New games for kids, and what each one involves
Many of the gentle new games of 2026 are on Nintendo Switch 2: a Yoshi platformer inside a living book, a Pokemon building game and a tennis party game. Here is each one with what it actually involves, so you know before you buy, plus a way for a parent to turn a kid's drawing into a game.
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New kids' games and what they involve
- Yoshi and the Mysterious Book (Switch 2, May 2026). A side-scrolling platformer set mostly inside a living encyclopedia. Gentle and colorful.
- Pokemon Pokopia (Switch 2, March 2026). You play as a Ditto who builds habitats that bring Pokemon back to the land. Calm, creative, some reading for tasks.
- Mario Tennis Fever (Switch 2, February 2026). Tennis with power-ups. Good for siblings on one couch.
- Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream (Switch, April 2026). Make characters of family and friends and watch their silly island lives. Reading helps.
- Kirby Air Riders (Switch 2, November 2025). Simple racing and battles with Kirby. Machines move forward on their own, and one button does most of the rest.
- LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight (May 2026). LEGO action on PS5, Xbox Series and PC, with comic-book fights and puzzles.
A quick checklist for parents
- Check the age rating. Look at the rating on the App Store or the console store for each game.
- Look for in-app purchases. Free games often sell items. Turn on purchase approval.
- Check online chat. See if the game has chat and whether you can switch it off.
- Play the first ten minutes together. You will learn more than any review tells you.
Games a kid can make from a drawing
Roam is a free iPhone app, rated 13+ on the App Store, where a game can start from a photo. A parent can snap a child's drawing of a dragon or a robot, describe the game in a sentence, and Roam builds it with art, characters and sound. The child says what to change, and the parent asks for it: more stars, a friendlier monster, two players.
Keep it on your own phone and your own account: you type, they point and decide.
More on Roam
Turn a drawing into a game with Roam
Snap your kid's drawing on your own iPhone and add one sentence. Roam, rated 13+, makes it playable on your phone.
Try: "my daughter's drawing of a purple dragon, it collects stars over the clouds, no enemies, gentle music, one short level"Roam ("Roam - Make Games" on the App Store) is an iPhone app where you play games and make your own by describing them or from a photo. It is free to download and play, and making games works without a subscription; optional Spark and Reality plans and credit packs add more creation. Android: pre-register on Google Play.
Questions people ask
What are the newest games for kids?
Pokemon Pokopia, Mario Tennis Fever, Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream and Yoshi and the Mysterious Book all came out in 2026.
What should parents check before a new game?
The age rating on the store page, in-app purchases, and whether the game has online chat that you can turn off.
Can a kid make a game from a drawing?
With a parent, yes. A parent can photograph the drawing on their own iPhone and describe the game, and it comes back playable. Roam is rated 13+ on the App Store.
Sources, checked November 3, 2026
- Yoshi and the Mysterious Book: May 21, 2026, Switch 2, side-scrolling platformer: en.wikipedia.org
- Pokemon Pokopia: March 5, 2026, Switch 2, play as Ditto building habitats: en.wikipedia.org
- Kirby Air Riders: Nov 20, 2025, Switch 2, simplified controls: en.wikipedia.org
- Mario Tennis Fever Feb 12 (NS2), Tomodachi Life Apr 16 (NS), LEGO Batman May 22 (PC, PS5, Xbox): en.wikipedia.org