Your Guide to July's Family Friendly Video Games

Every month at Crossplay, we're going to look ahead at the video games coming out over the next few weeks, and see which ones fall into the family bucket.

Jul 12, 2023

One of the goals for Crossplay is to be more than a place for my personal musings. It’s meant to be a tool for parents with children of various ages, or people who are the cool aunt/uncle/whatever to a child in their orbit! If you find yourself interacting with kids, Crossplay should be useful to you, and “useful” can mean a lot of different things.

A common question is what games are fun to play with kids, and while one of my upcoming goals is to amass a guide to the “best” games for different age groups, in the meantime, every month I’m going to look at the schedule of upcoming games and highlighting what looks potentially interesting for families. We’re a little ways into July, but it still seemed like a useful exercise to run down what’s coming this month.

If you see a game that I’ve missed, please reach out and let me know! I’ll add it in.

If you represent these games and have a potentially interesting story to share about how these games consider kids as part of their audience, please get in touch with me!

Lost in Play (iOS, Android) — July 12

Looks like a delightful adventure game, with visuals that earn a comparison to a cartoon, and well reviewed on other platforms (PC, Switch, Mac). One reviewer called it as “an outstanding puzzle adventure game that can be played by everyone.”

Oxenfree II: Lost Signals (Switch, PS5/4, PC, iOS, Mac) — July 12

It’s been years since I played Oxenfree, which was a fun supernatural romp that’s probably too intense (and complex) for younger kids. But it’s not a jump scare game, and it’s easy to see how it might be enjoyable when played with a kid. I can’t say much about my time with Oxenfree II yet, but I can tell you that it’s a sequel to Oxenfree!

Ridiculous Fishing EX (Apple Arcade) — July 14

Described as a “3D” update to one of the iconic iPhone/iPad games, Ridiculous Fishing was a truly fun action/puzzle game where you used chainsaws and guns to catch fish as often as fishing lures. This update has new visuals and modes, and if you already have an Apple Arcade subscription (which is pretty worth it these days), you’re set.

Viewfinder (PS5, PC) — July 18

The kind of game that elicits a “wow” the first time you realize how the main mechanic works, which involves solving puzzles by manipulating and scaling photographs to insert new geometry into the world. It’s so cool. Don’t have a bridge? Just use a photo of a bridge, place one in the world, and you’re set! It strikes me as the kind of game I could see myself playing with my oldest, and soliciting their advice on how to solve a puzzle for a few minutes before we jointly agree to let me solve it.

Agriculture (PC, PS4/5, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox X/S) — July 19

Tough month for a farming game that’s not Stardew Valley, but Agriculture has the benefit of not being a life simulator. Instead, it’s a puzzle game with farming theming.

The Sims 4: Horse Ranch (PC, Mac, Xbox One, Xbox S/X, PS4/5) — July 20

My oldest is 100% going to get into The Sims when she can read more. We’ve tried the versions on the iPad, but the interfaces are too complex, the monetization kicks in too soon, and there’s too much reading. (She gets bored of me reading to her. I appreciate the independence!) This isn’t a new game, but an expansion pack for The Sims 4.

Stardew Valley (Apple Arcade) — July 21

Is this the moment where I give Stardew Valley a real shot? Famous last words, Patrick. The popular farming/life simulator was released on iOS years ago, but it’s arriving as part of a genuinely terrific Apple Arcade lineup for this month. Apple Arcade hasn’t become the original content powerhouse it was pitched at launch, but they are adding a tremendous lineup of existing games without annoying microtransactions.

Pikmin 4 (Switch) — July 21

The demo for Pikmin 4 was good, though it suggested a pushover for adults. But the combination of light strategy, rewarding exploration, and questions about whether Pikmin have souls sounds like a good combination. Didn’t get a chance to try the co-op in the demo, but she got a kick out of making me name my character after her.

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart (PC) — July 26

A fantastic action platformer, and one of my favorite games from the past few years. There aren’t many companies making games like this, and I’m happy the Ratchet & Clank series has found its groove again. If you missed out on this for the PlayStation 5, the PC release is a good opportunity to revisit one of the platform’s best games.

Let’s School (PC) — July 26

Okay, so this looks like a pretty intense simulation game that might go beyond the realm of most kids, but the prospect of being able to build a school with them might prove fun. We’ll see. I’m not sure my oldest will have the patience for a strategy game.

Return to Monkey Island (iOS, Android) — July 27

I have no idea if this style of humor or design works on anyone but people who fell in love with this style of game when it was popular, but for us olds, Return to Monkey Island is absolutely an excellent one of those that’s also conscious it exists in 2023.

Koa and the Five Pirates of Mara (PC, PS5/4, Xbox X/S, Xbox One, Switch) — July 27

I don’t have familiarity with the developers behind this, but it has PS2/Xbox/GameCube-era vibes, and reviews of their last game, Mail Mole, are decent.

Hello Kitty Island Adventure (Apple Arcade) — July 28

Animal Crossing + Hello Kitty sounds like a great combination, and the game does not seem to be making any attempt to hide the comparisons. Given Nintendo basically gave up on updating Animal Crossing, there’s probably a market for a similar game.

Disney Illusion Island (Switch) — July 28

I interviewed the developers of Disney Illusion Island about what it’s like to make games for kids, and while I’m not 100% sold on they’re going to pull it off, the platformer has good vibes. My worry, ultimately, is that it’ll prove too difficult for young kids and not difficult enough for older kids. Hopefully, I can review it this month!

Venba (PC, Switch, PS5/4, Xbox X/S, Xbox One) — July 31

Some of my kids’ favorite play sessions involve cooking, whether completely imaginary or with disposable food (i.e. cereal). Venba, about an Indian mom who immigrates to Canada, might prove too mechanically complex, but I’m hoping not, because it could be a vehicle for introducing a new, different kind of food to them.

Your Guide to July's Family Friendly Video Games

Every month at Crossplay, we're going to look ahead at the video games coming out over the next few weeks, and see which ones fall into the family bucket.

Discussion about this post