I’m a big believer that video games of all genres should be accessible to all ages. Sure, you need to make sure you’re stripping back all the gore, profanity, and raunchy themes. But, even from the seed of a Soulslike or a Beat-em-up, a kid-friendly game can blossom.
This notion extends to horror games, as several options in the spooky genre are effective ways to tap into the adrenaline rush. But also offer child-friendly experiences with mechanical depth and rich narrative themes.
However, it can be tricky to cut through the noise and decipher which games are appropriate and available on your chosen console. To help fellow parents, I’ve curated a selection of Peewee Horror Games perfect for an introductory fright fest if your kids are playing on PS5.
While I’ve focused on titles you can download for your kids on PS5, I’ve also noted when these kid-friendly horror games are available on other consoles and PC.
Note: For clarity, we are using the term ‘horror’ loosely. Almost all horror games carry an ESRB rating of T or higher, but we have gathered some spooky gems rated ESRB 10+ and below so that younger children can also explore this popular gaming genre.
Dredge
The Kraken Awakens
First, we have a title that is an excellent entry point to horror for kids, and, more specifically, to Lovecraftian horror. The game is a bit Jekyll and Hyde, as by day it’s a chill, explorative, fishing mini-game-fuelled resource-management affair. However, by night, things take a turn.
You need to deal with rising mania, as the terrors that lurk below the water’s surface try to take chunks out of your hull. All the while racing to shore to ensure you can sell your haul come morning.
It’s superb as the game is only as scary as you want it to be, because if you stick to your curfew, you’ll never have to deal with the spookiness at all. But, to get the full effect, I say you let your little ones brave the darkness.
Dredge is also available on PC, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox X/S.
ESRB Rating: E10+
ESRB Warnings: Dredge contains Animated Blood, Fantasy Violence, Mild Language, and Use of Tobacco.
Children Of Silentown
Stay Out Of The Forest
Even though they are perhaps just a shade too early to be considered part of my childhood gaming era, I still have a lot of love for point-and-click classics like Curse of Monkey Island and Day of the Tentacle. Which is why I think Children of Silentown is such a great horror title to show your younglings.
Mechanically, it’s straightforward to understand, with easy navigation and an intuitive interface, as well as a gorgeous art style. But above all, it’s a game with great puzzles that are challenging for kids, but nothing quite as taxing as your typical Johnathan Blow title.
Additionally, the horror is palatable and muted, suggesting peril rather than actual danger in most cases.
Children of Silentown is also available on Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X/S & PC.
ESRB Rating: E
ESRB Warnings: Mild Language
Outer Wilds
What Lurks In Dark Bramble?
This one might be a little bit of a hard sell, as Outer Wilds is a very cerebral time loop puzzler, and one that requires a lot of reading and understanding of the world around you. However, I would argue for the value of the experience of existing in this pocket solar system alone; it is worth letting your kids play with.
Outer Wilds isn’t an out-and-out horror game, but it has enough spooky moments to serve as a kid-friendly beginner horror outing. Such as the claustrophobic hourglass planets, or what lurks in Dark Bramble. But there are plenty of moments of relaxing levity between those intense moments.
Plus, if you really want to, you can introduce your child to the DLC, Echoes of the Eye, which truly is a horror experience from start to end. Mileage may vary, but it’s a unique experience I would recommend nonetheless.
Outer Wilds is also available on PC, Nintendo Switch and Xbox Series X/S.
ESRB Rating: E10+
ESRB Warnings: Alcohol Reference, Fantasy Violence
Hello Neighbor
Alien Isolation Sans The Aliens
While I feel that Alien: Isolation is one of the most seminal horror games of all time, I think we can all agree that it’s not a game particularly appropriate for a little kiddo. Unless you want to deal with the night terrors that come as a result.
However, there is a kid-friendly way to get your young one familiar with this cat-and-mouse horror format: Hello Neighbour. A game that has you sneak into your neighbour’s basement to see what weird things he’s been cooking up down there.
You get all the Alien Isolation-style gameplay courtesy of the intelligent AI at play, but without all the visceral dismemberment and otherworldly monstrosities. You might need to remind them that poking around in neighbors’ houses is a no-go, but that’s an easier conversation to have.
Hello Neighbor is also available on PC, Nintendo Switch and Xbox Series X/S. This game is also part of a larger trilogy, so be sure to check the sequels as well.
ESRB Rating: E10+
ESRB Warnings: Mild Violence
Cryptmaster
Words As Weapons
If you’re a gaming-literate parent, you’ll know the joy of finding a game that is both phenomenal to play and intellectually stimulating and educational for your child. That, in a nutshell, is Cryptmaster.
Cryptmaster is a typing-based game that not only tests your understanding of the monochrome and spooky world you inhabit, but also your mastery of vocabulary. Because in this game, the pen is literally mightier than the sword, as words serve as weapons.
On the horror front, however, the main source of spooks comes from the undead themes and the gritty art style. But thematically, the game is much funnier than frightening, making it a fun romp that gives kids a feel for horror settings.
Cryptmaster is also available on PC and Xbox Series X/S.
ESRB Rating: E10+
ESRB Warnings: Alcohol Reference, Fantasy Violence, Mild Language
Costume Quest 2
Trick Or Treat?
Many of the games listed here are geared toward the upper end of the E10+ category. So, how about a game that is very light on actual horror, but taps into the seasonal event where spooky, scary skeletons are in their pomp? Halloween.
Costume Quest 2 is a super kid-friendly and accessible RPG that sees you play as a group of kids during a night of trick or treating, and your goal is simple. You need to create the best costume possible, gather as much candy as you can, and fend off monsters as you go.
It’s the perfect way to celebrate spooky season in gaming form when it rolls around. Not to mention, it’s a phenomenal entry-level RPG to boot. Actual authentic scares might be at a premium, but as far as cartoon horror goes, this one is a hoot.
Costume Quest is also available on PC, Wii U & Xbox One. Plus, you can play the original Costume Quest on PC, PS3, or Xbox 360.
ESRB Rating: E10+
ESRB Warnings: Fantasy Violence
Pumpkin Jack
Move Over Jack Skellington
While we’re on a trend of games that are more spooky and Halloween-themed rather than outright horror, we should probably throw Pumpkin Jack into the mix.
In my experience with kids, there’s little that better holds their attention and tests their in-game reflexes like a 3D platformer. But the issue is that so few are being made these days. Hence why Pumpkin Jack is a must-try.
You get all the bells and whistles of a kids’ horror outing, with ghosts, jack-o’-lanterns, monsters, and more. But equally, you get accessible yet well-designed platforming sequences and rudimentary combat that is fun and frenetic. It’s all a little corny, sure, but that comes with the mascot platformer territory.
Pumpkin Jack is also available on Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.
ESRB Rating: E10+
ESRB Warnings: Alcohol Reference, Fantasy Violence, Mild Language
Goosebumps: Terror in Little Creek
A Creepy, Classic Series
One reason why I know that any Goosebumps game will be appropriate for my child is simple. I grew up with the Goosebumps series myself, and I know how well the series toes the line between scary without overstepping into overly unsettling or frightening territory.
It’s effectively along the same lines of horror as the punchiest scares found in a Scooby Doo movie, or a haunted house at a local funfair. Surface level horror that never gets gory, graphic or taps into any trauma.
Plus, in terms of gameplay, your kids will need to navigate puzzles, stealth sections, and action sequences, all of which will refine their gaming palette and sharpen their skills. Goosebumps is a stalwart of children’s horror for a reason, and this video game adaptation continues that trend expertly.
Goosebumps: Terror on Little Creek is also available for PC.
ESRB Rating: E10+
ESRB Warnings: Fantasy Violence