What parents need to know about Minecraft

Minecraft is a virtual ‘sandbox’ game. Players build their own virtual worlds and experiences using building blocks or resources. You have to work your way up through basic resources to more complex ones, but you can eventually build your world in whatever way you want. 

The price of Minecraft varies depending on the platform and edition. It typically costs around the £25 mark (with 'deluxe' editions going for slightly more). This price excludes 'mods' (community-made developments to a game) and skins (aesthetic additions to a character) which are usually paid extras.

The game is playable on computers, smartphones, tablets, and consoles (Xbox, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation). Users can choose between single-player mode or multiplayer mode, where they can collaborate with others to build shared virtual worlds.

Minecraft is a very free-form game. It doesn’t come with a set of instructions, or a stated objective – players can build and explore however they want. It’s often compared to virtual Lego.

This means that Minecraft fans have a lot of flexibility in terms of how they play. Users can recreate an existing fantasy world or build a new one from scratch, they can fight villains and seek adventure and they can play alone or with friends. 

It can also be played at any level. In a lot of popular games, you need a certain amount of skill to move on to the next challenge. This can be frustrating for young children who don’t always have the abilities or unrestricted time required to make real progress in a game. In Minecraft, children can create their own adventures at any level of play.

Age restrictions

Minecraft's age suitability varies. Minecraft's terms of service require parental consent for users under 13. 

The game is rated 7+ by PEGI - the European games age ratings system. While the core game is generally considered appropriate for children, mods can introduce content with more mature themes, including increased violence. Additionally, the game's online chat feature presents potential risks for younger players due to interactions with strangers. Therefore, age ratings for Minecraft in app stores can vary.

Despite these considerations, Minecraft enjoys widespread popularity among younger children. The base game itself is typically child-friendly, but parents should be aware of the potential for exposure to inappropriate content through online interactions and mods."

Chat functions

There are two different chat functions in Minecraft; Realms and server chats. Realm chat is hosted by the game developers, Mojang, and moderated by them. Server chat is set up by individual players, and is therefore not officially moderated. Usually players will invite friends to join their Minecraft server and use the chat, but some players offer an open invitation which allows anyone to join. 

Players may also choose to chat via Discord or other chat forums with different safety settings. 

If your child is using the chat feature, you could talk to them about the risks involved. For example, not sharing personal information, and not moving conversations into other online spaces.

Alternatively, you can use the parental controls to moderate or turn off chat. Click here to read more about Minecraft parental controls.

Minecraft YouTube videos

Lots of Minecraft users watch fan-created YouTube videos to improve their skills and learn new techniques. 

Plenty of these are age-appropriate. Minecraft does not have any particularly graphic content, but some of the videos contain monsters, trolls, spiders and zombies, which some children may find scary. Some of the videos include commentary with profanity or sexual references, and some discuss or even encourage bullying. Check these videos, or the streamers themselves, to see if you think they are suitable.  

You can try searching for ‘profanity free Minecraft servers’. Even then it might be worth checking the videos before young children watch them. 

You can also turn on YouTube’s Safety Mode to block age-inappropriate content. 

Reporting functions

Minecraft has a 'report' function – to report other users for things like inappropriate chat messages, harmful behaviour, or breaking the game's rules. 

After selecting the 'report' option you'll be able to choose specific messages you'd like to report – you can then select the category they fall under. All reports on Minecraft are assessed by human moderators before any action is taken.

Minecraft will not ban other players for swearing or profanity – they'll only take action when offensive messages cross into things like hate speech, or threats. 

Spot something that doesn't look quite right? You can email librarian@parentzone.org.uk to submit comments and feedback.

This article was last updated on 14/04/25.

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