🎮 Learning games and sites · 🎨 Art, music and story makers · 💻 Coding
Microsoft MakeCode Arcade
By Microsoft. Visit Microsoft MakeCode Arcade
Desk research from the maker's own pages. Not yet tried by us. Checked 2026-10-24.
A free Microsoft editor for making retro, pixel-style video games. Kids drag blocks or switch to JavaScript or Python, draw sprites and maps, and play their game right away in an on-screen console. Step-by-step tutorials walk through platformers and other games, and there are full courses for schools. Finished games can run on small handheld game boards or a micro:bit with a shield.
Our take: A great free choice for kids who want to make their own video games; younger children may need help with the tutorials.
Checked in a browser
A browser check on 2026-10-25: what loads, the ads and trackers we saw, and what a child meets first. Not a hands-on test.
| Child safety: 5 out of 5 | No ads, chat or outside links except microsoft.com. |
|---|---|
| Data: 5 out of 5 | No ad, tracking or analytics networks; the only outside site was Microsoft's own visualstudio.com. |
| Ease: 4 out of 5 | Big picture tiles for tutorials and example games make it clear where to start, though the code editor is easier on a larger screen. |
| Cost honesty: 5 out of 5 | Free, with no upgrade prompt. |
What we found
- Contacted 1 outside site (visualstudio.com, Microsoft's own service) and set 2 cookies.
- 0 ad, tracking or analytics networks detected.
- The first screen offers New Project, Beginner Skillmaps and tutorials such as Chase the Pizza.
- No sign-up, buy or download prompts were found.
From the test: A clean, free game-coding site with no ads or trackers on the first visit.
| Ages it suits | about 9 and up |
|---|---|
| What its terms say about age | No account is needed. Optional sign-in uses a Microsoft, Google or Clever account; under Microsoft's privacy statement, a child under 13 (or older where local law says) needs a parent's consent to create a Microsoft account. (terms) |
| Price | Free. Free (Oct 2026). Optional handheld game boards from third-party makers are sold separately. |
| Works on | Web, Chromebook, A device |
| Account | No account needed |
| Ads | None |
| In-app purchases | None |
| The AI in it | No AI |
What's good
- Free, no account required
- Blocks to JavaScript and Python in one place
- Strong tutorials for making real games
- Can run games on physical handhelds
Watch for
- Without sign-in, work saves only in the browser
- Signing in under 13 needs a parent-approved Microsoft or Google account
- Covered by Microsoft's long general privacy statement
- Hardware costs extra if wanted
Data and privacy
MakeCode says it collects only what is needed to run its features and follows Microsoft's privacy policies; signing in is only for saving projects to the cloud. Read the privacy policy.
Does it work?
No independent study found.
In the Big Index
- On the list Top 50 free game sites for kids (2026)
- On the list 19 best coding games for kids
- On the list 19 best learning games for tweens (10-13)
- The maker in the who's who: Microsoft
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Where these facts come from
- https://arcade.makecode.com/
- https://arcade.makecode.com/identity/sign-in
- https://arcade.makecode.com/hardware
- https://makecode.com/about
- https://makecode.com/privacy
- https://makecode.com/termsofuse
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.