linear.

Frankly, Mystic Quest doesn't hold up that well and made the cut for this article primarily for legacy purposes. The game is by no means terrible, but it comes with plenty of outdated and frustrating mechanics.

16 Ni No Kuni: Wrath Of The White Witch

Ni no Kuni Wrath Of The White Witch

When thinking about which titles translate well into entertainment for younger kids, Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch is one of the first that comes to mind. The DS version would've been an easy selection, but the Remastered port on the latest consoles works as well. There are certainly a number of slow moments, and the areas may get confusing at times, but the sense of wonder it inspires is unrivaled.

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Ni No Kuni looks and feels like a Studio Ghibli movie, and that's by design. This goes through its whole core, with the colorful world and the heartwarming story. It maintains a consistent, family-friendly tone throughout without feeling designed for kids. Plus, the gameplay loop of catching, collecting, and battling is proven to be a success with kids.

15 Blossom Tales 2: The Minotaur Prince

Blossom Tales 2

Blossom Tales wears its Legend of Zelda inspiration proudly. While the games tend to stick a bit too close to the blueprint established by Nintendo during the '80s and '90s, they are also very competent interpretations of some of the greatest action-adventure RPGs of all time. Blossom Tales 2 finds a sister going on an adventure to defeat the Minotaur King who has kidnaped her brother, and this journey is presented as a story told by a grandfather to his grandchildren.

Along the way, kids can look forward to well-designed dungeons filled with puzzles, colorful characters, and simple but satisfying combat. Although not overly difficult, Blossom Tales 2 does offer enough of a challenge to keep older players engaged.

14 Garden Story

Player fishing in a river in The Grove in Garden Story surrounded by plants and a bridge

Another game that takes a page or two from Legend of Zelda's SNES era, Garden Story is a charming action RPG that casts players as a grape. Tasked with protecting his home from a corrupting force known as the Rot, Concord sets out to hack and slash his way to a solution.

Garden Story's adorable visuals hide an in-depth experience that includes multiple weapons, puzzles, tricky enemies, and an engaging storyline. If not focusing on side content, the campaign can be completed in roughly 10-15 hours, which is an ideal length for children.

13 Dodgeball Academia

Dodgeball Academia Throwing A Ball At A Pedestrian Outside Of Battle

Boasting a gorgeous art style reminiscent of modern cartoons and a storyline that would not be out of place in a sports anime, Dodgeball Academia is a treat. As Otto, players traverse the eponymous school recruiting members to join their dodgeball team so they can take part in and win a tournament. The game's RPG roots shine through its character progression system, world-building, and delightful side quests.

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Dodgeball Academia's core battle system is fun, although the dodgeball games can get repetitive after a few hours. Still, there is a lot to enjoy here, and the RPG has an impressive selection of accessibility options as well.

12 Paper Mario: The Origami King

Paper-Mario-The-Origami-King-Stapler Boss Fight

Although Nintendo doesn't refer to it as an RPG, The Origami King still contains enough of the spirit that it should be considered and recommended. The older Paper Mario games would work as well, but they're harder to obtain on modern hardware. Origami King is a colorful game loaded with heart, spirit, and tons of secrets to reward kids who love to explore.

The progression curve of the gameplay is perfect for younger kids as well. While it may be consistently too easy for an adult, the puzzle-combat does start to grow teeth during boss fights and later areas. It does a great job of teaching mechanics, then letting the player experiment with and use them freely. It's just challenging enough to be engaging without gatekeeping and would work great for a younger audience.

Link's Awakening Marin

Similar to Paper Mario, games in The Legend of Zelda series take inspiration from RPGs, even though their gameplay is certainly more akin to an adventure game. A few titles come to mind as great for younger audiences. A recent title that stands out is the remake of Link's Awakening. Released in 2019, this remake built the Game Boy classic from the ground up but remained true to the spirit and ingenuity of the original. Its art style is not for everyone, but it's adorable and kids would probably like it quite a lot.

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In terms of gameplay, Link's Awakening is an accessible game. It's not a long title, which is great for kids who have busy schedules or have their game time-limited. Additionally, there are still dozens of cool collectibles and secrets to uncover. It has wondrous music and a fantastical world as well. It may be tough for some kids, but perseverance is using the only thing needed to overcome its challenges.

10 Kingdom Hearts

kingdom hearts final mix sora opening

These days, it's hard to get a hold of a single Kingdom Hearts game. The value of the bundle means that fans have likely picked up it for their updated hardware. However, when looking at the series as a whole, it's the first one that stands out as a perfect game for a younger audience. Despite its age and a bit of jank, it's a great starting point.

The first Kingdom Hearts is not a game bogged down by years of backstory, spin-offs, deep lore, and other nonsense. It's a fairly simple RPG about a boy who uses the power of friendship to save his friends and destroy Literal Darkness. Plus, it has familiar Disney environments and characters. The only thing working against it is combat that doesn't feel amazing, but on easier difficulties, it's more than manageable.

9 Bug Fables

Bug Fables Seedling King Battle

As a replacement for a traditional Paper Mario game, Bug Fables is on the list. It's considered one of the best RPGs on the Switch, and that alone gives it some serious credibility. However, its adorable art style is not the only reason it has a spot here. The real reason is that its world-building is fantastic, and its writing is spot-on.

Bug Fables creates a world that is both fantastical and grounded in reality. The different areas all are sensibly interconnected, and it sparks mysteries through its map design that is sure to get kids asking themselves questions. Its story is fairly wholesome as well, with the core cast of characters going through arcs that are perfect for any age. On top of all of that, its turn-based gameplay is just wildly fun and great to mess around with

8 Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion

Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion Title Screen in the forest

What's a better game for kids than a story about evading taxes and circumventing bureaucracy on a grand scale? Most things, but fortunately tax evasion isn't the only thing Turnip Boy has cooking. The majority of the game is a Zelda-styled dungeon-crawling puzzle game, where the player is given tasks to complete at a regular pace. It's simple, but there's much more going on.

This is a game that isn't just great for kids, but one that is great to play with children. The writing has a lot of moments that will easily soar over a child's head unless they are dangerously online, but parents will appreciate it. It has fun music and a visual style that is just perfect. Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion is a funny game, it has a lot of heart, and it's affordable to boot. It's a great selection for an afternoon.

7 Chrono Trigger

chrono trigger pc battle
  • Platforms: SNES, PS1, Nintendo DS, Android, iOS, PC

Want to get someone into RPGs? Then start them off with one of the greatest of all time. Chrono Trigger's fantastic but somewhat convoluted plot means it might confuse really young children, but it should be fine for anyone closer to 10. SNES RPGs had a habit of being quite difficult, but Chrono Trigger is an exception. Along with the omission of random battles, Chrono Trigger's battle system is accessible, fun, and quick-paced. A perfect recipe to hold a child's attention.

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The JRPG is a success in every area that matters. The story is engrossing, the soundtrack amazing, the characters likable, and the visuals are beautiful despite the game's age. Chrono Trigger is also easy enough to find due to being available on PC and mobile devices.

6 Story Of Seasons: Friends Of Mineral Town

story-of-seasons-friends-of-mineral-town-1

If Animal Crossing was a role-playing game, it would have a spot on this list. However, a suitable replacement is the more role-play-oriented Story of Seasons series. While there are multiple titles available on recent consoles, Friends of Mineral Town provides the best jumping-on point for a young gamer. This comes through in its art style and scope, both of which are fairly tame compared to newer entries.

Unlike similar titles, Friends of Mineral Town offers a very wholesome experience through and through. It's a very cozy game, although it shares some brutal pitfalls players encounter in other games. It's a pleasant game to play at a leisurely pace, and the ability to make virtual friends is something anyone can appreciate. It isn't the most complex, but that works in its favor in some aspects.

5 Minecraft Dungeons

Minecraft Dungeons logo

Minecraft is one of the biggest games of all time, and its popularity spans all age ranges. This makes its spin-off, Minecraft Dungeons, a fairly accessible title for any age group. The game gives younger players an introduction to the Diablo-like genre of isometric action RPGs. It holds much of the same charm as the classic dungeon crawlers, but with a Minecraft twist.

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Dungeons is not the easiest game out there, but it's certainly very accessible. There's plenty of customization and multiple ways to play the game. The best aspect is that it has co-op gameplay, meaning that it's great for families. As an introduction to the genre, it works perfectly.

4 Miitopia

miitopia

The 3DS original may not have been given a great spotlight, but Miitopia is unironically a pretty fantastic RPG. It shares similar traits to the game Tomodachi Life, where the main draw is putting the Miis of your friends, celebrities, and a hamburger into wacky scenarios. Miitopia is all of that but in RPG form.

Miitopia is an ideal experience to create a wacky social game. The character creator in the Switch version is fleshed out in all the right ways. Younger gamers will get a kick out of going through the wacky adventure, and parents will likely enjoy playing it with their kids as well. Just make sure some of the spicier creations get filtered out, assuming that's an option. It's not a complex RPG, but it does enough to work well.

3 Super Mario RPG: Legend Of The Seven Stars

Super Mario RPG Legend Of The Seven Stars poster
  • Platform: SNES

Nintendo can be relied upon to think about the children when it comes to their iconic mascot. The Super Mario main games are the ultimate entry-level platformers, especially more recent releases such as Super Mario Odyssey. Super Mario RPG effectively delivers the same option for the role-playing genre, and it blends the franchise's platforming roots with Square's Final Fantasy. It also delivers a charming and whimsical storyline.

Unlike Mystic Quest, Super Mario RPG holds up very well and provides accessibility without dumbing down the experience too much. The result is a game that both beginners and veterans can enjoy.

2 Costume Quest

costume quest 1 game characters
  • Platforms: PS3, PC, Xbox 360, Android, iOS

A Halloween-themed turn-based RPG, Costume Quest and its 2014's sequel are endearing adventures soaked in child-like wonder. After their sibling is taken by a monster, the protagonist explores the neighborhood to fight off enemies, recruit characters, and locate their lost twin.

Costume Quest's defining mechanic is the ability to equip the characters with new costumes that determine the form they take in combat. The battle system is straightforward and simple to grasp, all the while delivering a great deal of visual flair.

1 Any Pokemon Game

Pokemon Red Box Art and Pokemon Sword Box Art

Of course, Pokemon is great for kids. It has been great for kids since it launched on the Game Boy. Gamers who got into the hobby at a young age after Pokemon was released likely played one or two growing up. The anime is a great show for kids, the card game is a great introductory TCG as long as the cardboard isn't getting scalped, and the games are great RPGs for kids.

There are also different Pokemon games for different age groups. Let's Go Pikachu and Eevee are simple enough that any kids would be able to play and enjoy them. Sword and Shield provide a more detailed experience and works for older kids. Those same older kids would likely also appreciate classics like Pokemon Platinum or HeartGold and SoulSilver. The fact that those games are considered "classics" now hurts my soul deeply, but they still hold up well. Pokemon is just fun for all ages and perfect for kids.

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