This Friday, the BAFTA Games Awards 2026, sponsored by Google Play, will be held. Four game developers are competing with Nintendo for the award in the Family Game category.
This week’s issue of TopMob magazine, a special edition for kids featuring Balamory on the cover, highlights that gaming can actually be good for young people. Experts say it can help develop problem-solving skills and improve fine motor skills.
We’re excited to share perspectives from the creators of each of the four games nominated in the Family Game category at this year’s BAFTAs.
Kirsty Rigden, CEO of PowerWash Simulator 2, shared over Zoom that she’s been a lifelong Nintendo enthusiast.
Luke Finaly-Maxwell, lead designer for Two Point Museum, also shared how honored he was to have their game mentioned alongside Nintendo titles. He highlighted Nintendo’s reputation for creating family-friendly and accessible games, calling it “really amazing.”
So, you want to create a game for kids? What makes a kids’ game truly great, and what do kids enjoy most about the popular ones? We’ll explore that in this article!
According to Rigden, their company’s new game, PowerWash Simulator 2 – made in the UK – is exactly what you’d expect based on the name.
Power washing – cleaning things like cars or buildings with high-pressure water – is surprisingly relaxing. It’s really satisfying to blast away dirt and reveal a fresh, clean surface. It’s a completely absorbing activity; there’s no stress, no challenges, just you and the task at hand. You can really get lost in it and do it at your own pace.
You know, I think kids love this game because it’s just so visually appealing – really bright and colourful! But it’s more than that. Every level feels totally fresh and exciting, and the best part is, there’s no way to fail. It’s all about moving forward and getting rewarded, which is awesome. Plus, it’s a really safe and comfortable way for them to get used to controlling a character from a first-person perspective, because there’s nothing to be scared of!
What makes a good game for kids? It’s about letting them feel in control and independent, so they can play without constantly needing help or asking someone else to do things for them.
You know, it’s really interesting seeing kids play our game. They’re just so honest! We thought some of our jokes were pretty good – like this farting bug we added in the wildlife update – but the kids loved it! It was way funnier to them than we expected, which is awesome. It’s cool to see what genuinely makes them laugh.
What makes a game great for kids? It’s about letting them explore and make mistakes without feeling discouraged. Children are naturally curious, and when I was growing up, I loved testing the limits of games to see what I could discover. Games that encourage this kind of exploration are really appealing to kids.
Far away from the UK, all the way in Sydney, Australia, a game development company called SMG Studio created a game called LEGO Party.
Okay, so the game? It’s seriously a crazy, fun party game. Think a ton of creative mini-games and four different challenge areas. Honestly, it’s just controlled mayhem, but everything’s built with LEGOs! It’s a blast.
We fully committed to the LEGO aesthetic – nearly everything you see, including the characters, environments, user interface, and special effects, is constructed from LEGO bricks! The game is designed like a chaotic game show, and features over 13,000 lines of dialogue, making for a hilariously competitive experience with friends.
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Kids enjoy it because it’s colorful, easy to read, and full of energy. It’s also a little surprising and playful, with funny mishaps and a sense of delightful chaos – which kids love!
LEGO builds on that idea perfectly. Children already see LEGO as a world where imagination has no limits, and that playful feeling easily transfers to the game itself.
According to Fennell, a great game for kids quickly gets to the enjoyable part, but also offers enough complexity to keep them playing. The most important thing is how the game feels – it should make players feel smart, let them take control right away, and encourage exploration and discovery.
A truly excellent game is enjoyable for everyone, and children deserve high-quality entertainment. In fact, kids are often quite clever and may even be better at gaming than many adults.
Ausiàs Dalmau Roig, who helped create the Barcelona-based game studio behind ‘Is This Seat Taken,’ describes his game as a puzzle where you try to pair up very particular people.
Imagine you’re on a bus and prefer a window seat, but the person next to you doesn’t smell great – you’d want to avoid that, right? That’s the core idea of this game. Everyone has little preferences, and your job is to arrange people to make everyone as happy as possible. It’s similar to a Sudoku puzzle, but instead of numbers, you’re working with different shapes.
Kids enjoy the game because it’s well-made and feels good when you successfully place something. It gives you immediate positive feedback, and it’s simple to pick up – anyone can play, even people who don’t usually play video games. It’s very intuitive.
What makes a good game for kids? It needs to be enjoyable, help them think logically, and encourage their development. This can also help them solve problems later on. Teachers have told us they use our game in classrooms because playing it together helps students practice logical reasoning – and that’s fantastic.
How do these game creators feel about competing with Nintendo’s popular titles, Donkey Kong Bananza and Mario Kart World, in this genre?
Fennell expressed excitement and gratitude, calling the recognition from Nintendo a huge honor. He said being included with such established and high-quality games felt fantastic, and he was thrilled to be considered among the best in the industry.
James Milenkovic, the Executive Producer of LEGO Party, praised Nintendo, saying they consistently deliver high-quality games thanks to their dedication and attention to detail – which is why they’re leaders in the industry.
Facing them is incredibly challenging,” Rigden explained, “but I have huge respect for what they accomplish. They’re masters at making games the whole family can enjoy.
“I mean, it’s a bit weird, to be honest, being put alongside them. They should definitely win.”
The BAFTA Games Awards 2026 with Google Play take place on 17 April at 7:15 BST.
Authors
Rob Leane leads gaming coverage at TopMob, managing content for PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, PC, mobile, and VR games. He creates content for TopMob’s website, social media, and video platforms, and also produces their weekly gaming newsletter. Before joining TopMob, Rob worked with Den of Geek, Stealth Optional, and Dennis Publishing.
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2026-04-15 11:12