Video game content rating system facts for kids

A video game content rating system helps people know if a video game is right for them or their family. These systems classify games based on their content, like violence, language, or scary scenes. Most rating systems are supported by governments or special organizations. They often work alongside systems that rate movies.

These ratings are important because they can help parents decide which games are okay for their kids to play. Sometimes, laws are even based on these ratings, controlling who can buy certain games. When games are sold in different countries, they often need to be rated by the local system. Stores might also use these ratings to decide which games they sell to younger players.

An example of different rating systems on video game discs, common in Europe and Australia. From top left to bottom right: the Russian system, the European PEGI system, and the German USK, all showing the same age rating for this game.

How Video Game Ratings Work

This section compares different video game rating systems around the world. Keep in mind that what one country considers suitable for a certain age might be different in another country.

Understanding the Rating Colors

Here's what the colors in the table mean:

•  White  – No restrictions: This means the game is suitable for everyone, or it's made for young kids.
•  Yellow  – Advisory: Parents should guide their children for games in this age range.
•  Purple  – Strong advisory: These games are not suggested for younger players, but they aren't strictly restricted.
•  Red  – Restricted: Younger players need an adult with them to play or buy these games.
•  Black  – Prohibitive: These games are only for older players, or they have age limits for buying them, or they might even be banned.

Country/System	Age rating																					Other	Notes
	0/1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21
National/Regional Ratings Systems
Argentina	ATP												+13					+18				N/A	Started on October 15, 2005.
Australia	G														M			R 18+				RC	The restricted ratings are MA 15+ and R 18+; R 18+ started in 2013.
	PG														MA 15+							CTC
Brazil	L									10		12		14		16		18				N/A	This system is also used for TV shows and movies in Brazil.
Chile	TE							8+						14+				18+				Educational	Some games use this rating instead of ESRB.
China	N/A							8+				12+				16+						N/A	Applies to games that have online features.
Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB)  Canada  United States of America	E									E10+			T				M	AO				RP	Started in 1994 in the US, most of Canada, and Mexico. The AO rating is the only one legally restricted (except in the US). Stores must not sell AO-rated games to minors, and M-rated games to those under 17 unless with a parent.
	EC
Germany	0					6						12				16		18				StGB confiscated (Banned)	The USK system is also required in Salzburg, Austria.
																		No labelling
																		BzKJ restricted
Country/System	0/1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	Other	Notes
Hong Kong Macau	I (Neither obscene nor indecent)																	II (Inelegant)				III (Obscenity)	Game ratings in Hong Kong and Macau can be done by the game makers or by the Obscene Articles Tribunal.
International Age Rating Coalition (IARC)	N/A		3+				7+					12+				16+		18+				N/A	These ratings are used in most countries that don't have their own rating system.
Indonesia	SU		3+				7+						13+					18+				N/A
Iran	N/A		+3				+7					+12			+15			+18				N/A	Some games are not allowed.
Japan CERO	A											B			C		D	Z				審査予定	These ratings have been used since March 1, 2006. The Z rating is the only one legally restricted.
Japan EOCS	G											12			15			18				N/A	This rating system is only for PC games.
Mexico	A											B			B15			C				P	Started on May 27, 2021. Works with ESRB ratings.
																		D
New Zealand	G												R13		R15	M		R18				Objectionable	Games with no restrictions in Australia can use Australian labels. New Zealand labels are needed if the game is restricted (MA 15+ or R 18+) in Australia or is banned.
	PG															R16
Pan-European Game Information (PEGI)  Europe except for Germany and Russia  Israel	3						7					12				16		18				N/A	Legally required in some countries, but not all.
							7					12				16		18
Country/System	0/1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	Other	Notes
Russia	0+					6+						12+				16+		18+				N/A	These ratings have been used since September 1, 2012. The same system is used for TV, movies, and books in Russia.
Saudi Arabia	N/A		3				7					12				16		18				TBC	Started in 2016.
																						Banned
Singapore	G															ADV16		M18				Refused classification	Started on April 28, 2008.
Slovakia	"Teddy bear's head"											12			15			18				N/A	Ratings -7, 7+, 12+ and 15+ mean the game is educational.
	U						7
	-7						7+					12+			15+
South Africa	PG						7–9PG		7–9PG	10–12PG		10–12PG	13			16		18				XX	Started in 1996 to help protect children in South Africa.
South Korea	ALL											12			15				19			Refused classification	Before 2006, games in South Korea were rated by KMRB. There are age restrictions for ratings 12 and 15, but no penalties if not followed.
Taiwan	0+					6+						12+			15+			18+				N/A
United Arab Emirates	N/A		3				7					12				16		18			21	N/A	Started in November 2017, and became official in February 2018.
Country/System	0/1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	Other	Notes
Storefront Ratings Systems
App Store (iOS/iPadOS)	4+ (aged 5 and under)					4+ (ages 6–8)			9+			12+					17+					No Rating	Ratings are needed for apps to be sold on the App Store. The 4+ rating has three smaller groups: 5 and under, 6–8, and 9–11. Only people 17 or older can buy 17+ rated apps using their Apple ID.
									4+ (ages 9–11)
Roblox Experiences	All Ages								9+				13+				17+					N/A
Samsung Galaxy Store	All			4+								12+				16+		18+				Banned
Country/System	0/1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	Other	Notes

In the table above, Italics show an organization that works across many countries.

Video Game Rating Systems Around the World

Argentina's Rating System

In Argentina, a law from 2005 says that the National Council of Children, Youth and Family works with the National Institute of Cinema and Audiovisual Arts to give age ratings to games. There are three main ratings: "Suitable for all ages," "Suitable for those over 13," and "Suitable for those over 18."

Australia's Rating System

The Australian Classification Board (ACB) is a government group that rates films, video games, and books in Australia. It started in 1970. The ACB helps people know what content is in games before they buy or rent them.

Austria's Rating System

Austria doesn't have one single rating system for video games. Instead, different parts of the country use different systems. The two main ones are PEGI (used in Vienna) and Germany's USK system (used in Salzburg).

Brazil's Rating System

In Brazil, the ClassInd system rates films, games, and TV shows. The Ministry of Justice controls this system.

Chile's Rating System

In Chile, games are rated by the Council of Cinematographic Classification, which is part of the Ministry of Education.

The main age ratings are:

• ER (Especialmente Recomendado) - Specially recommended.
• TE (Todo Edad) – For all ages.
• 8 años o mas – For ages 8 and up.
• 14 años o mas – For ages 14 and up.
• 18 años o mas – For ages 18 and up.

Stores are only allowed to sell or rent games rated 8, 14, or 18 to people who can prove they are that age or older.

China's Rating System

China started a trial rating system in December 2020 called the Online Game Age-Appropriateness Warning. This system is managed by the China Audio-video and Digital Publishing Association (CADPA). Games with online features must show one of three ratings: green for "8+" (for players 8 and older), blue for "12+", and yellow for "16+".

Europe's Rating System

The Pan European Game Information (PEGI) is a rating system used across Europe. It helps parents choose computer games. PEGI was created in April 2003 and replaced many older national rating systems. It is now used in over 31 countries.

PEGI uses five age categories:

• 3: Not for people under 3 years old.
• 7: Not for people under 7 years old.
• 12: Not for people under 12 years old.
• 16: Not for people under 16 years old.
• 18: Not for people under 18 years old.

These ratings tell you about the game's content, not how hard the game is to play.

Germany's Rating System

Unterhaltungssoftware Selbstkontrolle (USK), which means "Entertainment Software Self-control," is Germany's software rating group. It was started in 1994.

The USK ratings are:

• USK 0 - Playable for all ages.
• USK 6 - For ages 6 and over.
• USK 12 - For ages 12 and over.
• USK 16 - For ages 16 and over.
• USK 18 - For ages 18 and over.

Hong Kong and Macau's Rating System

Hong Kong and Macau do not have a specific game rating system. Instead, they use a general system for all publications, which has three categories: I, II, and III.

• Class I publications can be bought by anyone without limits.
• Class II publications must have warning labels and cannot be sold or given to people under 18. This is like a restricted rating.
• Class III publications cannot be sold publicly.

The Obscene Articles Tribunal is in charge of checking and classifying these publications. Class II publications must display a warning in both Chinese and English, taking up 20% of the item's total area.

Indonesia's Rating System

The IGRS ratings used in Indonesia

The Indonesian Game Rating System (IGRS) is the official video game rating system in Indonesia. It was started by the Ministry of Communication and Informatics in 2016. IGRS rates games made and sold in Indonesia.

The IGRS ratings are:

• SU ("Semua Umur", meaning All Ages) – For all ages.
• 3+ – For ages 3 and over.
• 7+ – For ages 7 and over.
• 13+ – For ages 13 and over.
• 18+ – For ages 18 and over.

International Age Rating Coalition (IARC)

The International Age Rating Coalition (IARC) is used by some app stores in countries that don't have their own rating systems. The IARC uses similar rules to PEGI. However, some countries do not officially recognize this rating.

Iran's Rating System

The Entertainment Software Rating Association (ESRA) is Iran's government-run video game rating system. Games that don't get a rating are usually not allowed to be sold in Iran.

The ESRA ratings are:

• +3 – For ages 3 and over.
• +7 – For ages 7 and over.
• +12 – For ages 12 and over.
• +15 – For ages 15 and over.
• +18 – For ages 18 and over.

These ratings mostly apply to PC and mobile games, as most console games are not officially released in Iran.

Japan's Rating System

In Japan, there isn't a law that requires games to be rated, but most game companies follow industry rules. Console makers require games to be rated by CERO. PC game distributors usually need games to be approved by EOCS or the Japan Contents Review Center. Local governments use these ratings, and a law called the Ordinance Regarding the Healthy Development of Youths stops stores from selling 18+ games to people under 18.

Computer Entertainment Rating Organization (CERO)

The Computer Entertainment Rating Organization (CERO) rates video games in Japan. It tells customers about the game's content and what age group it's for. CERO started in June 2002.

CERO has five age categories:

• A – For all ages.
• B – For ages 12 and over.
• C – For ages 15 and over.
• D – For ages 17 and over.
• Z – For ages 18 and over only. This is the only rating that is legally enforced.
• CERO – For free demos and trial versions of games.
• 審査予定 – For games that are waiting to be rated.

Ethics Organization of Computer Software (EOCS)

The Ethics Organization of Computer Software (EOCS, also called Sofurin) rates PC games in Japan. It was started in 1992. EOCS also helps fight against illegal copies of PC games.

The current ratings are:

• General Software - For all ages.
• General Software (recommended for ages 12 and over).
• General Software (recommended for ages 15 and over).
• Software that cannot be sold to people under 18.

Mexico's Rating System

In November 2020, Mexico introduced new rules for rating video games. All games sold in Mexico now have their own ratings, which started on May 27, 2021. This system replaced the ESRB ratings that were used before, but it still works with them.

The ratings are:

• A (Todo Público): For all ages.
• B (+12 Años): Content for teens 12 and over.
• B15 (+15 Años): Content for ages 15 and over.
• C (Adultos +18 Años): Content not suitable for those under 18.
• D (Exclusivo Adultos): Extreme content, only for adults.
• P (Etiquetado Pendiente): Content waiting for its rating.

New Zealand's Rating System

The Office of Film and Literature Classification (OFLC) is the government group in New Zealand that rates films, videos, books, and some video games. It was created in 1993.

The current ratings are:

• G: Can be shown and sold to anyone.
• PG: Can be sold or shown to anyone, but parental guidance is suggested for younger viewers.
• M: Can be sold or shown to anyone, but it's more suitable for people 16 and over.
• R13: Restricted to people 13 and over.
• R15: Restricted to people 15 and over.
• R16: Restricted to people 16 and over.
• R18: Restricted to people 18 and over.
• R: Restricted to a specific group of people.

North America's Rating System

The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) is an organization that gives age and content ratings to video games and other entertainment software in Canada and the United States. Even though it's a self-regulating group, in Canada, some provinces and territories have laws about ESRB ratings. ESRB ratings are also found on Nintendo games in Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, and the United Arab Emirates.

A similar system exists for arcade video games, called the Parental Advisory System. It uses three colors: green (for all ages), yellow (mild content), and red (strong content).

Russia's Rating System

Russia has an "Age classification of information products" system. It's a set of rules from the Russian Government that started in September 2012. This system rates films, video games, and books for sale or rent in Russia. The Ministry of Culture helps manage this system.

Saudi Arabia's Rating System

The General Commission for Audiovisual Media (GCAM) in Saudi Arabia is in charge of age ratings for films, TV shows, and video games.

Singapore's Rating System

The Info-communications Media Development Authority (IMDA) is a government board in Singapore that regulates films, TV shows, and video games.

Slovakia's Rating System

Jetnotný systém označovania (English: Unified System of Age Rating/Labeling) (JSO) is a government board under Slovakia's Ministry of Culture. It sets age restrictions for films, TV shows, and video games.

The age ratings are:

• "Teddy bear's head" – For children younger than 12.
• U – For general audiences.
• 7 – Not suggested for children younger than 7.
• 12 – Not suggested for children younger than 12.
• 15 – Not suggested for children younger than 15.
• 18 – Not allowed for anyone under 18.

There are also ratings for educational games:

• -7 – For children younger than 7.
• 7+ – For people 7 and over.
• 12+ – For people 12 and over.
• 15+ – For people 15 and over.

These labels are required for physical games, but not for digital games, which often show PEGI ratings instead.

South Africa's Rating System

The South African Film and Publication Board (FPB) is a government group that rates films, books, and video games. It was formed in 1996 to help protect children. Stores and distributors must follow these age ratings.

The ratings, as of August 1, 2022, are:

• PG: Not suggested for young children.
• 7-9 PG: Not allowed for children under 7.
• 10-12 PG: Not allowed for children under 10.
• 13: Not allowed for children under 13.
• 16: Not allowed for children under 16.
• 18: Not allowed for children.
• X18: Can only be sold in special licensed places to people over 18.
• XX: Not allowed to be sold or shown to the public.

South Korea's Rating System

The Game Rating and Administration Committee (GRAC) is South Korea's video game rating board. It's a government group that rates games to help customers understand their content.

Taiwan's Rating System

Game Software Rating Regulations is the video game content rating system used in Taiwan.

United Arab Emirates' Rating System

The National Media Council (NMC) used to be the group in the U.A.E. government that regulated all media, including video games. In 2018, the NMC started local age rating systems for games sold in stores.

In June 2021, the Ministry of Culture & Youth launched the Media Regulatory Office (MRO). The MRO took over the NMC's tasks. In June 2022, the old NMC rating labels for video games started to be replaced with new MRO labels, but the ratings themselves stayed the same.

United Kingdom's Rating System

The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) used to rate films and videos in the UK. However, it no longer rates video games. That job was given to the Video Standards Council (VSC Rating Board).

Since July 2012, the VSC Rating Board has been the only group in the UK that legally rates video games. The VSC Rating Board uses the PEGI rules to classify games. The UK Interactive Entertainment Association works with the VSC to help label games correctly and give information to parents.

Images for kids

See also

In Spanish: Clasificación por edades (videojuegos) para niños

• International Age Rating Coalition
• Mobile software content rating system
• Motion picture content rating system
• Television content rating system