The Best Family-Friendly VR Games
You're technically supposed to wait until your child is at least 14 years old to play games in VR, but it's safe enough in moderation. Some parents will want games specifically for their young 'uns, while others will want games that kids and adults can enjoy. Thankfully, most of the best family-friendly games are ones that people of all ages will get a kick out of, even if they don't have the violence or serious storytelling of some other favorites.
Angry Birds VR: Isle of Pigs
It's exactly what you think it is
Does Angry Birds even need an introduction? The game that practically defined quality mobile gaming proved to be a perfect fit for VR puzzle heads. Grab your slingshot, load it with a bird, and fling them at defiant piggies that just won't stop stealing eggs, no matter how many times you defeat them. Clever physics-based puzzles have been the hallmark of the series since its inception, and the translation to 3D space only makes them more compelling.
Developer Resolution Games has been behind over half a dozen VR hits and used that experience to translate Angry Birds to VR. It updated the game several times since the original launch, and players can now sling through over 100 official levels of mayhem, with each level topping the last in terms of complexity. There's even a level creator and thousands of community-made levels to play, so you can sift through those in your free time and aim to top the developers in their level-building skills after. —Nick Sutrich
Cosmonious High
Another home-run puzzler from Owlchemy Labs
A healthy majority of VR fans have played Job Simulator or Vacation Simulator (two other picks below). Developer Owlchemy Labs didn't stray too far from its comfort zone with Cosmonious High; it may have a much different look and theme, set in a high school for aliens, but it has the same humor, puzzles, and creative mechanics we've come to expect.
As an alien called a Prismi, you can adapt your abilities and powers to your surroundings, enabling some context-sensitive tools to find your way out of one brain-teaser after another. As you master your abilities, you'll interact with the charming students and teachers, made memorable by great voice acting and writing. As with any great family-friendly game, it's one a child can freely enjoy but that offers plenty of entertainment and depth for adults. —Michael Hicks
Curious Tale of the Stolen Pets
Remember making dioramas in school? Now you get to play with them.
A rather long and seemingly convoluted name makes way for a simple and fun game that's perfect for all ages. Here you'll find a loose story following the stories of childhood memories with your grandfather and the pets you had, which sets the stage for a hide-and-seek game on a diorama scale. Roughly half a dozen levels transport players inside the imagination of a child as they pan, spin, and poke their way around each puzzle-filled world.
The goal is to find all of the lost pets in each world — hidden by some dastardly foe — as well as a smattering of secret coins that can be found by only the most curious of players. You'll have to solve clever puzzles along the way, all of which are incredibly accessible and can be completed by players of any age. Despite my son only being five years old when the game originally debuted, I was able to watch him play and help him through puzzles by sharing the Quest's view to the Chromecast attached to my TV.
At only $15, it's likely you and your kids will get several hours of entertainment out of the package, making it a great deal. If that weren't enough, The Curious Tale of the Stolen Pets is one of the best games to use hand tracking on the Oculus Quest family with, making it ultra-simple to pick up and play at any time. —Nick Sutrich
Ghost Giant
Be the guardian angel you wish you had
Some of my most memorable VR experiences, including Allumette, Arden's Wake, Moss, and others, play with the idea of you as a giant in the virtual world, with the power to lean down and peek in on character's lives or even change them with a single touch. The more interactive control you have over their lives, the greater your responsibility to protect the little characters around you and keep them happy. Ghost Giant plays with those same themes, but acknowledges that there are certain things that you can't fix.
Our Ghost Giant reviewer had a similarly powerful and emotional response to this game as I did. You're there to protect and bond with a young boy named Louis while also taking apart the little houses around you to spy on the other NPCs, solve puzzles, and look for little collectibles. In the midst of exploring the beautiful landscape, you will have several emotional moments as you see first-hand what these characters are going through. It's a family-friendly game, but the emotional beats are not treated with kid gloves.
Like many story-driven VR experiences, Ghost Giant is fairly short for the price, and the puzzles are more little diversions than tough brain teasers. But the wonderful story, soundtrack, and visuals make the game worth experiencing. —Michael Hicks
Moss: Book I & II
A VR classic that redefines the traditional platforming experience
The original Moss is still one of the best Oculus Quest games despite its age, and we still recommend playing it. If you'd rather just pick up one game, Moss: Book II explains the plot of the first game so you can dive right into it. Fans of the original will also love this long-awaited sequel thanks to revamped gameplay, puzzles, and combat. It, quite literally, picks up the second after the first game ends.
As with the original, you play a spirit who assists Quill, a brave young mouse warrior, in her fight against evil forces. If you wave at her, she waves back, and if she runs into a puzzle, she signs in ASL to tell you how to get past it. She feels like a living partner, not an avatar. When Quill runs into obstacles she can't get past, you move your head to look around the map and find ways past the obstacles, then guide her to them.
The sequel adds more complexity, letting you choose different weapons and form your own unique playstyle as you support Quill. You can also interact more directly with the environment to help your mouse companion traverse impossible obstacles instead of just finding a hidden path.
Our Moss: Book II reviewer played the entire campaign with the game cast to the TV and his son's eyes glued to the screen. It's an experience that both adults and older kids who can figure out the tricky puzzles will enjoy.—Michael Hicks
Vacation Simulator & Job Simulator
Great humor, tons of varied minigames, and brain-teasing puzzles
We decided to group these two, not because they didn't deserve their own spots individually but because anyone who enjoys one will immediately want to invest in the other. Both games are set in a near-future dystopia where most of humanity has been replaced by robots who are now trying to recreate "jobs" and "vacations" to make the remaining humans happy — but are pretty bad at figuring out the specifics.
Like a smart Pixar movie, these games have bright, cartoonish visuals and easy-to-grasp tasks that kids will enjoy while also employing smart jokes that'll get the biggest laughs out of adults. Some games have you complete tasks, solve puzzles, or design silly creations with the tools around you. Kids are encouraged to get creative, while anyone can hunt down secrets or waste hours on minigames. And the writing plays off of real-life in truly hilarious ways, especially in the free Vacation Simulator: Back to Job expansion.
If you're looking for a game to start with, Vacation Simulator is a more complete and technically advanced experience. For the kids, Vacation Simulator has multiple saves and a "small human" mode that ensures the gameplay happens at the proper height for them. It also adds hand tracking, where Job Simulator relies on the Touch controllers to be your hands. And while Job Simulator keeps its gameplay focused on the arc directly in front of you, Vacation Simulator takes full advantage of wireless VR and encourages you to look in any direction. Still, Job Simulator is a great introduction to VR and a fun experience in its own right. —Michael Hicks
