🛡️ Parental controls and family safety · 🕹️ Games and platforms kids play
Steam (Steam Families)
By Valve. Visit Steam (Steam Families)
Desk research from the maker's own pages. Not yet tried by us. Checked 2026-10-24.
Steam is the biggest PC game store and launcher, also used on the Steam Deck handheld. Steam Families groups up to six household members: adults share their game libraries and set parental controls for child accounts. Parents can choose which games a child can see, block the Store, Community or Friends Chat, set hourly or daily playtime limits, read playtime reports, and approve a child's shopping cart instead of handing over a card.
Our take: Good controls for families of teen PC gamers; younger kids are outside Steam's own age rule.
| Ages it suits | 13+ by the terms (younger only through a parent in practice) |
|---|---|
| What its terms say about age | You may not open a Steam account if you are under 13; Steam says it is not meant for children under 13. Where a country sets a higher age of consent, a parent must consent first. Children in a Steam Family cannot leave it on their own. (terms) |
| Price | Free. Steam and Steam Families are free (Oct 2026); games are bought one by one and purchases are final except under Steam's refund policy. |
| Works on | Windows, Mac, iPhone and iPad, Android, Web |
| Account | A parent's account |
| Ads | None |
| In-app purchases | Yes |
| The AI in it | No AI in the family tools. |
What's good
- Shared family library saves money
- Child requests a cart and a parent pays
- Playtime limits and reports from phone or web
- Can block the Store, Community and chat
Watch for
- Terms say no accounts under 13
- Huge store with many mature games; set game access carefully
- Community, forums and an item marketplace are open by default
- Covers Steam only, not other PC launchers
Data and privacy
Valve says it does not sell personal data and will not knowingly collect data from children under 13; where local law sets a higher age, it requires parental consent first. Nothing in the policy about AI training. Read the privacy policy.
Does it work?
The maker's own claims only; no independent study found.
In the Big Index
- On the list 14 best typing games for kids
- On the list 17 best geography and history games for kids
- On the list 16 best science games and simulations for kids
- On the list 19 best coding games for kids
- On the list 18 best educational video games on consoles and PC (with ESRB ratings)
- On the list 18 best logic and puzzle games and apps for kids
- On the list 19 best learning games for tweens (10-13)
- On the list 22 kinds of learning games, explained
- On the list 17 famous learning games through history (and where to play them now)
- On the list 13 games where the learning is hidden best
- On the list 14 learning games for kids who say they hate learning games
Alternatives to Steam (Steam Families)
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 extrasNo ads
Fortnite
Epic Games · ages about 10-18
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.
Where these facts come from
- https://store.steampowered.com/subscriber_agreement/
- https://store.steampowered.com/privacy_agreement/
- https://store.steampowered.com/promotion/familysharing
- https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/593110/view/4149575031735702628
- https://help.steampowered.com/en/wizard/HelpWithSteamIssue/?issueid=816
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.