Steam is the largest international portal for online games, software products and movies. On the platform you can play and buy games. Gamers can connect with others around the world and play together. For this, you need to install Steam and sign up for free. This works with PC, Mac and Linux. Steam is also available as an app. The website serves as a forum for exchanging ideas about gaming and sharing fan content such as pictures and videos. Players can also chat with each other directly within the games. In the store you can buy games, but also within the games there are purchase options.
You will find countless games that can be free or paid. The platform offers a wide variety of games and genres. Young people particularly enjoy playing together with other players as a team. They also enjoy talking with others about their favorite games.
Due to the great variety on the platform, there are also games that are not suitable for children or can even be problematic. For some games, the age is requested in advance, but it is not checked. The community includes players and content from all over the world, so young people can easily get in touch with strangers. So-called trolls in particular can be a risk, because they deliberately provoke others, insult them and spread false news. Also, the posts, pictures or videos in the forum or chat may not be suitable for children.
According to the provider, children can use the platform from the age of 13. However, there is no verification of age. Spam, advertising and problematic content can be reported. For families, a family view is offered where parents can make precise settings and restrictions. Recently, there was a change in favor of the users’ privacy: By default, only online friends can see which games you own, how long you play, and which games are on your purchase wish list. Previously, the data of many users was publicly accessible, because only a few had set their profile to private.
Due to the large number of games and social media content, use is only recommended for older teenagers. If younger people want to use Steam, this should be well accompanied and common rules should be agreed upon. We recommend parents to use the family view. This is secured with a PIN. In a library, individual games can be defined and released for the children. Other features such as the community or the store must also be consciously allowed by the parents. The Player’s Guide explains in this tutorial how you should proceed.
Grand Theft Auto (GTA for short) is a computer game series very popular among young people. The first-person shooter is only released from 18 years – so not suitable for children and teenagers.
GTA V (5) is the latest version of the popular game series. In the fall 2021 three older parts of the GTA series (GTA 3, GTA Vice City, GTA San Andreas) were released for PC and newer consoles (
Switch
,
Xbox X/S
and
PS5
) re-released.
In all parts of the series, the player takes on the role of a criminal and has to complete missions and tasks in a fictional city. The character moves through a vast, open 3D world and has to commit a bank robbery or steal a car, for example. Through the First-person perspective and the realistic graphics immerse players particularly deep into the world and can feel the game is very real.
The game is also available as online multiplayer (
GTA Online
), where players move together in the world and communicate with each other.
communicate
can.
Among 14 to 17 year olds, the GTA among the most popular games. The game is very exciting, because gamers can do almost anything in the game and always have to complete new, very different tasks. The competitive nature and playing together with other “like-minded people” in the online multiplayer mode makes gamers stick with it. For
GTA Online
there is regularly new game content that can be downloaded, such as new missions or vehicles.
Young people can experience new things in computer games. This also includes the fact that they can test and cross boundaries here – in a fictional world without consequences. With such a game, some teenagers already feel older than they actually are. They prove to themselves and each other that they can already play such a game and endure the content, even if they are actually still too young.
The game sometimes depicts violence very drastically, even without it being necessary for the gameplay. Particularly problematic are Violence and Torture scenes and the questionable portrayals of women. For this reason, the USK comes to a Age rating of 18 years. Minors are therefore not allowed to be sold or given access to the game. Despite or because of this clear regulation, young people try to play the game and may come into contact with content and presentation that is not suitable for their age. The consequence can cause anxiety, abut also a permanently distorted image of women, for example. its.
Grand Theft Auto is one of the most successful games worldwide and is considered a cult game in the gaming scene. Since GTA V ‘s online mode is only available if you have Purchased the game and accordingly has proven his age, the provider is not obliged to take any further protective measures. As a result, retailers, online game stores and, ultimately, you as a parent are responsible for this.
Although not every child is equally and differently developed, parents should consider the Age ratings take seriously. These are determined by experienced examiners in controlled test procedures. When accessing games online, make use of the technical setting options, e.g., in the
Game console
.
Of course, it is impossible to completely avoid the possibility that your child may come into contact with the game through friends or other means. Talk to your child about first-person shooters and computer games if you know they are being used. Content and its impact should also be discussed and it should be made clear that not everything corresponds to social reality.
Peer pressure can also make your child eager to try the game. Confer with other parents and consider join with them a joint course of action.
Boys like to play soccer and Minecraft – girls like horses and play Star Stable. Fortunately, it’s not that simple. The developers of the online role-playing game Star Stable apparently see things differently. The game comes only with female characters.
In Star Stable, players ride a horse across an island and meet other female riders. They can communicate with them via chat during the game. You’ll have to complete missions, solve puzzles and win tournaments. This will allow them to get new clothes and better riding gear. Up to the fifth level the game is free, after that there are different payment models for the full version: you can buy access to the game for a month, three months or a whole year.
In addition to the game itself, there are complementary apps to enhance the horse experience for girls.
Star Stable offers a large virtual world that children will love to discover. The course of the game is designed by yourself. The characters your child can slip into, as well as their horses, can be customized to appear unique. Especially girls, for whom the game is tailored, can live out their love of horses here. The graphics are appealing and realistic, so they can get the feeling of sitting on a horse themselves. The landscapes and colors appeal positively to children.
The horse game already has a large community. There are several Star Stable Let’s Play formats on YouTube. In it, players give tips and comment on their own playing in an entertaining way. There’s even its own animated series on YouTube.
Before playing, players must first create an account and provide their date of birth. There is no verification of the information, so you can’t be sure if only children use the game. Therefore, there is a risk of cyberbullying and cybergrooming – even if the chat function is set to be child-friendly. Inappropriate language, such as hate speech, can also occur in such chats and be unpleasant for your child.
The free entry into the game has the goal of getting children excited about it, so that they would like to continue playing. However, the cost of the full version is quite high. There is also a virtual currency called Star Coins, of which each player receives 100 once a week. JorvikShillinge can be obtained, for example, by completing tasks. However, impatient gamers can also buy them directly from Star Stable ‘s store. Star St able sets strong incentives to spend money on accessories. Especially for younger children and teenagers, in-app purchases are a risk to spend a lot of money.
Despite the many options to customize his character and the horse, it is not possible to create a male or gender-neutral character. Even though horses are especially popular with girls, most boys are excluded from the start. The game conveys that horses and riding are not for boys. Thus, Star Stable falls back on classic gender roles, which can make both boys and girls feel discriminated against.
On Star Stable, the game makers have provided information for parents. In it, they emphasize the positive aspects of the game, such as learning social skills and developing a sense of responsibility through dealing with virtual currency. It is pointed out that parents should educate their children about possible risks and dangers of the Internet. Star Stable rules were listed separately for this purpose. There is no age recommendation.
The game makers emphasize to handle personal data of children particularly sensitively and to adhere to the so-called Safe Harbor agreement, which is dedicated to the protection of personal data of children collected online. It also states that no information or details about the account should be shared with third parties.
Since there is no specific age recommendation, you should check out the game for yourself before your child plays it for the first time. This will help you assess whether your child can already cope with the content, functions and fast images. Due to the possible risks, your child should be at least 10 years old and should definitely get to know the game together with you in the beginning.
Talk to your child about potential dangers and how in-app purchases work. Set time limits so your child doesn’t get completely lost in the virtual world. You can find more tips on this in our article “Games in the family“.
Try to make your child understand that horses and riding is not just a topic for girls. Should your son want to play the game, encourage him to do so despite the one-sided perspective of the game makers.
Telekom’s cloud gaming offer provides over 100 games of various genres that are played online via an app. You can create up to five profiles and customize usage based on your child’s age.
If you decide to take out a paid subscription with MagentaGaming , you’ll have over 100 games of various genres at your disposal, such as sports, action, adventure, and strategy. A total of five profiles can be created with one subscription. Relevant for parents is the possibility to protect the individual profiles with a PIN and to set an age limit. To do this, simply enter the age in your child’s profile. Your child will then only be provided with games that are approved for that age group.
Through the cloud-based system, the games can be used from different devices via an app. The game scores are stored in the cloud and are thus independent of the respective device. You don’t need a console or a powerful gaming PC, but can play via smartphone, PC or tablet. Only one person at a time can play within the app, simultaneous use is not possible.
In recent years, digital games have become increasingly present in the lives of children and young people. Mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets make it much easier to access them, as you are often not dependent on a console to play online. Digital games offer children and young people countless possibilities: They can race cars against friends, build their own city, or solve puzzles. To a certain extent , there is nothing wrong with that. Your child is growing up with media and digital games are a part of it. They offer room for creativity, promote certain skills and can also contribute to the transmission of values – not least, they are fun.
There are digital games that are not suitable for children. It is therefore advisable to create your child’s own profile and set it accordingly. MagentaGaming bases the age restrictions on the USK age rating according to the legal rules of the German youth protection. You should look into these age groups and decide for yourself if they fit your vision as a parent. You can also find helpful information about this in our article on age restrictions for games.
The online strategy game Clash of Clans has been around for a few years. The further development Clash Royale (since 2016) is also very popular with children and young people. The reason for this is certainly that the app costs nothing and that you can play against each other.
Clash of Clans and Clash Royale are so-called real-time multiplayer strategy games. So your child can play simultaneously with other players mobile and online via the app.
At Clash of Clans players work in clans. These are groups in which individual players team up and fight together against other groups. Clans must build their own village, train troops, and eventually compete with other clans to capture “resources.” These are, for example, gold, jewels and elixir. Through these resources, one’s clan can be better equipped and protected. These resources can also be purchased.
Clash Royale is the further development of Clash of Clans and has been on the market since 2016. Here the principles of strategy and trading cards are combined. Before each round, eight cards are selected from a deck, which must be used skillfully in the game. The cards include spells against the opponent. The winner is the player who has destroyed the most enemy main towers with his own units. One round lasts only three minutes. For winning rounds you get gold and chests, which gives you jewels or new cards.
The game principle is simple and already at the beginning you have good chances to win against “the computer”. These wins and rewards create incentives and motivate to keep playing. Clash Royale also provides a balanced mix of luck and tactics.
Even without using real money, you can have a lot of fun with Clash Royale and its predecessor Clash of Clans. Of course, the direct comparison when playing with “real” opponents is also exciting.
Especially among boys, the games are very popular.
Even though the individual game rounds are short, jewels and chests always create incentives to keep playing. Since it’s a real-time game, the game continues to evolve even when you’re not playing. This can also make some kids and teens want to play on and on.
Especially impatient players can progress faster in the game through in-app purchases. As a parent, you should keep this in mind or deactivate in-app purchases in the smartphone settings.
The ability to chat with fellow players within the game leads to risks such as cyberbullying and cybergrooming.
Combat elements are an important part of the games, for example, destroying other clans and their towers. However, due to the comic-like presentation, this is not very realistic for children.
Stiftung Warentest tested the two games in 2019 to see how suitable they are for children and rated them “unacceptable”. Content not suitable for children has been found: Right-wing clan pseudonyms and links to porn sites. However, violations can also not be reported directly. The games also score poorly in terms of in-app purchases and data protection. However, there are no advertisements in the game.
The provider provides a general parent guide in German for its game apps. This explains how to make settings to disable in-app purchases, for example. There are also explanations about chat security and privacy. However, especially when it comes to chat security, there is no blocking function. The provider only responds to offensive content.
Let your child explain the game and the fascination with it to you. Talk to him about what violence means in the game and in reality.
Agree on rules about playing time and duration. Use settings options to prevent unintentional in-app purchases and to limit the app’s usage time if necessary. However, remember to talk about it with your child beforehand. Also, consider disabling push notifications for the game so that your child is not constantly informed about what is happening in the game while they are not playing.
The chat function in the game is always public, i.e. all players can chat with each other. Therefore, you should definitely agree on conversation rules for the chat in advance. Above all, clarify that no private data such as clear names, cell phone numbers, etc. should be given out via the chat.
Ask about play experiences and be there if your child ever has an unpleasant experience.
You can find more information about the games here: http://www.klicksafe.de/service/aktuelles/news/detail/was-eltern-ueber-beliebte-online-strategiespiele-wie-clash-royale-wissen-sollten/
