Your Guide to May's Family Friendly Video Games
The last month before we start putting Switch 2 video games in this list.
Who’s ready for Switch 2? Honestly, most of the video game industry is, given how dire things feel these days. I’m not sure a single (even if popular) piece of video game hardware can change the trajectory of how things feel these days, but here’s hoping.
Once again, though, Apple Arcade is a huge headliner. It’s interesting how the company drops all of their game sat the same time, and much like Apple TV+, does an absolutely terrible job at ensuring anyone knows new games are coming to the service.
If you’re reading this, though, you know! There’s a lot of good games there!
If you represent these games and have a potentially interesting story to share about how these games consider kids as part of their audience, do get in touch with me!
WHAT THE CLASH? (Apple Arcade) — May 1
Description: Play solo or challenge friends to one-on-one battles in this hilarious party game. Players unlock modifier cards to create absurd combos like giraffle, toasty archery, sticky tennis, milk the fish, and more. They’ll climb the leaderboards, enter tournaments, or find new card combinations to make each match a chaotic and fun surprise with quirky twists. With simple touch controls, everyone plays as The Hand, a charming and stretchy hand with legs that players can customize with hundreds of combinations of unlockable items like eye patches, dresses, and earrings. Competitors will have to outplay and outgoof their opponents as they go hand-to-hand with family and friends in some seriously silly showdowns.
Rating: 4+
Price: $6.99/month
One of the first stories I wrote for Crossplay was about the delightful What the Car. It’s hard for video games to be funny, but these are, over and over, some of the funniest video games around. I cannot wait to see what they do when approaching multiplayer.
with My Buddy (Apple Arcade) — May 1
Description: Animal lovers will adore with My Buddy, a heartwarming game where players bond with a variety of dogs and cats, each with their own personality and appearance. Players will experience their pets’ growth, nurturing them through each stage of their lives and dressing them in unique outfits to express their individuality. With the ability to decorate their pets’ spaces and interact with them anytime, anywhere, this game brings the joy of companionship to life.
Rating: 4+
Price: $6.99/month
Is this the return of Nintendogs? (Side note: I’m a little surprised Nintendo didn’t find a way to try a spin on that concept with Switch.) The track record behind the developer of with My Buddy is hard to pin down; they’ve published other pet-centric games prior to this, but lacking reviews, it does not appear they were played much.
LEGO Friends Heartlake Rush+ — May 1
Description: Race through Heartlake City with the LEGO Friends and their pets in this colorful, fast-paced adventure. Players can jump behind the wheel as Aliya, Autumn, Nova, Leo, Liann, and more, customizing their cars with unique colors, decals, tires, toppers, and trails. While speeding through vibrant streets, they must dodge obstacles and collect treasures, completing exciting missions to unlock amazing rewards.
Rating: 4+
Price: $6.99/month
It’s been around since 2017? And pretty beloved? The user reviews for this game are glowing about the racer: “I love this game, I've played it when I was younger. And playing it now for nostalgia! It really feels like I'm playing the same game all those years ago and still being to date with the Lego friends. What's kinda disappointing though is that you have to pay for the other characters. I get those characters like Steve but the main girls should be free. Other than that this game is perfect!”
SUMI SUMI: Matching Puzzle+ — May 1
Description: Featuring beloved characters like Rilakkuma and Sumikko Gurashi from Japanese character manufacturing company San-X, this game invites players into the charming world of kawaii matching puzzles. With simple tap-to-match mechanics, engaging yet relaxing gameplay, and beautifully designed maps, SUMI SUMI : Matching Puzzle+ offers a perfect blend of strategy and fun for fans of cute puzzle games.
Rating: 4+
Price: $6.99/month
Cute! The user reviews on the free-to-play version of this game are positive, with the biggest complaints being—wait for it—all the ads. The “+” part of Apple Arcade, though, means you don’t have any micro transactions and you don’t have any ads.
Peglin (PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S/One) – May 1
Description: The dragons have been popping peglins and stealing all of your gold for as long as you can remember. Enough is enough. It's time to venture through the woods, conquer the fortress, and delve into the heart of the dragon's lair to take back what's yours and teach those dragons a lesson.
Rating: $19.99
Price: E
This was an excellent game when it released on other platforms, and it’ll be an excellent game on these ones, too. All that said, Nintendo World Report was a little mixed on the Switch version, saying “the lack properly explained mechanics and way in which you can’t influence the board made me feel quite frustrated as a player. But there is a very good game at its core, which kept me coming back again and again."
Among Us 3D (PC) - May 6
Description: Teamwork and betrayal in space… now in 3D! In this party game, Crewmates work together to complete tasks before one or more Impostors kill everyone aboard. Experience all of the same deception and deceit as the original Among Us in all three dimensions.
Rating: E10+
Price: $9.99
This was already made available on the Meta Quest store, with discouraging reviews like this one, given that it’s a social game: “This game disgusts me. More than half of the lobbies I join there are 7-9 yr olds shouting the N word. Report system is horrible. They are so many teamers not playing correctly. 13 yr olds acting childish and all they do is talk about puberty. Very sexist, people vote me out just because I’m a girl.”
Creature Keeper (PC) – May 8
Description: Creature Keeper is an action-adventure RPG where you Befriend Creatures and fight alongside them in real time. Explore a mysterious world and uncover the truth behind a strange sickness spreading across the land. Power up your team, fill out your Bestiary, and embark on your journey of destiny!
Rating: N/A
Price: N/A
This looks so cute and I intend to check it out on my Steam Deck this weekend, but I can’t find much coverage of it pre-release. Again, trailer is great, and it’s coming to Switch eventually, too. The developer has been working on this game for so long!
Revenge of the Savage Planet (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC) – May 8
Description: Revenge of the Savage Planet is an upbeat, satirical action adventure Sci-Fi. Jump, shoot and collect your way across vibrant alien worlds, uncovering new gear and upgrades, while discovering various hidden secrets.
Rating: T
Price: N/A
Truth be told, I bounced off the last game, but the co-op focus on this one has me going hmm. Gamerant enjoyed an early version of Revenge of the Savage Planet, saying it’s “shaping up to be a really special successor. The sequel seems bigger in just about every way from its multi-planet-spanning Metroidvania structure to its enemy variety and progression systems, and every inch of each world is teeming with personality.”
Spirit of the North 2 (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC) – May 8
Description: Unveil the mysteries of a beautiful ancient world in this breathtaking 3rd-Person Adventure, a sequel to the acclaimed ‘Spirit of the North.’ Take on the role of an isolated fox with a raven companion on a quest to restore the lost guardians and return home.
Rating: E10+
Price: N/A
Can’t find much on the sequel, but Pure Nintendo enjoyed the original back in 2020, declaring it a “a calming, occasionally frustrating journey through Nordic folklore.”
Little Kitty, Big City (PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4) – May 9
Description: Will you make your way home or will you explore what the big city has to offer first? I mean, getting home is obviously your main priority. Obviously. Well, it's one of your priorities. Maybe more of a guideline... It's definitely on your To-Do list somewhere! But first? Exploration!
Rating: E
Price: $24.99
Great game. More people should play it. No notes. Your kids should love it, too.
RoadCraft (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC) – May 20
Description: You run a disaster recovery company, specialized in restoring sites devastated by natural disasters. Many tasks await you to restart the local industry: clearing debris, replacing faulty equipment, rebuilding roads and bridges damaged by weather, and much more! With your vehicles, choose carefully your itinerary through abandoned factories, submerged dams, or out-of-service solar fields. As the operations manager, guide your transport trucks by plotting their routes on the map and ensure no obstacles block their way!
Rating: E
Price: $39.99
This one is probably beyond my daughters, but it is very, very easy to imagine having a terrific time with some young kids and causing mayhem. Let me know if you do this!
Deliver At All Costs (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC) – May 22
Description: The year is 1959. A time of rock 'n' roll, polka dot dresses and the ever-looming dread of nuclear annihilation. Step into the shoes of Winston Green — a down-on-his-luck courier with a fiery temper and a mysterious past — as he delivers highly unconventional cargo, leaving a trail of havoc and chaos behind him, ensuring he does what it takes to Deliver At All Costs!
Rating: T
Price: $29.99
The demo for this was fun. Aftermath seemed to agree: “I could and should be telling you everything else about the game now, what the rest of the demo was like, its story and structure, but to be honest I have no idea. Every time I've booted this up I've made one right turn out of a garage and just started driving into everything I see.”
Duck Detective: The Ghost of Glamping (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S/One, Switch, PC) – May 22
Description: You are the one and only Duck Detective, a depressed and recently divorced duck who must quack the case. Inspect evidence, make de-duck-tions, and solve this no-murder mystery!
Rating: E
Price: N/A
The first game was great—short, fun, charming. I’m expecting exactly that from this.
TMNT: Tactical Takedown (PC) — May 22
Description: Splinter and Shredder are dead. Help the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles tackle deadly new threats and the approach of adulthood in this fast-paced turn-based beat-em-up!
Rating: N/A
Price: N/A
Okay, probably not the TMNT game for the youngest kids, but maybe one you could boot up with your kid and have them make some (likely disastrous) tactical choices.
Disney Illusion Island (PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S/One, PC) – May 30
Description: Players will embark on a journey with Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, and Goofy to run, jump, swim, and swing their way through beautifully hand-drawn biomes in order to save the mysterious island of Monoth. Meet unlikely allies, defeat peculiar foes, and uncover hidden secrets on a solo journey or with up to three friends.
Rating: E
Price: $29.99
Again, one of the first stories I wrote for Crossplay was about this game. It didn’t click with my oldest, but I don’t think you should take that as an indication of quality; it’s just hard to pin her down on a video game that isn’t Gorilla Tag, frankly. Everyone else I know who’s spent time with this game has come away singing its many praises.
The Smurfs – Flower Defense (Meta Quest)
Description: The fairy Leaf is preparing to celebrate the magic of Nature along with the whole Smurf village. But little do they know that Gargamel will show up to spoil the party once again! Using a magic spell, he gets his hands on 20 Smurfs and chases the rest away from the village! Now more powerful than ever, Gargamel forces the Smurfs to flee, while the weakened Leaf returns to her flower state. After being dropped into their magical world, it is up to you to save the Smurfs, protect the Nature Fairy and stop Gargamel!
Rating: E
Price: $19.99
Looks…fine? Much like the Smurf movies? There’s a new one of those, I think? Pretty sure. Honestly, in this house, all we talk about is the new Lilo & Stitch movie, and I think it’s kinda wild that Disney doesn’t have a Lilo & Stitch video game queued up.