These ten games put a child or teenager in a consequential role, but not always as the character you control. Some make a young character a playable lead; others build their story around a child who accompanies an adult protagonist. The selection below is editorial, not an objective ranking, and a child protagonist does not make a game suitable for children.
How to read this list
“Child protagonist” can mean a playable child, one of several leads, or a child central to someone else’s journey. Those distinctions matter: the child may shape decisions and relationships without being the player character. The games are arranged as a selection across story adventures and action games, not scored against one another.
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10 notable games with child protagonists
1. Life is Strange 2
Role: Sean is the playable lead; his younger brother Daniel is a co-protagonist whose growth is central to the story. DONTNOD describes the brothers’ flight after a tragic incident across five episodes, while PlayStation’s 2018 announcement identifies Sean as 16 and Daniel as 9. Sean acts as Daniel’s caretaker, and Daniel’s development reflects what he learns from his brother. That makes their relationship more than a backdrop: choices about how Sean behaves have consequences for Daniel. DONTNOD’s official Life is Strange 2 page and PlayStation’s 2018 announcement describe the premise and brothers.
2. Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons Remake
Role: Two sibling protagonists, controlled together in solo play or divided between players in local co-op. The brothers rely on different skills to solve puzzles. In single-player, one person controls both characters simultaneously, making coordination part of the experience; local co-op lets two players split the controls. The official descriptions do not specify the brothers’ ages, so it is more accurate to describe them as young brothers than to assign an age. The PlayStation page for the PS5 remake describes the puzzle-solving and solo or local co-op options; Xbox Wire’s 2024 feature explains the simultaneous single-player controls.
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3. The Walking Dead (Telltale)
Role: Clementine is a central supporting character in the first season, not its sole protagonist; the player primarily follows Lee. Their relationship gives the choices and dialogue emotional weight as Lee tries to protect a young girl in a collapsing world. GamesRadar’s story-game discussion highlights the character development and choice-driven storytelling, while also noting gruesome scenes. It is a strong example of a child shaping an adult lead’s journey without being the playable lead.
4. The Last of Us
Role: Ellie is central to Joel’s journey, which is the focus of the first game. Their relationship anchors its story-driven survival adventure. Keep the original game distinct from its sequel when considering tone: Common Sense Media describes The Last of Us Part II as an adult-oriented experience with intense violence and mature themes. That assessment is about Part II, not a rating for every edition of the first game. GamesRadar’s story-game list discusses Joel and Ellie and points to The Last of Us Part I as a modern remastered edition; Common Sense Media’s review of Part II provides the sequel’s content context.
5. God of War (2018)
Role: A child is central to the playable adult protagonist’s story. The father-and-son relationship is one of the game’s defining narrative elements, placing the child in a consequential role without making him the sole playable lead. The examples cited in academic discussion and GamesRadar’s story coverage support its inclusion as a notable relationship-driven game, but the sources available here do not establish the child’s age or specific current-edition details. See GamesRadar’s narrative-game discussion for its treatment of the father-and-son story.
6. Child of Light
Role: A young protagonist leads a fantasy role-playing adventure. It is a useful alternative for readers looking beyond contemporary, realistic dramas, though the sources available here identify it as an example rather than providing enough detail to substantiate a specific age, edition, or content rating. A scholarly study of children’s representation in games includes it among its examples: the study’s available listing.
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Role: A child is one part of a multi-character narrative rather than the only lead. The game belongs on a list about consequential child characters, but the available source material does not establish the character’s precise role, age, edition, or content rating in enough detail to make stronger claims here. A scholarly study names the game among examples of children in games: the study’s available listing.
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8. Dishonored
Role: A child is central to the adult protagonist’s story, rather than serving as the sole playable lead. The game is a useful contrast with titles that let players inhabit a young protagonist. The source available for this selection names Dishonored as an example in scholarship on children in games, but does not establish further details about the child character, edition, or age. The study’s available listing supports its inclusion in that broader discussion.
9. The Witcher 3
Role: A child character is central to the adult lead’s larger story, though the available sources do not establish that character’s age or the extent of playability. Its inclusion here reflects the distinction between a child protagonist in the broad sense and a child as the player’s primary avatar. A scholarly study lists The Witcher 3 among examples of children’s representation in games: the study’s available listing.
10. The Last of Us Part II
Role: A young character is part of a story whose perspective and focus are not simply those of a child protagonist. It is included for readers considering games where young characters have substantial narrative importance, not as a child-friendly recommendation. Common Sense Media characterizes the sequel as decidedly grown-up, citing intense violence and adult themes. Its review of The Last of Us Part II is the relevant content reference; do not transfer that description to Part I.
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| What you want | Start with | Why |
|---|---|---|
| A young character whose development is shaped by your decisions | Life is Strange 2 | Daniel’s learning and growth reflect Sean’s behavior, while Sean is the playable lead. |
| Sibling teamwork built into the controls | Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons Remake | Single-player controls both brothers simultaneously; local co-op splits control between two players. |
| A child who changes an adult lead’s emotional journey | The Walking Dead or The Last of Us | Clementine and Ellie are central to Lee’s and Joel’s stories, respectively. |
| More than one lead or a wider ensemble | Detroit: Become Human | It is an example of a multi-character story that includes a child, though the available sources do not establish the child’s precise role. |
Check content and ratings for the edition you plan to play
Story importance and age suitability are separate questions. The available content reference specifically describes The Last of Us Part II as violent and mature; it does not supply formal age ratings for all ten titles. Ratings can differ by region and edition, so check the rating authority and platform store listing for the exact version you are considering rather than inferring suitability from the protagonist’s age.
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