We may have left the PlayStation 3 behind two generations ago, but that nostalgic itch needs scratching every so often. But what if you don’t want to revisit the first depressing iteration of The Last of Us or guide Solid Snake through his final stealth mission? For those moments when you want some good ‘ole fashioned family fun, you can rely on the best PS3 games for kids we’ve compiled here.
While these titles are certainly made with a younger audience in mind, there’s no shame in having been old enough to have played them at launch and still want to dive in today. Whether you want family-friendly entertainment or are introducing a new player to the heyday of PS3 gaming for the younger generation, you’ll want to dust off these ten PS3 games for kids.
10. ModNation Racers
Developer: United Front Games
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
With the success of LittleBigPlanet, it was only a matter of time before that game’s user-centric model started creeping into other genres. ModNation Racers is the go-kart racing version of LittleBigPlanet, allowing players to “Play, Create, Share” to emphasize user-generated content over dev-created tracks.
Like a typical kart racer, players jump behind the wheel of a silly-looking vehicle, have access to a number of weapons and tech, and vie for first place. It’s a pretty standard racer until you get to the modding. Players can create characters, vehicles, and entire tracks via user-friendly but detailed tools.
Very young players may find modding to be a little complex, but they can still take advantage of the library of kid-friendly, wonky, user-generated tracks.
9. Skylanders: Swap Force
Developer: Vicarious Visions
Publisher: Activision
You might not remember it now because the concept has long since fizzled out, but there was a time when real-world toys and video games were used to create one experience. Skylanders was a leader in this, as players purchased Spyro the Dragon-themed toys and used a special platform to bring them into 3D platforming adventures.
Swap Force was a fun iteration of the concept that allowed players to create their own hero by mixing and matching a toy’s top and bottom half. The result was a unique hero with unique abilities.
Customization was Swap Force’s strongest feature, both in and out of the game. It varied gameplay just enough from the original Skylanders platformers to feel fresh and really let players have fun with their imagination. You can still find the toys in second-hand shops and online, and you’ll be able to grab them at a fraction of their original cost. Which was one of the game’s biggest barriers to entry.
8. The Sly Collection
Developer: Sucker Punch Productions / Sanzaru Games
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
The Sly Cooper series kicked off in 2002 on the PS2, but The Sly Collection brings the series onto the PS3 in a fully remastered trilogy.
Follow the titular raccoon and his band of miscreant friends on three adventures as they try to pull off daring heists. The series puts a focus on stealth platforming, but it’s nothing on the level of Hitman or Splinter Cell, meaning even younger players can partake. In fact, the Sly series is all about the young audience, with quirky hijinx and eccentric characters driving the colorful and player-friendly games.
By jumping into The Sly Collection, you get to follow The Cooper Clan and its run-ins with organized crime groups and Sly’s own love interest, Inspector Carmelita Fox. Each game digs deeper into The Cooper Clan lore and offers new challenges and puzzles for players to solve. The Sly Collection was followed in 2013 by Thieves in Time, the final entry in Sucker Punch’s fun series.
7. Just Dance 2014
Developer: Ubisoft
Publisher: Ubisoft
The Just Dance series has been ongoing for generations, with more than a dozen entries to choose from. For the PS3, Just Dance 2014 may have come a little late in the console’s lifecycle, but it surpassed the previous three PS3 entries with a rather memorable and danceable soundtrack.
Artists like Lady Gaga, Bob Marley, Robbie Williams, Kesha, Chris Brown, Daft Punk, Katy Perry, and even Ray Parker, Jr. rounded out a list of 50 songs. And that’s not including the DLC tracks that were released as late as May 2014. Just Dance 2014 introduced an eight-player multiplayer mode and brought back the fan-favorite Mashups for a more well-rounded and robust experience.
While Just Dance 2014 is one of the series’ best, it’s worth checking the soundtrack of the other PS3 titles to see which best suits your or your child’s musical tastes.
6. Rock Band
Developer: Harmonix
Publisher: MTV Games
Guitar Hero may have been the pioneer for rhythm-based music games, but it was Rock Band that elevated the experience by adding vocals, a bass guitar, and drums.
Whether you were a master of rock or still working your way up the talent ladder, Rock Band remained entertaining so long as you played with friends. The peripherals were mostly durable, lasting many jam sessions before finally tapping out. But the time you did get with them was sure to remain embedded somewhere in your prefrontal cortex.
Of course, driving much of the fun was a relatable soundtrack that made each component of Rock Band fun to use. There were 45 songs at launch, including greats like “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper,” “Blitzkrieg Bop,” “Black Hole Sun,” “Detroit Rock City,” and “Enter Sandman.” Later entries found ways to improve upon the original, but Rock Band holds a very special place in PS3 history, despite the downfall of music-based games.
5. Minecraft
Developer: Mojang Studios
Publisher: Mojang Studios, Sony Interactive Entertainment
Minecraft is a game for all ages, providing younger and older audiences somewhere to muck about with friends or family. Since its full launch in 2011, the blocky sandbox game/survival adventure has delivered countless hours of entertainment. Creative Mode gives you complete control over your experience, allowing you to create practically anything your mind can imagine.
It’s an easy game to jump in and out of as there’s no commitment to missions, side quests, or save points. Just build to the soothing music until it’s time to do something else. Minecraft has even been used in school settings. Considering it’s been going strong since 2011, it’s safe to say Mojang did something right during developing one of the best PS3 kids games.
4. Jak and Daxter Collection
Developer: Mass Media Games
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Another legacy PS2 series, the Jak and Daxter trilogy was originally released by Naughty Dog before the development studio moved on to emotional cinematic adventures. That’s not to discredit Jak and Daxter at all, it’s just a complete tonal shift from Naughty Dog’s Uncharted or The Last of Us franchises, as the former attracts a younger audience.
The titular heroes were given a visual boost for this PS3 collection, though the core experiences remain the same. Players primarily control Jak starting with The Precursor Legacy, battling through enemies and navigating perilous environments in a colorful 3D platformer.
The follow-ups expand upon the Jak and Daxter lore for a well-rounded trilogy everyone can enjoy, though the collectathon first game does remain the most kid-friendly game on PS3.
3. LEGO Marvel Super Heroes
Developer: Traveller’s Tales
Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
With the success of the LEGO Star Wars series, it was inevitable that everyone’s favorite bricks would make their way into the Marvel universe. Rather than build on The Avengers and create a game that follows the events of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Traveller’s Tales crafted its own story to make room for a roster of 180 characters.
Like the Star Wars games, players control one of those characters through story-based levels and a sizable hub world battling classic villains and breaking just about everything in sight. Each hero and villain sports a signature attack and ability so that nearly all 180 characters feel unique to play as. If you’ve played a LEGO game in the past, it’s all a very familiar experience—just with your favorite Marvel characters at the helm.
2. Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction
Developer: Insomniac Games
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Admittedly, the Ratchet & Clank series is known for having some “questionable” names, though younger players won’t pick up on it. They’ll be too busy guiding the titular Lombax and his robotic friend through expansive levels in an action-packed adventure.
While the Ratchet & Clank series started on the PS2 and a legacy collection remastered them for the PS3, Tools of Destruction sneaks ahead as a slightly better option in terms of PS3 games for kids, particularly because it was the best-looking one to date.
The game captures the whimsy of the series and enhances the gameplay, visuals, story, and characters for an exciting and award-nominated thrill ride. While you’ll likely want to play the predecessors before jumping into Tools of Destruction, it’s possible to enjoy the game without knowing the full story.
1. LittleBigPlanet 2
Developer: Media Molecule
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
As the second adventure for the lovable Sackboy, it was inevitable that LittleBigPlanet 2 would be bigger. The question was, “Would it be better?” The answer is a resounding yes, as far more customization and functionality expanded the experience, giving players a ton to do and almost rendering the need for a third entry moot.
Like games like Minecraft, LittleBigPlanet 2 had the potential to be timeless with the proper support. User-created worlds fuel a library of content spanning platforming adventures and survival horror titles. Poor little Sackboy is put through the wringer, but thankfully he’s not alone. One of LittleBigPlane 2’s most appealing components is its co-op multiplayer, which has players working together (or against one another, depending on the real-world relationship) to navigate physics-based levels.
LittleBigPlanet never survived past its third entry, but the dip in quality from the second to third entry really highlights how good the sequel was and how little it left for improvement. Still a fantastic game for kids on PS3, even all these years later.
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