# New games for kids, and what each one involves

Source: https://roam.new/new-games-for-kids/. Checked November 3, 2026.

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.

## 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.


## 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"

[Get Roam on the App Store](https://apps.apple.com/app/apple-store/id6745489251?pt=126889634&mt=8&ct=rnew-new-games-for-kids)

## 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

- Yoshi and the Mysterious Book: May 21, 2026, Switch 2, side-scrolling platformer: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoshi_and_the_Mysterious_Book
- Pokemon Pokopia: March 5, 2026, Switch 2, play as Ditto building habitats: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pok%C3%A9mon_Pokopia
- Kirby Air Riders: Nov 20, 2025, Switch 2, simplified controls: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kirby_Air_Riders
- Mario Tennis Fever Feb 12 (NS2), Tomodachi Life Apr 16 (NS), LEGO Batman May 22 (PC, PS5, Xbox): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_video_games_released_in_2026

## About Roam

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. https://roam.gg