Tabletop RPGs make a genuinely good family activity — no screens, everyone at the same table, and a story that adapts to whatever the group finds funny or exciting. The two things worth checking before you start are content maturity and rules complexity, since not every system built for adults is built for a table with kids at it.
What to Look For
TTRPGs don't have an official age rating the way video games or movies do, so check the content yourself before buying — some systems assume mature themes (body horror, graphic violence, moral ambiguity) that aren't a fit for a family table, while others are written with a general audience in mind from the start. Beyond content, look at rules weight (how mechanically complex a game is): a system with dense character-building math will lose younger players fast, where something built around simple, fast resolution keeps everyone engaged. Session length matters too — plan for shorter sessions than an adult group would run.
Where to Start
The D&D Starter Set is a reasonable family entry point — it uses the standard D&D 5e rules, but comes with a short, pre-written adventure and pre-made characters, so nobody has to learn character creation before the first session. Kids on Bikes, already on this site as a full system, is built around a coming-of-age, Stranger-Things-style tone specifically suited to younger players and mixed-age tables — see the Kids on Bikes system page for the full breakdown.
Running a Game With Kids
- Keep sessions shorter than you'd plan for adults — energy and attention drop faster than the story does.
- Say yes to more ideas than you would with an adult group. A game that rewards creativity over "correct" answers keeps kids invested.
- Pre-made characters remove the biggest early hurdle — let the group start playing before asking anyone to build something from scratch.
New to all of this? Start with our TTRPG Noob Guide.
Want a free option to try first? See the Free Games Guide.