Game night
What can we all play tonight?
Tell us who's on the couch and what you play on. You'll get three video games that work for everyone, from the 4 year old to you.
As an Amazon Associate, How Kids Play earns from qualifying purchases. Ages are our call from playing these with kids, not official ratings, so check the ESRB rating too.
Every game the picker chooses from
All of these play on one screen, on one couch. We keep the list short on purpose.
Good from age 4 or 5
- Super Mario Bros. Wonder
Short levels, lots of silly surprises, and you can jump in and out anytime.
Little ones can play Yoshi or Nabbit, who don't take damage.
Find it - Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Three-minute races and everyone knows how it works.
Turn on smart steering and auto-accelerate, and a 4 year old finishes every race.
Find it - Kirby and the Forgotten Land
Bright, gentle and hard to get stuck in.
Pick Spring-Breeze mode, and player two plays as Bandana Waddle Dee.
Find it - Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe
A classic side-scroller that four people can play at once without chaos.
Kirby can float over almost any gap, which saves a lot of frustration.
Find it - Nintendo Switch Sports
Bowling and tennis you play standing up. Grandparents can play too.
Bowling works for any age. Start there.
Find it - Just Dance
Get off the couch. A song is three minutes and everyone can play.
Nobody cares about the score. Pick the silly songs.
Find it
Good from age 6 or 7
- Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury
Four players racing to the flagpole, and the cat suit never gets old.
Stronger players can carry a younger one through tough spots.
Find it - Luigi's Mansion 3
Spooky without being scary, with a hotel full of puzzles to solve together.
Player two is Gooigi, who can walk through bars and spikes.
Find it - Pikmin 4
A calm exploring game you can play at your own pace.
A second player can join as a helper, pointing things out and throwing pebbles.
Find it - Super Mario Party Jamboree
Quick minigames, and luck keeps everyone in it until the end.
Minigames are short enough that younger kids win their share.
Find it - Snipperclips
Cut each other into shapes to solve puzzles. Lots of laughing.
You have to talk it through together, so nobody plays alone.
Find it - Minecraft
Build a house together, then another one. It never really ends.
Creative mode has no monsters and nothing to lose.
Find it - Minecraft Dungeons
A simple dungeon crawler with loot, made for playing on one couch.
Easy to pick up, and fallen players come right back.
Find it - LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
Nine movies of smashing LEGO, with no game over.
Falling just drops a few studs, so little kids can't really fail.
Find it - Overcooked! All You Can Eat
A kitchen in chaos. Loud, funny, and it gets everyone talking.
Assist mode gives you more time on every order.
Find it - Moving Out 2
Throw couches out of windows as a moving crew. Kids love the mess.
Assist options make levels longer and objects lighter.
Find it - Rayman Legends
Gorgeous, funny, and the music levels are a family favorite.
When a player falls they float back in a bubble, so nobody sits out for long.
Find it - Sonic Superstars
Classic 2D Sonic, now with four players at once.
The camera follows the leader, so pick the steadiest player to lead.
Find it - Sackboy: A Big Adventure
Handmade-looking worlds and levels made for four players.
Players can grab and carry each other past hard parts.
Find it - Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime
Run around one spaceship manning guns, shields and the engine.
A younger player can take the shield station and still matter.
Find it - Human: Fall Flat
Wobbly physics puzzles that are more fun when they go wrong.
There's no timer, so nobody gets rushed.
Find it
Good from age 8 and up
- Donkey Kong Country Returns HD
Fast and hard in a fun way, for a kid who likes a challenge.
Player two can ride on Donkey Kong's back as Diddy and just help.
Find it - Unravel Two
Two yarn creatures tied together, solving puzzles in a quiet world.
Players can join into one character, so one person can carry the other.
Find it - Rocket League
Soccer with rocket cars, five minutes a match, and free to play.
Play on the same team against the computer before playing each other.
Free to play - Stardew Valley
Run a farm together a little each night. Very calming.
Everyone can have their own job: fishing, farming or mining.
Find it - Cuphead
Beautiful and really hard. Great with a kid who loves a challenge.
Simple mode makes the boss fights easier.
Find it - It Takes Two
The best two-player game in years, for a parent and an older kid.
Every level gives both players a different power, so you need each other.
Find it