Game · Low risk
Is Animal Crossing safe for your child?
Age guide
6-8 years
We advise Animal Crossing from age 6 and up. Overall risk 3/10 (low risk).
- 5-8
- Younger children will enjoy the simple tasks like fishing, catching bugs, and decorating their house, focusing on the calm, creative aspects of their island life.
- 9-12
- Children in this age range can engage with more complex tasks like terraforming, trading items with friends, and understanding the in-game economy of Bells and Nook Miles.
- 13-15
- Teenagers might delve into designing elaborate islands, participating in online trading communities, or coordinating visits with friends to share resources and ideas.
- 16+
- Older players can optimize island layouts, engage in turnip trading for profit, and creatively express themselves through detailed design and social interaction with other players.
Animal Crossing is a life simulation video game series where players create and manage their own virtual island or village inhabited by anthropomorphic animals. The game encourages creativity, social interaction, and resource management as players engage in activities like fishing, gardening, and building relationships with neighbors. It features a non-linear gameplay style, allowing players to progress at their own pace and customize their environments extensively.
- Age guide
- 6-8 years
- Overall risk
- 3/10
- Violence
- 1/10
- Toxic behaviour
- 1/10
- Stranger contact
- 3/10
- Addiction risk
- 6/10
- Language
- 1/10
- Influence
- 3/10
What parents should know
Animal Crossing is a gentle, creative life simulation game promoting exploration and design. Its online features, like visiting other players' islands, require careful management through Nintendo Switch parental controls. The game encourages creativity, resource management, and social interaction in a low-stress environment.
What to do about Animal Crossing
Free with a Parentwise account. The age-by-age verdict needs your child's age, which is why it lives behind the account.
- The age-by-age verdict
What we advise for under 8, 8-12 and 13+ - our age guide for Animal Crossing is 6-8 years, and the answer changes with your child's age. - The one setting to change tonight
The exact Animal Crossing setting that cuts the most risk, with the steps to find it. - What to say
Word-for-word openers for talking about Animal Crossing without a row. - Red flags to watch for
The signals in Animal Crossing that mean it is time to step in.
Animal Crossing age rating and parents guide: common questions
What age rating is Animal Crossing?
Parentwise puts Animal Crossing at 6-8 years. We advise Animal Crossing from age 6 and up. Overall risk 3/10 (low risk). Violence scores 1/10, language 1/10, stranger contact 3/10 and addiction risk 6/10.
Can a 10 year old play Animal Crossing?
Yes, 10 is at or above the age we advise for Animal Crossing (6+). Children in this age range can engage with more complex tasks like terraforming, trading items with friends, and understanding the in-game economy of Bells and Nook Miles.
Can a 12 year old play Animal Crossing?
Yes, 12 is at or above the age we advise for Animal Crossing (6+). Children in this age range can engage with more complex tasks like terraforming, trading items with friends, and understanding the in-game economy of Bells and Nook Miles.
Can a 13 year old play Animal Crossing?
Yes, 13 is at or above the age we advise for Animal Crossing (6+). Teenagers might delve into designing elaborate islands, participating in online trading communities, or coordinating visits with friends to share resources and ideas.
Is Animal Crossing appropriate for kids?
Animal Crossing is a gentle, creative life simulation game promoting exploration and design. Parentwise rates Animal Crossing overall as low risk (3/10), with stranger contact at 3/10 and addiction risk at 6/10.
Is Animal Crossing family friendly?
Animal Crossing is one of the lower-risk titles we rate. Its online features, like visiting other players' islands, require careful management through Nintendo Switch parental controls.
Animal Crossing parents guide: what should a parent know first?
Animal Crossing is a gentle, creative life simulation game promoting exploration and design. The parts that most often catch parents out are stranger contact (3/10) and how hard it pulls for more time (6/10).
Is Animal Crossing safe for kids?
We advise Animal Crossing from age 6 and up. Overall risk 3/10 (low risk). Its online features, like visiting other players' islands, require careful management through Nintendo Switch parental controls.
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Release and popularity data comes in part from RAWG, TVMaze (CC BY-SA) and Wikidata (CC0). Safety guidance is written by Parentwise.