In a time when children are learning to use smartphones from an early age, many concerns are arising among parents regarding its impact on young minds. One of the most common concerns being: the fascination of young kids with online gaming. Online gaming platforms have all sorts of games from different genres that may or may not be age-appropriate for your kids. At the same time, there are many safety issues with a lot of games, especially the free-to-play ones. In such a scenario, Apple has launched its Apple Arcade service, an online gaming platform, which is not only safe for kids but also a fun place to learn and grow!
How is Apple Arcade Games Different from Other Gaming Platforms?
On the App Store or other gaming platforms, there are thousands of games that are either free-to-play or premium (paid). Obviously, the free to download games (although they often ask for optional in-app purchases and make money through advertisements) are preferred more than the paid ones. As a result, players often miss out on many great premium games, simply because they are not free.
Recently, Apple has come up with a gaming platform where iOS users would be able to play premium quality games without any interruption due to ads or in-app purchases. Apple Arcade is a subscription service which provides unlimited access to the full catalogue of games on a monthly subscription of $4.99. Apple Arcade games can be downloaded and played offline too, and many of these games will support game controllers that the users may already own. Since the service is subscription-based, up to six family-linked accounts will be able to access Apple’s exclusive range of exciting games for all age-groups that are free of ads, ad tracking or microtransactions. The platform also allows parents to block mature content under parental control settings.
Benefits of Apple Arcade Games
There are several positive aspects of Apple Arcade Games that make this platform a win-win for both parents and kids. As parents, one of our major concerns is to ensure that our kids are not exposed to any inappropriate content that may impact their innocent, but impressionable minds. In today’s Internet age, where all types of content are easily accessible on most gaming platforms, Apple Arcade provides a platform which is largely kid-friendly and can be managed to allow access to age-appropriate content only with its parental control settings.
Another major plus point of this service is its adherence to Apple’s strict privacy expectations, where no data is collected without permission and games are free of gated content or in-app purchases. Parents can now breathe a sigh of relief and abandon their compulsive need to make sure that their kids are not buying any extra characters via in-app purchases. You can happily let your child enjoy the high-quality fun games on Apple Arcade Games without worrying about any bizarre microtransaction or ad pop-ups.
Apple Arcade is not only safe for children, but also a delightful space for their young developing minds. There are many premium quality games on the platform that are educational and fun at the same time. These kid-friendly games are designed in such a way that they encourage inventiveness and interactivity among children. You can rest assured that your child is playing on a safe and secure platform that also promotes positive development through interesting kid-centric games.
The Games We Recommend
Here are some of our top recommendations on Apple Arcade Games that are suitable for your kids:
Butter Royale: Butter Royale is an engaging shooter game with a kid-friendly twist! Despite being a shooter game, it is a nonviolent multiplayer game where players engage in food fights and shoot other contestants with ‘Nutritionally Operated Machines’ (food-themed weapons) instead of firearms while attempting to escape from floods of butter. With silly weapons such as Mayonator3000, Sniparmesan and Breadzooka, children, as well as the adult members of a family, can compete with each other in a 5-minute match on Butter Island. These food fights are not only entertaining but also a great way to spend some quality time with your children.
Sneaky Sasquatch: One of the most adorable and fun games on Apple Arcade, Sneaky Sasquatch is a must-try for kids as well as adults. In this endearing game, the player is a sneaky sasquatch trying to collect food by ransacking campsites and selling it to a snoozy bear. You can also get help from a smart raccoon and use the money earned from the bear to shop at the raccoon’s shop.
Cat Quest II: This is another adorable adventure game which is highly engaging and fun to play. The adventure takes place in a kingdom of cats, where cats are being “purrsecuted” and two mighty heroes who are either cats or dogs (players can swap between a cat or a dog) are out to save the day. Full of funny puns, magic and cute characters, Cat Quest II is one of the best fantasy RPGs.
There are many more fun games that will challenge your kids as well as entertain them, these include Way of the Turtle, Dodo Peak, Frogger in Toytown, Sonic Racing, Rayman Mini and Chu Chu Rocket Universe. Although the gaming platform of Apple is fairly new, it is already earning many admirers and looks extremely promising, especially because of its kids and family-friendly approach. For now, Apple Arcade Games is one of the safer gaming platforms, which parents can easily trust with their kids.