A free whitepaper published by Games for Change (G4C) has revealed the most effective ways for parents to support healthy video gaming at home.
The whitepaper highlights that nearly 60% of children want their parents to be more involved in their video gaming lives. Parents are encouraged to get involved by asking simple questions: which 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?
Released at the annual G4C Festival in New York, the whitepaper ‘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 global technology and entertainment company 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 US and the UK this September, with live online webinars also becoming available.
There are also companion resources available to download via the link above, including prompts for talking with your kids about video games, a family gaming code of conduct and the following SPACE learning framework:
- Show up with curiosity
- Play together
- Adjust for context
- Cultivate digital citizenship
- Establish boundaries together.
There is also suite of free supporting resources such as a family conversation guide and a family video gaming agreement that parents and children can shape together, now available at RaisingGoodGamers.com.
The whitepaper, 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.
“Parents are often being encouraged to worry before they’re encouraged to understand,” said Kowert. “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.”
Rather than relying on a single measure such as time spent playing video games, the whitepaper 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.
Earlier this year, the programme 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.
Building on these results, Raising Good Gamers will launch in September with online resources and in-person workshops across the US and UK, followed by a planned global expansion in 2027. The first virtual workshops will take place on September 29th [10am EST], October 20 [6pm EST] and November 19 [3pm EST].
Susanna Pollack, President of Games for Change, added: “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.”
Tencent Games’ support for the program, and its sponsorship of the Health and Wellbeing Track at the 2026 Games for Change Festival, taking place this week, reflects its commitment to help broaden that dialogue and advance practical tools, shared learning and responsible approaches to healthy play.
Danny Marti, Head of Public Affairs at Tencent, commented: “Positive play is a shared responsibility. 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.”
You can download the family gaming whitepaper here, access more resources at RaisingGoodGamers.com and watch Dr. Rachel Kowert join Jude Ower MBE on the Good Game Club podcast.
British Esports also has its own Esports Parent & Carers Guide available to view here. British Esports has also partnered with Tencent Games in the past with content, tournaments and research.
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