The best kids games on Xbox Series X / S are those that provide fun and exciting gameplay while never becoming too difficult.
Colorful worlds, funny characters, and tons of customization are all great things to include in a kids game.
The thought by developers nowadays is that games require constant handholding.
However, kids of generations past and kids now like a game that does not treat them like idiots. Game should be challenging but fair.
Regardless, here is a list of ten game recommendations that any kid would love to play on their Xbox Series X / S:
Crash Bandicoot N.Sane Trilogy
| Genre | 3D Platformer, Classic, Remake |
| Where to Buy? | Xbox Store or Amazon |
| Developer | Vicarious Visions, Iron Galaxy |
| Release Date | June 30, 2018 |
| Multiplayer? | No |
Let’s start things off with a classic video game franchise that many gaming veterans will remember playing through during their childhood.
Crash Bandicoot is one of the most popular gaming IPs out there, and the first three games expertly blend a mixture of tough platforming challenges and unique gameplay elements.
The core of Crash Bandicoot has always been the platforming. Jumping, spinning, breaking crates, and collecting crystals are the name of the game.
Furthermore, there are lots of other levels that are completely separate from this formula. Riding on a jet ski, a motorbike, and even a tiger are all things you can do in Crash Bandicoot.
The N.Sane Trilogy also includes additional content, such as more time trials. Time Trials are a staple in later Crash Bandicoot titles, but in the N.Sane Trilogy, time trials have also been added to the first game.
These stages were never designed with time trials in mind, but it can still be fun to frustratingly try to lower your time as much as possible.
The Crash Bandicoot N.Sane Trilogy is a nice pickup with three games in one. Any kid would be grateful to receive this as a present.
Banjo-Kazooie
| Genre | Platformer, Action-Adventure |
| Where to Buy? | Xbox Store |
| Developer | Rare, Playtonic Games, 4J Studios, Ultimate Play the Game, In-Fusio |
| Release Date | June 29, 1998 |
| Multiplayer? | No |
Banjo-Kazooie is one of the pinnacles of collection-based platformers. The game is just as relevant now as it was over two decades ago. The bear and bird have made their way over to not only the Xbox Series X / S, but to Nintendo Switch Online as well.
Additionally, the pair also finally became playable DLC fighters in Super Smash Brothers Ultimate. It’s clear to see that Banjo-Kazooie touched so many people that the game is still be talking about today, despite their only being two mainline games in the series.
When it comes to tight platforming, none do it better than Banjo-Kazooie. The game offers the right amount of challenge without ever becoming too frustrating.
Additionally, there are a ton of moves that can be learned over the course of the game to help makes things easier. From flight, to ranged attacks, and even invincibility, there is always something new to be found around every corner.
Speaking of which, the areas you explore in Banjo-Kazooie are so unique and filled with content. The background music also expertly reflects each world, and Grant Kirkhope has become a living legend among the community for his work on the game.
Music shifts between different areas within the same world. If you travel from the outside, into a cave, and then dive underwater, three different yet similar tracks will play.
The worlds themselves are also all unique, and despite fulfilling the standard tropes of platformer games (ice level, desert level, etc.), no level feels shoehorned into the game for the sake of meeting a quota.
We couldn’t talk about Banjo-Kazooie at length without discussing the amazing character writing in this game. Mainstays like Kazooie and Gruntilda are a joy to watch, but side characters have just as much charm and personality as the main cast.
Both Banjo-Kazooie and its incredible sequel Banjo-Tooie are available on Xbox Series X / S via direct download or through the Rare Replay game (along with some other titles such as Perfect Dark Zero and Kameo).
Stardew Valley
| Genre | Farming Sim, Life Sim, RPG, Pixel |
| Where to Buy? | Xbox Store or Amazon |
| Developer | ConcernedApe |
| Release Date | February 27, 2016 |
| Multiplayer? | Yes |
Stardew Valley is more than just your average farming simulator. In this game, you have inherited your grandfather’s farming plot.
Your job will be to maintain this said farm using hand-me-down tools and whatever coins you can scrounge together.
Stardew Valley is a relaxing RPG in which you can work alone or together with friends to build a thriving farm.
You will level up your skills in farming, mining, combat, fishing, and foraging. This will, in turn, unlock new areas for you to explore and new professions to try out.
There are tons of unique characters living in Stardew Valley, and each person has their own personality, schedule, and birthday.
As you build relationships with these residents, you will unlock mini-cutscenes with them and even uncover some of their secrets.
Players can also court and marry a partner to share the farm with. Stardew Valley is just as much a farming simulator as it is a life simulator.
For a nice break from the stress of school, Stardew Valley is a great way for kids to blow off some steam.
LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
| Genre | LEGO, Adventure, Open World |
| Where to Buy? | Xbox Store or Amazon |
| Developer | TT Games |
| Release Date | April 6, 2022 |
| Multiplayer? | Yes, split screen |
LEGO games have always come packaged with a nice helping of childlike whimsy. LEGO Star Wars games, in particular, have been great at transporting players to a fantasy-like sci-fi world that honors the source material.
LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga does exactly what its name implies. The game takes players through every Star Wars mainline trilogy.
During your adventures, you will be able to interact with some of your favorite characters from the Star Wars universe.
Additionally, players are free to explore these trilogies in any order they want. If you have a favorite character who only appears in the prequels, for example, feel free to start at the very beginning.
The controls in these games are simple but effective. Lightsaber swinging, acrobatic flips, and force telekinesis all make an appearance in these games and are so fun to play with.
You can also team up with a buddy to take on the vile Sith army (or teamkill your ally to reap the best rewards)!
LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga is a great game for kids and combines the charming LEGO aesthetic with the rich fantasy world of Star Wars.
Kingdom Hearts 3
| Genre | Action RPG, Fighting, Adventure |
| Where to Buy? | Xbox Store or Amazon |
| Developer | Square Enix |
| Release Date | January 25, 2019 |
| Multiplayer? | No |
Kingdom Hearts 3 transports you into a world of fantasy. The game is filled with so much charm that it becomes hard to not crack a smile when your favorite Disney characters start to show up.
Kingdom Hearts 3 keeps things simple enough so that newcomers to the series don’t feel too overwhelmed. The game continues to push a convoluted story, but if you can ignore the countless cutscenes dedicated to exposition, there is still an enjoyable experience to be had here.
Combat is far less demanding than it is in a game like Kingdom Hearts 2. While veterans of the series will certainly see this as a downgrade, it makes Kingdom Hearts 3 that much more accessible to a wider audience.
Inputting a perfect combo using all your assigned abilities can still be executed in Kingdom Hearts 3, but you can also mash away at the attack button before activating a super team attack.
Kids looking to have fun can enjoy the simple combat style, while hardcore gamers are free to handicap themselves by not relying on the easier mechanics.
The main draw of Kingdom Hearts has always been the worlds you travel to. Kingdom Hearts 3 is no exception, and the worlds here are just breathtaking visually and audibly.
The once original storylines for these character has been replaced, unfortunately, with only a few quick cutscenes from the respective films, with Sora, Donald, and Goofy, slapped into the middle of the action.
That being said, if you can move past the several minor shortcomings of Kingdom Hearts 3, it is a beautiful game to play through.
Rocket League
| Genre | Multiplayer, Sports, Racing |
| Where to Buy? | Xbox Store or Amazon |
| Developer | Psyonix |
| Release Date | July 7, 2015 |
| Multiplayer? | Yes |
Rocket League is both a fun party game to play with friends that can also be a competitive game for those serious about ranked play.
Rocket League has a simple premise. Get the ball into the back of your opponent’s net. However, the developers made sure that doing so would involve some of the most chaotic, random, and reactive gameplay out there.
In Rocket League, you control a small vehicle and must push a large ball around a court, hoping to score a goal.
Luckily, your vehicle comes with jet propulsion that can be used to speed past your opponents or give the ball one last push in order to score.
Rocket League is a great party game, and teaming up with a friend makes everything that much more enjoyable.
However, as mentioned, there is also a huge competitive scene for Rocket League, with professional tournaments occurring that offer massive cash prizes.
Definitely be sure to check out Rocket League for some fun multiplayer action.
Sonic Mania Plus
| Genre | 2D, Platformer, Retro, Action |
| Where to Buy? | Xbox Store or Amazon |
| Developer | Christian Whitehead, Headcannon, PagodaWest Games |
| Release Date | August 30, 2017 |
| Multiplayer? | Yes, split screen |
Sonic Mania is a love letter to Sonic fans across the globe. 2D Sonic hasn’t seen a dedicated game since the likes of Sonic Generations, and even then, only half the game was played as 2D Sonic.
Sonic ’06, Sonic Unleashed, Sonic Boom – these games definitely have their fans, but none manage to live up to Sonic’s full potential.
It seems a lot of the fans felt this way as a dedicated group of Sonic enthusiasts decided to try their hand at creating their own Sonic game.
That game was Sonic Mania, and it showed so much promise that the developers at Sonic Team decided to assist with both the production and commercial release of the game.
Sonic Mania is a game made for Sonic fans by the biggest fans of 2D Sonic out there. Each level feels both reminiscent of stages in the original trilogy of games while still feeling fresh with tons of new additions.
Sonic has always been known for catchy tunes that blare out in the background as you race through levels.
Sonic Mania continues this tradition by providing a wonderful soundtrack of upbeat and lively songs designed to get anyone pumped up and ready for action.
Sonic Mania has just enough challenge to keep kids interested without things becoming too challenging or too frustrating. Definitely be sure to check it out.
Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time
| Genre | Action, 3D Platformer, Adventure |
| Where to Buy? | Xbox Store or Amazon |
| Developer | Toys for bob, Beenox, Activision Shanghai, Hardsuit Labs, Iron Galaxy, Studios |
| Release Date | October 19, 2022 |
| Multiplayer? | No |
Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time has so much content packed into it that anyone playing through it could spend hours without ever completing everything to 100%.
There is a ton of things to collect from crystals, gems, and relics, all of which either help you progress further into the game or unlock various additional content like time trials.
On top of this, lots of the levels in Crash 4 can be replayed under stricter limitations. During these replayed levels, the art style often changes in order to help keep things fresh.
Crash Bandicoot games have always been known to include multiple playable characters. However, in Crash 4, there are more than ever before.
Characters such as Crash, Coco, Cortex, and even Dingodile are fully playable in this game and come with their own unique mechanics and levels.
Finally, Crash 4 has something that has become more and more commonplace in video games nowadays, that being tons of customization options.
These add nothing to the overall gameplay of Crash 4, but being able to try out new and funny skins is a nice touch.
The only reason why Crash 4 may not be considered a game for kids is that it can get pretty difficult at times. Depending on the age of the child, someone may need to step in for some of the tougher challenges.
Even still, Crash 4 is a difficult game for adults! That being said, Crash 4 is still a fun and amazing game that any kid would love to play.
Spyro: Reignited Trilogy
| Genre | Adventure, 3D Platformer, Remake |
| Where to Buy? | Xbox Store or Amazon |
| Developer | Toys for Bob, Iron Galaxy |
| Release Date | September 4, 2019 |
| Multiplayer? | No |
Spyro is a nostalgic classic that many gaming veterans will look back on as a big piece of what made their childhood so great.
Now, the next generation can also experience the same joy we did during our youth playing through one of the most expertly crafted platforming games of all time.
Spyro games masterfully blend tricky platforming challenges, tons of collectibles, and a lot of charming personalities.
The first game is a tried and true classic, and almost everything that made the original great is retained in the Reignited Trilogy.
Spyro is given a fresh coat of paint, and the level design has all been modernized in all three games to the point that the game is incomparable to the original.
Most of the gameplay is left unchanged, making this the definitive way to experience Spyro the Dragon (at least, if you are not a speedrunner relying on since patched exploits).
Spyro is a great game for kids, allowing them to fly, breathe fire, and charge into enemies, all while playing as a snarky child dragon.
Subsequently, in later games, the cast of playable characters is expanded even further. Each new character comes with its own unique mechanics and abilities, with featured levels often designed around them.
Spyro: Reignited Trilogy is just as good if not better than the original trilogy of games, and any kid would love to play through this set of games.
Minecraft
| Genre | Open World, Survival Crafting |
| Where to Buy? | Xbox Store or Amazon |
| Developer | Mojang Studios |
| Release Date | November 18, 2011 |
| Multiplayer? | Yes |
Minecraft is one of the most popular, highest-grossing, and most instantly recognizable gaming franchises of all time.
The fact that such a simple premise has since exploded into such mainstream popularity is a testament to the expert design of Minecraft as a whole.
There is no goal in Minecraft. Aside from the slaying Ender Dragon, which can be accomplished in several hours of casual playtime, the game is as open-ended as can be.
Minecraft is only as fun as you make it. If you choose to play through the standard survival mode, you will need to construct a safe place to live and store supplies. From there, you will need to gather materials, all while avoiding deadly enemies looking to end your life and destroy your hard work.
The joy in Minecraft comes from turning conception into realization. Turning an idea of a structure you want to build into reality after careful planning is what Minecraft is all about.
Alternatively, if you would prefer to skip all the mining and exploration of survival mode, you can play in creative with an unlimited amount of materials and the ability to fly around the map.
This mode allows for truly amazing creations, some of which have included entire cities, theme parks, and realistic portraits created by other players.
Since its initial success, Minecraft has since branched out into other avenues, such as its enjoyable single-player game, Minecraft: Story Mode.
Minecraft isn’t for everyone. If you don’t have the imagination with which to create something amazing, the game will be nothing more than a simple farming simulator.
However, the great thing about kids is that they are full of imagination. Minecraft is the tool that will allow the younger generation to express themselves. Additionally, there are a ton of Minecraft guides to help newer players get started or inspire them to build something amazing.
Whether kids choose to play with their friends or grind the game alone, there are hours upon hours to be spent in Minecraft’s blocky world.
