🕹️ Games and platforms kids play
Fortnite
By Epic Games. Visit Fortnite
Desk research from the maker's own pages. Not yet tried by us. Checked 2026-10-24.
A free online game where up to 100 players drop onto an island and fight until one person or team is left, plus building, racing, music and LEGO modes and thousands of player-made islands. It runs on consoles, PC and phones. Kids under 13 (or their country's age of consent) get a Cabined Account with chat and real-money buying switched off until a parent verifies and gives consent. Money goes into V-Bucks and passes.
Our take: Suits tweens and teens whose parents set up Epic's controls; skip for young kids who are not ready for combat games or social play.
| Ages it suits | about 10-18 |
|---|---|
| What its terms say about age | No minimum age. Players under 18 should read the terms with a parent, who accepts them for the child and is responsible for their use. Under 13 (or the local age of digital consent) gets a Cabined Account: no voice or free-text chat, no real-money purchases and no custom display name until a parent verifies as an adult and consents. (terms) |
| Price | Free, with paid extras. Free to play. Fortnite Crew is $11.99 a month and includes the Battle Pass and other passes (fortnite.com, Oct 2026); V-Bucks sold in-game and on gift cards. Purchases from Epic are non-refundable unless marked refundable. |
| Works on | Windows, iPhone and iPad, Android, Nintendo Switch |
| Account | A parent's account |
| Ads | None |
| In-app purchases | Yes |
| The AI in it | Epic says it trains machine learning tools to detect and moderate harmful and fraudulent behavior; play itself does not center on AI. |
What's good
- Cabined Accounts lock chat and spending until a parent steps in
- Fine-grained voice and text chat limits by age
- Purchase PIN, $100 daily cap for under-13s, and a switch to block paid random items
- Daily time limits and weekly time reports
Watch for
- Shooting and combat are the core of the main mode
- Constant new skins, passes and a $11.99 monthly subscription
- Chat with strangers is possible once a parent allows it
- Player-made islands vary in content; set a rating limit
Data and privacy
Epic says it does not sell personal data or use it for targeted advertising, and from April 2026 deletes a child's data after 18 months of inactivity. Voice chat audio is kept on devices for five minutes and sent to Epic only if someone reports; reporting is always on for under-18s. Read the privacy policy.
Does it work?
No study of benefit found. In 2022 the FTC said Epic broke children's privacy law and used tricks to cause unwanted purchases; Epic agreed to a $275 million penalty, $245 million in refunds, and chat off by default for kids and teens.
Alternatives to Fortnite
Desk researchPaidNo ads
7 Billion Humans
Tomorrow Corporation · ages about 10 and up
A great buy for puzzle-loving kids 10 and up who are ready to think like a programmer; younger children will do better with block-based coding games.
Desk researchFree, with paid extras
Among Us
Innersloth · ages about 9-16
A good family or friends party game in private lobbies; keep younger kids out of public lobbies.
Desk researchPaidNo ads
Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Nintendo · ages about 6-14
A calm, creative pick for younger kids; keep online visits to known friends.
Desk researchFree, with paid extras
Brawl Stars
Supercell · ages about 10-16 (App Store 13+)
Fine for tweens whose phone blocks purchases; skip if a child struggles with spending pressure or time limits.
Desk researchFree, with paid extras
Clash Royale
Supercell · ages about 9-16 (App Store 9+)
A real thinking game for strategy-minded tweens; lock in-app purchases on the phone first.
Desk researchFree, with paid extras
Gacha Life and Gacha Club
Lunime Inc. · ages about 9-14 (App Store 9+)
A creative toy for tweens if a parent watches what they post online; the dated privacy policy and age mismatch are reasons for caution with younger kids.
Where these facts come from
- https://www.epicgames.com/site/en-US/tos
- https://legal.epicgames.com/epicgames/privacy-policy
- https://safety.epicgames.com/en-US/parental-controls
- https://safety.epicgames.com/cabined-accounts
- https://www.fortnite.com/fortnite-crew-subscription
- https://www.fortnite.com/vbuckscard
- https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2022/12/fortnite-video-game-maker-epic-games-pay-more-half-billion-dollars-over-ftc-allegations
Prices, terms and features change. Nobody paid to be listed, nothing here is an affiliate link, and Peabody never rates itself. Where we and the maker disagree, the maker's own pages are the ones to trust.