Age ratings explained: PEGI, app stores and Roblox labels

PEGI 3 to PEGI 18: what each age actually allows

PEGI (Pan European Game Information) is the age rating system used in the UK and across Europe. In the UK it is administered by the Games Rating Authority, which began life as the Video Standards Council. The five ages are:

• PEGI 3: suitable for all ages. Any violence is mild and comical, with nothing likely to frighten young children.
• PEGI 7: may include scenes or sounds that could frighten younger children, and very mild violence that is implied, non-detailed or non-realistic.
• PEGI 12: may show more graphic violence towards fantasy characters or non-realistic violence towards human-like characters, mild swearing and sexual innuendo.
• PEGI 16: violence or sexual activity that looks as it would in real life, stronger language, and depiction of tobacco, alcohol or drug use.
• PEGI 18: adult content, such as gross violence, apparently motiveless killing, violence towards defenceless characters, glamorisation of illegal drugs, simulated gambling or explicit sexual content.

The ages are about content suitability, not difficulty. A PEGI 3 puzzle game can be fiendishly hard, and a PEGI 18 game can be simple to play.

The rating reflects the strongest content in the game. A PEGI 16 game might be mostly mild, with a few intense scenes, which is why the icons below matter.

Content descriptors: the small icons that explain the number

Next to the age, PEGI shows icons that say why a game got its rating. They are often more useful than the number itself:

• Violence: from non-realistic at the lower ages to realistic at 16 and 18.
• Bad language: mild swearing at 12, strong language at 16.
• Fear/horror: frightening images or sounds, from mild scares upwards.
• Gambling: references to gambling can appear at 12; games that simulate casino gambling are rated 18.
• Sex, Drugs and Discrimination: drugs always mean PEGI 16 or 18, and discrimination is restricted to PEGI 18.
• In-game purchases: digital goods or currency can be bought with real money.
• Paid random items: purchases where you don't know what you'll get, such as loot boxes.

A PEGI 12 with only a violence icon is a very different proposition from a PEGI 12 with bad language and fear icons. Decide based on your own child, not just the number.

PEGI's 2026 rule changes for shops, chat and daily-login rewards

For years, PEGI's in-game purchase notices were informational only: they told you about spending but didn't change the age. That changed in 2026. Announced in March, the new criteria apply to games submitted from June 2026 and add four areas of 'interactive risk':

• Paid random items: PEGI 16 by default, and PEGI 18 in some cases.
• Time-limited or quantity-limited offers: PEGI 12. Games with NFTs or blockchain features: PEGI 18.
• Play-by-appointment: rewards for coming back daily mean PEGI 7; punishing players for not returning, for example by taking away progress, means PEGI 12.
• Unrestricted communication: a game with entirely unrestricted chat, such as no way to block or report, is rated PEGI 18.

In October 2026 PEGI started updating existing digital-only games rated 3, 7 or 12 that contain paid random items to PEGI 16. It says this will take time to roll out across storefronts, so a game your child already plays may show a new rating. Our in-game spending guide explains loot boxes in detail.

What no rating can see: other players, user creations and updates

An age rating judges the content a publisher puts in the game. It can't predict what other people bring. PEGI's own online safety guidance says user-generated content can be a mismatch with a game's rating, and that players may meet offensive language, bullying or aggressive behaviour from others.

• Other players: voice and text chat aren't 'in' the game's rated content. Set chat controls separately.
• User-made content: in platforms such as Roblox, most experiences are made by players. That is why PEGI replaced Roblox's PEGI 7 with a Parental Guidance label in 2022.
• Live updates: online games change with new seasons, events and shops, long after the original rating.
• Your child: a rating can't know whether your 10-year-old is easily frightened or unbothered by cartoon battles.

Is it the law? PEGI 12, 16 and 18 at the shop counter

In the UK, PEGI ratings have legal force for retailers. Under the Video Recordings Act, it is illegal for a retailer to sell a game rated PEGI 12, 16 or 18 to someone below that age. PEGI 3 and 7 are advisory only. UK trading standards guidance also requires the age symbol and descriptor icons to be clearly visible on the packaging and disc.

That law is aimed at sellers. It is not a criminal offence for a parent to let their own child play a game above their age, and many families make considered choices about particular games. What matters is that the choice is informed. It is also worth knowing that younger siblings often see games bought for older ones, so a PEGI 16 game on a shared console is effectively available to everyone who uses it unless profiles and filters are set per child.

Digital stores on consoles, phones and PCs also display PEGI ratings for UK users, and you can use those ratings to filter what your child can download. Our PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo Switch guides show where to set the age limit.

App Store and Google Play: IARC ratings and Apple's own ages

Phone and tablet stores label apps and games slightly differently:

• Google Play uses the International Age Rating Coalition (IARC) process, where developers answer a questionnaire and receive the local rating for each region. In the UK that means PEGI ratings, plus a 'Parental Guidance Recommended' label for apps with variable content. Google says details such as whether an app lets users interact with each other appear in the app's 'Read more' section.
• Apple's App Store uses its own age bands. Apple added 13+, 16+ and 18+ to its existing 4+ and 9+ bands, and asked developers to answer new questions about features such as in-app controls and capabilities.

Because Apple's ages don't match PEGI's, the same game can carry, say, a PEGI 12 in one place and a different number on the App Store. If you set an age limit on an iPhone or iPad before these changes, it is worth checking it again. Whichever store you use, read the listing for notes on in-app purchases and online features, which the headline age doesn't always make obvious. See our iPhone and iPad and Android guides.

Roblox's maturity labels and age-based accounts

Roblox has its own labels for each experience, chosen by creators through a questionnaire:

• Minimal: occasional mild violence, light unrealistic blood or mild fear.
• Mild: repeated mild violence, heavy unrealistic blood, mild crude humour or repeated mild fear.
• Moderate: moderate violence, light realistic blood, moderate crude humour, unplayable gambling content or moderate fear. Moderate games with social hangouts or free-form creation tools are only for age-checked users aged 16 and over.
• Content May Vary: the creator hasn't completed the full questionnaire; generally only for age-checked users 16 and over.
• Restricted and 18+: stronger content, only for age-checked users aged 18 and over.

The birthday on the account matters too. Without an age check, chat stays off and a child only sees the age-appropriate catalogue. Roblox places under-9s in Roblox Kids and 9 to 15-year-olds in Roblox Select, each with age-based defaults, and a linked parent account can adjust the Content maturity setting and block or allow specific games. See our Roblox controls and Roblox guide.

Making the console's age filter do the checking

Once you know which ratings you're happy with, let the device enforce them. Every major platform can block games above an age you choose, so a new download doesn't depend on someone remembering to check:

• PlayStation 5: Age Level for Games in the child's parental controls; children can only start games at or below that level. PlayStation
• Xbox: Content restrictions and Apply age filters in the Xbox Family Settings app; anything rated higher needs an organiser's approval. Xbox
• Nintendo Switch: Restricted Features can limit software by age rating, set for the whole console, so set it for the youngest player. Nintendo Switch
• Fortnite: Fortnite Content Ratings block experiences rated above your chosen level unless you enter your PIN. Fortnite and Epic
• iPhone and iPad: Content & Privacy Restrictions let you choose an age rating for apps. Apple
• Android: Google Play content restrictions in Family Link filter apps and games by PEGI rating. Android

One thing makes all of these work: the correct date of birth on your child's account. If the birthday is wrong, the age-based defaults are wrong too.

How to look up a game's rating before you say yes

1. Search pegi.info. PEGI's website has a search tool showing the rating and content icons for each game and platform.
2. Check the store page. Console, PC and mobile stores show the rating and, often, notices about in-game purchases or user interaction.
3. Read the icons, not just the number. Which of them would bother your child?
4. Look for online features. Does it have open chat, user-made content or a shop? Those need separate settings.
5. Use a parent guide. Ask About Games and our game guides explain what children actually do in popular games.
6. Set the age filter. Finish by matching the console or device age limit to your decision.