Is Sackboy: A Big Adventure okay for kids?
The best PS5 platformer for couch co-op. Up to four players on the same screen, an optional infinite-lives assist, no chat or online stuff to manage if you don't want it. Kids and adults can play together without anyone being miserable.
Parents also ask about Sackboy: A Big Adventure
How many players can play together?
Up to four locally on the same console and TV. Online co-op is also available but separate. For families who just want everyone on the couch, you're set with one console and the right number of controllers.
- Up to 4 players locally on one console
- Online co-op is separate and optional
Is there an easy mode for young kids?
Yes. There's a game assist that gives infinite lives. Turn it on in the accessibility settings and a young kid can keep playing without ever 'losing.' It doesn't disable the rest of the game.
- Infinite-lives assist in accessibility settings
- Turn it on by default for a young kid
Are there microtransactions?
No microtransactions in the standard game. There's a Digital Deluxe Edition with extra costumes and a soundtrack, but that's a one-time purchase, not an in-game store.
- No in-game store
- Optional Digital Deluxe Edition is one-time
Is the online play safe for kids?
Local couch co-op has no online element. If you allow online co-op, your kid could be matched with strangers. PS5 parental controls can turn off online communication system-wide if you want to keep the experience local.
- Local play is fully offline
- Online play opens the door to strangers, opt-in only
What to watch for in Sackboy: A Big Adventure
- Chat and messagesLow
No chat in couch co-op · voice in opt-in online
- Contact with other playersLow
Local play is the default · online is opt-in
- Spending and extra purchasesLow
No in-game store · no microtransactions
- Stopping and playtimeLow
Finite campaign · no live-service hooks
- Content your child may seeLow
Cute, no violence · loud boss music
Before you start
The full review
Why kids want to play Sackboy: A Big Adventure
The thing that pulls kids into Sackboy is mostly that it's a game everyone can play at once. For a kid who's been watching a sibling or parent play, getting handed a second (or third or fourth) controller and being part of the action is a different experience than being a spectator. Sackboy is built around that. Levels are designed so multiple players can move through them together rather than fighting for screen space.
Beyond the co-op pull, Sackboy's visual language is friendly in a tactile way. Sackboy is literally a stitched cloth puppet, the worlds look hand-made, and the physics feel cartoony rather than realistic. For younger kids, that 'looks like a toy' quality matters more than a lot of parents would guess before having one.
Why this verdict
- Up to 4-player local couch co-op, rare in modern console games
- Optional accessibility assist for infinite lives basically removes failure as a problem
- Cute, no violence, no scary content
- No microtransactions in the base game
- Online play is opt-in and separate from local play
Who it fits
Best for
- Families with multiple kids who want to play together at the same time
- Younger kids who do better with a sibling or parent on the controller next to them
- Households that want a single console game everyone can sit down to
Less suited to
- Solo kids looking for a long single-player adventure (Astro Bot is a stronger pick if there's no co-op need)
- Kids who specifically want competitive play
Detailed risk notes
- Co-op can get griefy. Players can throw each other off ledges, which is part of the fun for older kids and a meltdown trigger for younger ones.
- Online co-op exists alongside local. Sticking to local couch co-op avoids any interaction with strangers.
- Some boss music and visual effects are intense in a fun way, not a scary way, but worth a heads-up for kids sensitive to volume
- Cartoony peril like bonking enemies and falling, nothing graphic
- Volume and visual chaos in some boss levels can be a lot for a sensitive kid
Chat and messages
Sackboy has no chat in local couch co-op, since everyone playing is in the same room. Online co-op may include voice chat between players who join your session. PS5 parental controls can disable online communication system-wide if that's a concern.
Contact with other players
Sackboy in local couch co-op involves no strangers, just people you let into your house. Online co-op can match your kid with other players if you choose to enable it. The simplest move for a younger kid is to keep Sackboy on local play only.
Spending and extra purchases
Sackboy has no in-game store and no microtransactions in the base game. The Digital Deluxe Edition adds extra costumes and music, sold once at purchase. PS Plus is required for online multiplayer in Sackboy but not for local couch co-op.
Stopping and playtime
Sackboy has none of the standard live-service hooks. No daily logins, no streaks, no battle pass. It's a finite campaign with optional challenge levels.
Content your child may see
Sackboy is cute and gentle. Sackboy bonks enemies the way you'd bonk a stuffed animal. There's no blood, no scary themes, no language issues. A few boss fights have intense music and visual chaos that can overwhelm a sensitive young kid, but nothing in the visuals is upsetting.