Game age ratings explained (PEGI)

The rating on a game box is the fastest reliable guide to whether a game suits a particular player. It takes five seconds to read and prevents most unsuitable purchases.

What do PEGI age ratings mean?

PEGI (Pan European Game Information) is the European rating system, and it is what appears on most game boxes sold in this region. The number is a minimum recommended age:

• PEGI 3 — suitable for all ages. No inappropriate content; any violence is comical and in a fantasy setting.
• PEGI 7 — may contain mild scary scenes or non-realistic violence.
• PEGI 12 — violence toward fantasy characters, non-graphic violence toward humans, mild bad language.
• PEGI 16 — realistic violence, stronger language, sexual content, depictions of drug use.
• PEGI 18 — adults only. Graphic violence, strong content.

Importantly, the rating is about content, not difficulty. A PEGI 3 game can be extremely hard, and a PEGI 18 game can be easy. Parents sometimes read the number as a skill guide, which it is not.

What do the content icons on the box mean?

Alongside the age number, PEGI prints small icons describing why the game got that rating. These are more useful than the number itself, because they tell you specifically what is in it:

• Violence — depictions of violence.
• Bad Language — strong language.
• Fear — scary content.
• Gambling — gambling, or content that teaches or encourages it.
• Sex — sexual content or nudity.
• Drugs — reference to or use of drugs, alcohol or tobacco.
• Discrimination — depictions that could encourage discrimination.
• In-Game Purchases — the game offers optional purchases. Worth checking for any child''s game.

Reading the icons tells you whether a PEGI 16 rating came from language or from something you care more about.

Does a game''s age rating really matter?

Yes, and more than many parents assume. Ratings are assigned by an independent body reviewing actual content, not by the publisher marketing the game. They are consistent and they are not a sales tool.

The rating is a floor, not a verdict. A mature fifteen-year-old may handle a PEGI 16 game; a sensitive ten-year-old may find a PEGI 7 horror-adjacent game genuinely upsetting. Use the icons and your own knowledge of the child together.

Two things that matter as much as the rating: online interaction, which no rating covers because it depends on who your child plays with, and in-game purchases. See our guide to parental controls for both.

What is the difference between PEGI and ESRB?

ESRB is the North American system, and you will see it on imported copies. Its levels map roughly to PEGI:

E (Everyone) ≈ PEGI 3 · E10+ ≈ PEGI 7 · T (Teen) ≈ PEGI 12 · M (Mature 17+) ≈ PEGI 16–18 · AO (Adults Only) ≈ PEGI 18

The systems differ in emphasis — ESRB tends to be stricter on sexual content, PEGI on violence — so the same game occasionally carries different ratings in each. If a copy shows a rating you do not recognise, it is likely an import.

Ask us on 16280 about any specific title and we will tell you its rating and what the content icons say before you buy.