New Games for Change white paper highlights the gap between public narratives about video games and families’ lived experiences. It also points to a practical opportunity: nearly 60% of children say they want their parents more involved in their video gaming lives.[1]
NEW YORK, July 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — A new white paper published today by Games for Change (G4C) reveals that one of the most effective ways for parents to support healthy video gaming at home may be simple: ask better questions, get more involved and understand what video games their children are playing, who they are playing them with and why playing video games matters to them. Released at the annual G4C Festival in New York, the white paper ‘Raising Good Gamers: What Families Need to Know About Video Games and Well-Being,’ marks the next phase of Raising Good Gamers, a G4C program supported by Tencent Games. The program provides families with practical tools and resources to help them navigate video gaming at home with more confidence. Workshops will launch across the U.S. and the U.K. this September, with live online webinars also becoming available.
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Parents are searching for answers. Children are asking for involvement
The white paper, authored by Dr. Rachel Kowert, Research Director at Games for Change, draws on academic research, policy and safety guidance, industry and parent-focused studies, global participation data, expert perspectives and a new analysis of nearly 200,000 media articles and social posts from 15 countries, covering seven languages.[2]
The white paper reveals that parents are navigating an online conversation about video gaming where practical guidance and balanced perspectives can be harder to find. Yet that conversation does not always reflect the role video games now play in everyday family life. Video games have become part of mainstream culture, with more than 3 billion people playing worldwide.[3] For many young people, video gaming is deeply social: 89% of U.S. teens say they play video games with other people.[4] Nearly half (49%) of U.S. players say video games have helped them stay connected to friends and family, while 39% say they have met a good friend, spouse, or significant other through video games.[5]
This points to a clear gap between public narratives about video games and how many families actually experience them at home. While parents are often encouraged to focus first on limits and risks, many children say they want something more from the adults in their lives: interest, involvement and understanding.
The white paper highlights that nearly 60% of children want their parents to be more involved in their video gaming lives. That involvement can start with simple questions: what video games are you playing, who are you playing them with, what do you enjoy about it and how does it fit into the rest of your day?
Rather than relying on a single measure such as time spent playing video games, the white paper points to a more balanced view of healthy video gaming – one shaped by the quality of the experience, the relationships around it, the context of play and the conversations families have together.
“Parents are often being encouraged to worry before they’re encouraged to understand,” said Dr. Rachel Kowert, Research Director at Games for Change. “Our video gaming experiences are not only defined by time spent playing. They’re shaped by the quality of the experience, the relationships around it and the conversations families have together. Rather than let worry opt us out, it’s time for parents to get curious and opt in, and our kids say they want that too.”
Turning research into practical support for families
To help parents move from concern to connection and confidence, the white paper offers practical, evidence-based guidance to help families bridge the information gap and make video games a positive part of family life. It introduces the SPACE framework that encourages parents to:
- Show up with curiosity
- Play together
- Adjust for context
- Cultivate digital citizenship
- Establish boundaries together
Raising Good Gamers translates this framework into practical tools families can use at home. This includes a suite of free supporting reing agreement that parents and children can shape together, available now at RaisingGoodGamers.com
Earlier this year, the program piloted parent workshops where families developed their own video gaming agreements. Following the workshops, 82% of participants reported feeling more confident talking with their children about video gaming, while 81% rated the workshops as highly valuable.[6] Building on these results, Raising Good Gamers will launch in September with online resources and in-person workshops across the U.S. and U.K., followed by a planned global expansion in 2027. The first virtual workshops will take place on September 29 [10 AM EST], October 20 [6 PM EST], and November 19 [3 PM EST].
“When parents sit alongside their children, ask questions and even pick up a device themselves, something changes. Anxiety gives way to curiosity, and conflict gives way to conversation. That’s what Raising Good Gamers is designed to encourage: practical, everyday ways for families to build trust, set expectations together and make video gaming part of a healthier family routine,” said Susanna Pollack, President of Games for Change.
Through Raising Good Gamers, Games for Change is creating a platform to bring families, researchers, educators, policymakers and industry partners into a more balanced, evidence-based conversation about video games and young people. Tencent Games’ support for the program, and its sponsorship of the Health and Wellbeing Track at the 2026 Games for Change Festival, reflects its commitment to help broaden that dialogue and advance practical tools, shared learning and responsible approaches to healthy play.
“Positive play is a shared responsibility,” said Danny Marti, Head of Public Affairs at Tencent. “Great player experiences are built not only on creativity and innovation, but also on thoughtful tools, safeguards and other wellbeing features that empower players and families. As those tools continue to evolve, there is a collective need to explain those features, so parents, caregivers, and communities know what is available, understand how to use them, and feel more confident supporting younger players.”
Following the launch of the white paper, Dr. Rachel Kowert will join Jude Ower MBE on the Good Game Club podcast. The episode will be released on July 22, 2026, at 8.00 AM BST. More information is available on Linktree.
Since 2004, Games for Change (G4C) has empowered game creators and innovators to drive real-world change through games and immersive media, helping people learn, improve their communities, and make the world a better place. G4C partners with technology and gaming companies, nonprofits, foundations, and government agencies to run world-class events, public arcades, design challenges, and youth programs. G4C supports a global community of developers who use games to tackle real-world challenges, from humanitarian conflicts to climate change to education. For more information, visit gamesforchange.org. Websites: gamesforchange.org and raisinggoodgamers.com
Raising Good Gamers (RGG) is a Games for Change initiative that provides research-backed tools and resources to help families engage with gaming confidently and constructively. From setting healthy boundaries to navigating conversations about online behaviour, RGG helps parents understand how games can support learning, connection, and digital citizenship. Through partnerships with game developers, studios, and youth organisations, RGG also works to foster safer, more inclusive gaming environments. The program was originally founded in 2020 by Games for Change and Katie Salen, in partnership with the Connected Learning Lab at the University of California, Irvine.
Tencent is a global technology and entertainment company focused on creating connections and experiences that matter around the world. Founded in 1998, Tencent is driven by its mission to create “Value for Users” and apply “Tech for Good.” Tencent Games was launched in 2003 and has since grown into the leading global platform for video game development, publishing and operation, offering more than 170 in-house developed and licensed games across 200 countries and regions. Honor of Kings, PUBG MOBILE, League of Legends, Call of Duty: Mobile and Brawl Stars are among its most popular titles worldwide. Headquartered in Shenzhen, Tencent has been listed on the Main
Board of the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong since June 2004. Website: tencent.com
Rachel Kowert, Ph.D., is a research psychologist, award-winning author, and globally recognised leader in policy and product development for non-profit, governmental, and non-governmental agencies, with more than 15 years of data-driven research focused on mental health and trust and safety in digital games. She has spoken about her work to thousands of people across the globe, including the United Nations and the United States Congress, and has published widely on the psychology of games and the relationship between games and mental health. Website: rkowert.com
The Good Game Club podcast is hosted by industry leaders Jude Ower MBE, CSO at PlanetPlay, and Mathias Gredal Nørvig, CEO of SYBO. Building on their bestselling book Gaming For Good, the podcast brings together voices from across games, culture, business and policy to examine the positive impact games can have on people and the planet. Good Game Club is supported by the Dubai Films & Games Commission and Tencent, with the aim of galvanising and inspiring audiences with thought-provoking and insightful conversations to help shape a more positive future through the power of games. For more information, visit Home | Good Game Club
[1] Entertainment Software Association. (2025).ESA Holiday Survey
[2] FTI Consulting. (2025, October).
[3] Newzoo. (2025, Sept).The Global Games Market Report
[4] Center for Scholars and Storytellers at UCLA. (2025).Teens and Screens 2025 Report
[5] Entertainment Software Association. (2025).Essential facts about the US video game industry
[6] Games for Change Parent Workshop (2026). New York: New York.
