Kids Friendly MMOs and MMORPGs

I personally got into gaming at a young age with Super Mario World on the SNES. My first MMORPG was Ultima Online and it wasn't exactly “kid friendly”, but it got me hooked on a genre that would become a major part of my life. I think MMOs are an incredible genre of games to expose kids. It teachers kids how to interact with others and cultivates creativity. Below are a list of family friendly MMOs that are suitable for kids of all ages and are great introductory MMOs.

List of the Best Kids MMOs

Wizard101

Set in a Hogwarts like school for wizards, Wizard101 from KingsIsle Entertainment is a collectible card game MMO with an optional subscription specifically designed for a younger audience. Even though the game is marketed towards kids, the game has a decent sized playerbase of adults, as it's a surprisingly in-depth game with fun turn based combat. Parents don't need to worry about inappropriate behavior or communication, because player names are moderated and chat is strictly restricted. The game world is brightly colored and there's no violence.

Pirate101

Also developed and published by KingsIsle Entertainment, Pirate101 plays very much like Wizard101, except with a pirate theme and with more traditional RPG elements. The game has a free component, but most of the features are behind a monthly subscription. The game is simple to pick up and learn and features turn based combat, similar to classic console RPGs.

Club Penguin

Club Penguin is a kid-friendly browser based virtual world owned and operated by the Walt Disney Company. Players can walk around, socialize, customize their own penguins, and play various mini-games all within a heavily moderated kid friendly environment. Club Penguin is one of the most basic games and will appeal to kids ages 6 – 14 according to their official website.

Fantage

Fantage is a browser based virtual world similar to Club Penguin designed for kids. The game features mini games, player housing, and socializing. Unlike Club Penguin, Fantage is much less moderated, so it's recommended for teens 13+.

Lego Worlds

Lego Worlds is a Minecraft like crafting focused online game published by Warner Bros. The game's bright graphics and easy to pick up gameplay makes it particularly appealing to kids. Make no mistake though, despite being suitable for kids, the game is quite in-depth and appeals to all ages. The beauty of building games like Lego Worlds and Minecraft is that they foster creativity. Lego Worlds is suitable for ages.

Trove

Similar to Minecraft and Lego Worlds, Trove is a voxel based building game but with more traditional MMORPG elements. The game is available through Trion Worlds and is free to play. The game is suitable for all ages.

AdventureQuest Worlds

AdventureQuest Worlds is the MMORPG version of Artix Entertainment's popular AdventureQuest game. Set in a cartoony world with minimal violence, AdventureQuest Worlds is an MMO suitable for all ages. Like its predecessor, AdventureQuest, the game is available on the web browser, making it convenient.

Spiral Knights

Spiral Knights is a cooperative MMO available on Steam with cartoony graphics. Gamplay is similar to isometric action RPGs like Diablo 3 and Path of Exile, but the game has an emphasis on dungeon crawling and solving puzzles. Spiral Knights is an MMO suitable for ages.

Neopets

Neopets is a unique website where players can raise and battle their own virtual pet, called a Neopet. The site features hundreds of free to play flash games which can be played to earn neopoints, which can be used to buy new gear and other goodies. Neopets is one of the first few online games I've ever played and I had a blast with it. I actually go back and play Meerca chase (One of the flash games) every now and then too. That one's a classic!

Know any other good MMOs suitable for kids? Obviously games like RuneScape and MapleStory are great for most kids too, but they aren't particularly easy to pick up and learn for younger kids. I genuinely think MMOs can be beneficial to kids as they promote social interaction and creativity. Plus, they're way more fun than traditional kids games on the console or mobile devices.