9 Online Multiplayer Games for Your Kids (That Aren’t Shooters)

Tired of your kids playing violent shooters like Call of Duty? We’re here to help!

BY LUKE JOHNSTON: Tired of your kids playing violent shooters like Call of Duty? There are tons of popular multiplayer games out there with content friendly for children but still have the best multiplayer online experience.

Here are our top nine picks for the best kid-friendly online multiplayer games. These games are great to play just by yourself, with your kids, or with a lobby of friends.

1. Minecraft

Minecraft is more of a phenomenon than a game at this point. In Minecraft, you build your own world and survive in a harsh environment where creativity is the key. Minecraft has hundreds of minigames created by the community to test out with your friends, and creative mode gives you unlimited resources to create anything you want.

Not only is Minecraft an easy access point to get your kids into online gaming, but it’s also a great place to get your kid started on video games in general.

2. Among Us

Okay, so I’m stretching the “kid-friendly” part a little, but hear me out.

Among Us was the random hit game this year that blew us all away. With cute graphics and cutthroat gameplay, Among Us is great to play locally and online. The premise is simple: One person is the imposter and will try to stealth kill everyone else.

The great thing is Among Us is completely free on mobile and only five dollars on PC and consoles, making it a pretty easy investment. Be warned, it’s easy to get sucked in and just play “One more round.” And your child may say “Sus,” every five minutes from now on. It comes with the territory, I guess.

3. Rocket League

Rocket League is a bizarre game, but an addicting one. The gameplay is simple enough for a toddler to understand. Just drive the ball into the goal with cars. But the controls can take weeks, if not months to master.

Rocket League has a great chat system that encourages friendly teamwork, and lots of different modes to keep the gameplay fresh. Don’t like soccer with cars? Try Basketball with cars, or hockey. Rocket League might be too difficult for someone completely new at video games, but everyone else should give this game a shot. After all, it’s completely free now.

4. Roblox

Roblox is a great place for kids to play the games they want to play, and maybe even make their own. Roblox has over 40 million games and 150 million players, and those numbers just keep expanding.

In Roblox, the community makes the games, and Roblox can be a great place to learn coding and game development for the real world. Roblox is slightly infamous for it’s younger demographic, but it’s perfect for anyone of the same age who wants to use their creativity and game design skills to make something awesome.

5. Fall Guys

Okay fine, Fall Guys has definitely lost the king indie game to Among Us. That doesn’t mean it’s not a good game. With still over 80,000 players consistently and probably the most kid-friendly game on this list, Fall Guys isn’t dead just yet.

In Fall Guys you play as cute beans that try to win the crown over multiple wipeout style minigames. Expect crushing blows and euphoric highs as you win by the skin of your teeth, or um, bean.  Fall Guys is great if your kid is already into the Battle Royale genre but you don’t want them to play shooters.

6. League of Legends

League of Legends is one of the most popular MOBA’s of all time, and also a huge part of the Esports community and over 100 million monthly player count, according to the League News feed. League of Legends encourages strategy by working with a team and picking one of over 150 champions, each with different abilities and playstyles. League of Legends is great for people who love multiplayer online but are looking for something more in-depth.

7. Hearthstone

Hearthstone showing trading cards being played in a game.

Card games like Pokemon and Magic the Gathering are great, but online card games like Hearthstone are in a league of their own. Hearthstone is a free-to-play card game with juicy combat and an interesting fast paced strategy element. Although Hearthstone does have pay to win elements, the feeling of naturally finding a strong card and employing a good strategy is unrivaled and helps solidify the game as one of the best.

8. Pokemon Go

Pokemon Go showing Dratini in a street.

Pokemon Go became a sensation in 2016 when it exceeded 800 million dollars in revenue according to the Verge, and while that popularity hasn’t stayed, the game is still a landmark in multiplayer augmented reality. Pokemon Go is a great game to help get outside while also calling back nostalgia. In Pokemon go you travel the real world in search to become the very best, and catching them all means exploring your local downtown for all the rarest finds.

9. World of Warcraft

Scratch that Lord of the Rings itch with one of the longest-lasting MMORPGs of all time. Travel the world of Azeroth and level up your character as you fight monsters, find treasure, and complete quests.

World of Warcraft became one of the most successful games of all time, and the company Blizzard has recently released a Classic version of the game that allows the game to be played without updates and patches. Everyone should try out WoW once, just to understand why the game made such a huge cultural impact.