Kids

A Parent’s Guide to 10 Video Games Your Teens Might Be Playing

by Kevyn Gohu
February 9, 2023

A short synopsis or summary of some of the video games that your teens or older kids might be playing.

Video games have a wide audience age range. They have games for toddlers but they also have games that appeal to teens and young adults. With companies developing video games for mobile phones and PCs, it’s not a surprise that sometimes, the upgrades our kids want for their gadgets are because they want to play a certain video game. Here are some of the video games your teens or older kids might be playing or want to play.

1. Mobile Legends

Mobile Legends: Bang Bang has such a large following in the Philippines that we even have representatives in the professional league! It’s a MOBA (Multi-Online Battle Arena) type game where each team will have five different players on each side with their goal to destroy towers. Teens and other players see Mobile Legends as a game where they can bond with their friends or pass the time. With a reward and ranking system, it sometimes allows them bragging rights when they know they don’t have that in sports.

2. Valorant

A team-based FPS (First Person Shooter) game, Valorant is a sci-fi game which is what makes it appealing to many teens and older kids. Moreover, unlike MOBA games, Valorant match-ups can be as short as 10 to 15 minutes, which can be good enough for teens or older kids to get the adrenaline rush they need. Some players have said that the game is a good balance between skill and reaction with the rewards for skins and other things that keeps them coming back. Plus, Valorant’s popularity came from another game that was developed: League of Legends.

3. League of Legends

League of Legends is another MOBA game that most college kids play in the internet cafés right next to their universities. What makes the game appealing is that there are currently 132 champions to play and their trailers and soundtracks are actually nice to listen to. Added that they have some appealing skin designs, League of Legends has built a name of its own especially when the Netflix series Arcane came out.

They have a mobile version known as League of Legends: Wild Rift, too.

4. Genshin Impact

Remember those toy vending machines outside toy stores? Those are called “Gacha” machines which Genshin Impact uses in-game. Although it’s free-to-play, sometimes there are some characters that are so well-marketed that players spend real money to get them. While the video game’s system is seen as akin to gambling, it’s also a good challenge for teens and older kids to do the math. It teaches them probability by creating a “pity” system which allows them to calculate how much they actually need and if they can get enough of the in-game currency to get what they want.

The game offers a vast area to explore, puzzles, and an engaging story as well. Hoyoverse, the developers, has a decorated history for its storytelling. Genshin Impact in the Philippines even has a community on Facebook with around 142k members.

5. DOTA2

Defense of the Ancients 2 (DOTA2) is another MOBA but it’s available on Steam, a widely populated gamer community. Some players have even made real money from selling the items they earn in DOTA2. Besides that, there are obvious signs of progression that some players will say that 1,000 hours isn’t enough. The story and culture of DOTA2 are quite expansive like League of Legends which has created communities and content outside for teens to read and enjoy.

6. Apex Legends

Think Squid Game except it’s more sci-fi with guns and abilities. Apex Legends is a Battle Royale game where players all drop on an island and have to eliminate each other as the last person standing. What makes it appealing to teens and young adults are the unique character’s abilities, weapon enhancements, and gameplay which players can choose depending on how they play.

7. Elden Ring

While there is an online aspect, teens and young adults play this video game just because they want a “hard game” to play. Known for its challenging bosses and rich story, Elden Ring challenges its players in terms of reaction time and noticing the most minute of details when fighting another creature. While this game is not the best for the hot-tempered, the victorious feeling after beating the game is something everyone enjoys. This game and others similar to it create competitions on YouTube where they do “no damage runs” (wherein you take no hits from the boss) or “naked runs” (fighting the boss or enemy with no armor at all).

Some of our teens’ and young adults’ favorite video game streamers like Pewdipie have built a fanbase and made money by streaming things like these.

8. Roblox

Because of the variety of video game modes, Roblox has become popular especially among younger teens. They can play games such as hide-n-seek and even build cities depending on the game they want to play. Roblox made a big name for itself as a social game where kids could play with others during the pandemic. Roblox and Minecraft are two different games with Minecraft being more focused on the building aspect and it’s more self-contained while Roblox has a networking element to it.

9. Minecraft

Minecraft is a video game that’s lauded even by teachers and adults because of how it encourages kids and teens to build. Think Lego but with less of a physical mess to clean up after. Minecraft also has a lore of its own but it’s not so rigid that kids need to follow it. Some have even turned to Minecraft as a practicing ground for 3D modeling and coding—probably what’s inspiring them to take up computer engineering and the sort.

10. PUBG Battlegrounds Mobile

Formerly known as PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, PUBG is similar to Apex Legends and serves as a mobile counterpart if the PC can’t handle the system demands of Apex Legends. Others also use PUBG to pass the time while they’re commuting but it can get quite addicting, especially in hopes of getting the “Winner, Winner Chicken Dinner” award. So far, they’re currently the second most played game in the Apple Store.

Gameplay isn’t the only reason why teens and young adults love these video games.

Sometimes, the allure of these video games comes from the community themselves. Players are known to produce a lot of content that is fun to watch. Others do analyses and artworks and some do make money creating those. Other video games such as Bondee have been climbing up in popularity for novelty but the aforementioned ten are usually the ones our teens or young adults are playing.