Parents' Guide to

Child of Light

By Chad Sapieha, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 10+

Original, accessible, fun RPG stars lots of strong females.

Game Nintendo Wii U, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Windows, Xbox 360, Xbox One 2014
Child of Light Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this game.

  • Child of Light Game: Screenshot #1
  • Child of Light Game: Screenshot #2
  • Child of Light Game: Screenshot #3

Community Reviews

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age 7+

Based on 3 parent reviews

lgiorcelli
lgiorcelli Adult
April 9, 2021
age 6+

Great to enjoy with kids

I play it with my 6 years old daughter and we really enjoy it. The game has the option of playing as a companion and help the protagonist to advance in the game. It has battles by turn that are not difficult to play with kids. It also has some scary moments, but we played it together and we really enjoy it.

This title has:

Great role models
Easy to play/use
Erinmyfanwy
Erinmyfanwy Adult
August 31, 2019
age 7+

Brilliant for girls and boys!

This was an utterly charming game that had my daughter, 10 yr old son, and 40 yr old Daddy really enthralled. The graphics are beautiful, very painterly and lovely. The game play was just at the right level, and this was the first game that really got my daughter wanting to play by herself. She needed a little help with the battles at the start. All was age appropriate and the story really captivated her. It was great to see a game based around a strong female character who is dressed properly, rather than there as eye candy. Thoroughly recommend!

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
Easy to play/use
See all 3 parent reviews

What’s It About?

An adolescent 19th century European princess finds herself whisked away to the fantastical land of Lemuria in Ubisoft Montreal's downloadable RPG CHILD OF LIGHT. The new world in which she finds herself -- two-dimensional and hand-painted -- is beautiful and mysterious, and filled with bizarre creatures. Some of its inhabitants are friendly, and several even join her on her journey. Others are entities of darkness, and move to attack at first glance. Armed only with her courage and a sword she finds embedded in a stone, the princess tries to make her way back to her world, solving puzzles, finding treasures, and engaging in plenty of turn-based battles along the way. Then, just when it seems she's about to complete her quest, things take an unexpected and dreadful turn that leaves her more lost and alone -- yet even more resolute -- than ever before.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (3):
Kids say (4):

Set in front of a gorgeous backdrop of living paintings and starring a cast filled with smart and independent female characters both good and evil, Child of Light is an original and daring role-playing game. It challenges many accepted notions associated with role-playing games -- not least of which is its dialogue, which is presented in poetic verse. Yet at the same time it pays homage to RPGs of decades past, delivering a compelling active-time turn-based battle system, rewarding character growth, lots of hidden treasure chests to open, and even a bit of gemstone crafting to upgrade characters' stats and abilities.

Plus, it's accessible to a broad range of players. Despite the predominantly female cast, there's nothing here that ought to turn off boys. And with a couple of well-constructed difficultly levels and storytelling that keeps things simple without dumbing anything down, it's that rare game that can be appreciated by players young and old. Indeed, the best way to play may be with an older player controlling Aurora and her party and a younger one in charge of the delightful little firefly that zips around the world and battlefield, helping by distracting enemies and picking up bits of energy floating in the air. Regardless of how you play, though, there's little doubt Child of Light is one of the best family-friendly downloadable games of the year.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how girls and women are depicted in games. In your experience, what stereotypes do female characters tend to suffer? Do you think Aurora and her friends conform to any of these stereotypes?

  • Families can also discuss art in games. Child of Light has an imaginative style that feels almost like a painting come to life. Would you have preferred something that looked more as though it were generated by a computer, as in most other games? Why or why not?

Game Details

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