Game classification and age ratings in Australia
A classification tells you who a game is considered suitable for and why. This guide explains how to read one, where to look it up, how it differs from a publisher's own age rules, and how household settings fit alongside it.
Quick answer
Look up the exact game title in the Australian Classification Board's database. Read both the rating and the consumer advice beneath it. Then check the publisher's minimum account age, which is a separate rule.
What a classification contains
An Australian classification has two parts. The first is the category, such as G, PG, M, MA 15+ or R 18+, which indicates the audience. The second is the consumer advice: a short description of the content that led to the rating, such as references to violence, coarse language or in-game purchases. The consumer advice is often more useful than the category, because two games with the same rating can reach it for very different reasons.
Some categories are legally restricted, meaning there are rules about who may buy or access them. The Classification Board's website explains what each category means and which are restricted. We link it rather than restate it, because the authoritative wording is theirs, and because the scheme is reviewed from time to time.
How to look up a game
- Go to classification.gov.au and find the database search.
- Search for the game's exact title. Try variations if nothing comes up: with and without a subtitle, or with the edition name.
- Check that the result matches the version you are looking at. Desktop, console and mobile editions of a similarly named game may be classified separately, or not at all.
- Read the consumer advice as well as the category.
- Note the date of the decision. A game that has changed substantially since then may since have been reclassified.
Games distributed only online are handled under the national scheme too, but how a particular title was assessed, and when, varies. If you cannot find a game, that tells you nothing about its suitability; fall back on the publisher's own information and your own judgement, and treat the absence of a rating with caution rather than as permission.
Classification and account age are different rules
Publishers set their own minimum age for creating an account, in their terms. That age is about the publisher's contract with you and its privacy obligations; it is not a classification. The two can differ. A game might have a classification suggesting an older audience than the publisher's account age, or the reverse.
When the two differ, follow whichever is stricter for your household. A child meeting the account age does not make the content suitable for them, and an adult supervising a child does not change who the terms allow to hold an account.
What a classification does not cover
A classification assesses the content of the game as submitted. Online games add things that may not be fully captured: chat with other players, content created by other players, and how the game's shop changes after release. Those are the areas where household settings and conversation matter most.
The eSafety Commissioner publishes guidance for parents and carers on these online risks, and is the body to contact about serious online abuse. Scams that reach children through games, such as offers of free in-game items in exchange for logins, can be reported to Scamwatch.
Household settings, layer by layer
Controls exist at several levels, and they work best together. The exact menus change between versions, so the descriptions below are general.
| Layer | Typical controls | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Operating system | Child accounts, app limits, screen time, content filters by rating | Limits that apply to every game and app |
| Launcher or storefront | Purchase approval, spending limits, restricting games by rating | Stopping unplanned purchases |
| The game itself | Chat filters, turning off voice chat, friend-request limits | Contact with other players |
| Payment method | Removing saved cards, gift cards, bank alerts | A firm ceiling on spending |
| Home network | Router schedules and filtering | Time limits across all devices |
A worked example: a game for a 13-year-old
Scenario
A 13-year-old asks to play an online game a friend has recommended.
- Classification. Look the game up. Read the category and the consumer advice. If the advice mentions in-game purchases or simulated gambling, note it; the category alone may not tell you.
- Account age. Read the publisher's terms for the minimum age. If the child is under it, the game is not an option on their own account.
- Purchases. Look at the shop. Does it sell randomised items for real money? If so, this site's view is that the game is not one to present as suitable for a child, whatever else it offers.
- Contact. Find the chat settings. Can text and voice chat be limited to friends or turned off?
- Settings. Set up a child account on the computer, turn on purchase approval in the launcher, and remove saved cards.
- Talk. Agree on what to do if someone in the game asks for personal details, offers free items or makes them uncomfortable.
What to watch out for
- Sites that state a game's rating without linking to the classification decision. Check the database yourself.
- Ratings from other countries. They follow different rules and do not tell you the Australian classification.
- "Kid-friendly" labels on third-party sites. They are opinions, not classifications.
- Versions with similar names on different devices, which may be rated differently.
This site does not state a classification for any product it covers, including the product in our single product entry. Our source does not state one, and the Classification Board's database is the place to check.
Talking about ratings with older children
Rules work better when the reasons are understood. With teenagers in particular, reading the consumer advice together can be more effective than simply announcing a decision: it shows that the rating is about specific content, not a judgement of the young person. It also opens a conversation about the parts a rating does not cover, such as chat with strangers and pressure to spend.
Agreeing in advance on what happens if something goes wrong tends to help as well. A young person who knows they will not lose the game for reporting an uncomfortable message is more likely to report it. The eSafety Commissioner's material for parents and carers includes guidance on these conversations.
Common questions
A game is not in the database. Does that mean it is unclassified?
Not necessarily. Try other spellings and editions first. If you still cannot find it, treat the game with caution and rely on the publisher's own information, its terms and your own review of the content.
Is a rating from another country good enough?
It can tell you something about content, but it is made under different rules and is not an Australian classification. Use the Australian database where a decision exists.
Can a game's rating change after release?
A game that changes substantially can be reclassified. That is one reason to check the date of the decision and to look at the game as it is now, including its shop.