Your Guide to July's Family Friendly Video Games
For once, Nintendo is taking it chill, and in general, there's not much for younger gamers this month. But there's plenty of games.
A month where Nintendo isn’t releasing a game? No! Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition is coming, bud. Hot off a fiery Nintendo Direct that promised a slew of great games right up until the company releases its not-so-mysterious new hardware, we’ll get a taste of Nintendo’s history dressed up in a brand-new multiplayer package.
It’s otherwise a mixed back when it comes to family releases. There’s plenty for older children, but all told, not a ton for the youngest among us. And hey, maybe that’s okay, because our family seems to be spending every waking minute at the pool, anyway! (
I’ve been wiped on games since shotgunning so many in California earlier this month as part of Summer Game Fest, but Elden Ring calls, and I must soon answer that bell.
FYI, there were many games this month that do not have announced prices or ratings, for whatever reason. I’ll do my best to go back and add those as they’re revealed.
If you represent these games and have a potentially interesting story to share about how these games consider kids as part of their audience, do get in touch with me!
Outlanders 2: Second Nature (Apple Arcade) — July 3
Description: A courageous new generation of outlanders are ready to reshape life in the Outlands with new approaches to building and surviving an ecosystem more vibrant than ever before. Featuring a campaign mode with 21 levels at launch and a challenges mode updated biweekly, players will experience fully revamped graphics, new Tropiclands and Winterlands biomes with weather events, double the amount of buildings and resources, and a charming cast of leaders with unique personalities.
Rating: 12+
Price: $6.99 per month
A rare Apple Arcade game getting a sequel on Apple Arcade, though as with many Apple Arcade games, it’s released elsewhere. Game Informer reviewed it on Steam, saying its “small-scale approach appeals to the task-oriented part of your brain, creating an immensely satisfying experience that brought me back time and time again.”
Punch Kick Duck+ (Apple Arcade) — July 3
Description: Players will navigate through the tower of the cruel Baron Tigrisso, battling his hench-critters with simple controls and challenging action. The rules of the game are simple: Punch beats kick, kick beats duck, and duck beats punch. With three selectable difficulty levels, a colorful cast of characters, and support for both landscape and portrait orientation, players will need to think quick and act quicker to send foes flying and chase their high score.
Rating: 9+
Price: $6.99 per month
The “+” means it was already released on the App Store, but now it’s without any microtransacations and advertisements. Touch Arcade was a fan of the original, saying Punch Kick Duck is “a blast to play, and a wonderful treat for the eyes and ears.”
Zen Koi Pro+ (Apple Arcade) — July 3
Description: Dive into tranquility with Zen Koi Pro+, a single-player experience designed for ultimate relaxation. Inspired by the Asian myth of a koi fish transforming into a dragon, players can collect over 50 breathtaking koi patterns, each boasting vibrant colors and captivating designs. With frictionless fun and a focus on stress relief and completion, Zen Koi Pro+ offers more than just relaxation — it’s a journey of symbolism and cultural significance, embodying positive values of perseverance, good fortune, and longevity through the serene world of koi.
Rating: 4+
Price: $6.99 per month
Seems chill, but the developer’s seen pushback on features cut for the “Pro” version.
Aerial_Knight's We Never Yield (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC) – July 16
Description: Discover pulse-pounding stylized parkour action as you run, jump, smash, and slide through an afro-futurist-inspired kingdom. Enjoy a single-player or two-player local cooperative mode and experience the story of two brothers and their unexpected return to their lost kingdom.
Rating: TBA
Price: TBA
There’s a very cool and inspiring story behind the first installment in this series, and it’s exciting the game did well enough the developer’s been able to make another one.
Flock (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC) – July 16
Description: Flock is a multiplayer co-op game about the joy of flight and collecting adorable flying creatures with your friends. Soar through beautiful landscapes, seeking out rare and elusive creatures to add to your flock.
Rating: TBA
Price: TBA
Flock was a true delight during the few minutes I spent playing at Summer Game Fest. It’s about vibing and “identifying” creatures, rather than collecting them, so if you’re looking for the anti-Elden Ring, this is it. Press Start Australia called it “a love letter of sorts to swift movement, the magic of flight, and coasting along a gentle breeze.”
Let's School (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch) – July 16
Description: Dive into the exhilarating role of a headmaster entrusted to revive your alma mater! Beyond just bricks and mortar, train teachers, recruit students. Sculpt your school into a unique educational haven! Let's School!
Rating: TBA
Price: $34.99
Building games, simulation games—neither has done much for me. If these are your bag, though, Noisy Pixel called Let’s School! a “necessary for those seeking a new management sim to add to their collection.” The reviews on Steam are very positive.
Magical Delicacy (Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Switch, PC) – July 16
Description: A wholesome pixel art platformer. Cook magical delicacies from a vast collection of ingredients in your own shop. Explore an unfamiliar town and deliver tasty treats to the townsfolk. Learn new ways to traverse, discover secrets, and experience a unique witchy world.
Rating: TBA
Price: TBA
Normally, a game that looks this good would’ve been on my radar for a minute, but 2024 has been a year of too many video games in many ways. I can’t even find a preview of Magical Delicacy, but you can bet I’ll be checking it out this month.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate (Switch) – July 17
Description: In Splintered Fate, brace yourself for fast-paced, roguelike action where no two runs are the same. With randomised power-ups, room layouts, and boss modifiers, the excitement never ends. Take control of all four Turtles, each wielding unique powers, and team up with friends for bodacious co-op gameplay. Explore iconic NYC locations, upgrade your Turtle powers, and prepare to face off against formidable enemies.
Rating: E10+
Price: $29.99
Hades + Teenager Mutant Ninja Turtles is a potent pitch, and yet I haven’t given this one a shot myself, despite usually downloading everything on Apple Arcade. DReager1 had high raise, calling it “the kind of game I could easily spend hours and hours on.”
Bō: Path of the Teal Lotus (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, PC) – July 18
Description: Flow gracefully through a colorful, hand-drawn 2.5D action platformer inspired by Japanese folklore. Engage in acrobatic aerial combat, unlock powerful mystical abilities, and explore an interconnected world of myth as you seek to unravel the mysteries of your origin.
Rating: TBA
Price: TBA
Once again, another excellent-looking platform that I have not even heard of. The movement stuff in this looks fantastic? I also can’t find any previews of this! I’m going to be on vacation when this one drops, but I’ll be poking at it during my time off.
Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition (Switch) – July 18
Description: Test your speedrunning skills across more than 150 challenging moments from 13 classic NES games! Compete against players around the world online, challenge your friends on the couch, or try to see how far you can push your personal bests.
Rating: E
Price: $29.99
OK, so maybe his one isn’t for the kiddos, but it looks like a frickin’ blast, you know?
Schim (PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC) – July 18
Description: SCHiM is a game about jumping from shadow to shadow in a relaxing and lively environment. This 3D platformer takes elements of light, shadow & animation and adds them directly to the gameplay, delivering an experience that you will only find in SCHiM.
Rating: E
Price: $24.99
Been following this for a minute. Can’t tell if it’s going to be sad. NME said it “plays beautifully in terms of its controls and general feel, is a joy to watch, and demonstrates that sometimes the most striking games come from the most natural, simple conceits.”
EA Sports College Football 25 (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S) – July 19
Description: In EA SPORTS College Football 25 experience explosive gameplay variety across 134 FBS schools and immerse yourself in the game’s most iconic atmospheres.
Rating: E
Price: $69.99
This game is going to be huge. It will probably temp me to play a football game again, even though I bounce off anything that’s not NFL Blitz. It also means the NFL is closer.
Été (PC) – July 23
Description: Été (summer) is a relaxing painting game set in Montréal. Color the city to explore, create artworks on canvas, collect stamps in your album, decorate your studio, fulfill commissions from your neighbors, and unleash your inner artist!
Rating: TBA
Price: TBA
My oldest is showing a real knack for art, so we might give this a shot, and see if it clicks. It was charming when I played it last year. The Indie Informer was similarly impressed, saying “The meditative drive to paint the world to unlock more subjects for my artworks is compelling, but the demo comes to a close before I know it.”
Arranger: A Role-Puzzling Adventure (PlayStation 5, Switch, PC, Mac) – July 25
Description: Arranger: A Role-Puzzling Adventure follows the story of Jemma, a small-town misfit on a journey of self-discovery. Venturing out beyond her stiflingly cozy confines, she finds an inspiring world - but also one ruled by fear, and a strange, immovable ‘static’ force. Can she disrupt a culture of stagnation, and find a place to fit into it? Gameplay takes place on a unique, interconnected ‘grid’ that spans the entire world, snappily uniting movement, exploration, and combat.
Rating: E
Price: $19.99
Friends of mine are working on this, so I won’t pretend to be objective, but this looks great! It plays great! I hope it’s all great! Don’t take my lies for it, listen to Nintendo World Report saying they were “drawn in and couldn’t wait to see what was next.”
Earth Defense Force 6 (PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, PC) – July 25
Description: The identity of the invader that has long tormented Earth is finally revealed. A chain of deep despair that strikes in a devastated world for the first time in the series...But your presence as a soldier of the EDF will lead humanity to the greatest joy. Now you must face it with courage and wisdom.
Rating: M
Price: $59.99
Is this appropriate for a seven-year-old? Probably not. Might I have them try it out anyway, knowing they would cackle at blowing up bugs? Yes. Am I worried it would encourage my four-year-old to keep crushing bugs, claiming it’s all by accident? Hmm.
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