What It Means
Game age ratings are labels that say which ages a video game suits and flag content parents may care about. In the United States, the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) assigns them. Each rating has three parts: a category such as T for Teen, content descriptors that name what may have earned it, like violence, language or gambling, and, where they apply, interactive elements.
Try It: Which Ratings Fit Your Child's Age?
Pick your child's age to see which ESRB categories are rated for it. Then read each game's content descriptors before you decide.
T, M and AO games are rated for older players.
AO games are rated for adults 18 and older.
RP means Rating Pending: the game hasn't been given its final rating yet.
How People Say It
- "It's rated T, so ask me first."
- "What's that game rated?"
- "M means seventeen and up, buddy."
The Breakdown
The rating categories
| Rating | What it means |
|---|---|
| E | Everyone |
| E10+ | Everyone 1010,000 stepsA popular daily step goal that began as the name of a 1960s Japanese pedometer; later studies find health benefits begin well below it. See more and older |
| T | Teen, 13 and older |
| M | Mature, 17 and older |
| AO | Adults Only, 18 and older |
| RP | Rating Pending, used in ads for a game that hasn't been rated yet |
How to check a game before you buy it
- Find the rating category on the package or the store listing.
- Read the content descriptors beside it. On a boxed game, they sit next to the rating on the back.
- Note any interactive elements listed with the rating.
- Look the game up on esrb.org, where each rated game has its own page.
- Decide against your family's own rules, and write those rules down so every adult uses the same line.
Short version for today. Look up the game your child plays most on esrb.org and read its descriptors together.
Where It Comes From
When the ESRB began, it used five categories: EC (Early Childhood), K-A (Kids to Adults), T (Teen), M (Mature) and AO (Adults Only). K-A was renamed E (Everyone) in 1998, and E10+ was added in 2005, according to ESRB's own history.
Good to Know
A rating is a starting point. The content descriptors say what may have earned it, and they're what tell you whether a game fits your own family's rules. For a sense of scale, ESRB reports that E for Everyone is the category it assigns most often, and that 90% of the games it rated in 2025 were age-appropriate for a 13-year-old.
FAQ
What does E10+ mean on a game?
Everyone 10 and older. ESRB gives that rating to games it considers suitable for players aged 10 and up.
What age is a T-rated game for?
T stands for Teen, and ESRB rates those games for ages 13 and up. Check the content descriptors too, since two T-rated games can earn the rating for different reasons.
What does Rating Pending mean?
RP means the game hasn't been assigned its final ESRB rating yet. You'll see it in ads and promotions for games expected to carry a rating, and it should be replaced once the rating is assigned.
Do It in Buhata
Household Notes
Write your family's rating rules in Household Notes, such as T games only with a parent's OK, so sitters and grandparents go by the same line.
Open BuhataRelated Terms and Categories
- In-app purchases
Purchases made inside an app or game after you install it, such as extra items, features or subscriptions, charged to the account's payment method.
- Parental controls
Settings and tools that let a parent limit what a child can see, download, buy and who they can contact on a device or app, and for how long.
- Screen time
The time a child spends using screens such as TVs, tablets, phones, computers and game consoles, counted across a day or a week.
Sources
ESRB, "Ratings Guides, Categories, Content Descriptors"; ESRB, "Our History"; ESRB, "Rating Category Breakdown: 90% of Games Rated in 2025 Are Age-Appropriate for Your 13-Year-Old"; ESRB, "E for Everyone is the Rating Category Most Frequently Assigned by ESRB"
- www.esrb.org/ratings-guide
- www.esrb.org/history
- www.esrb.org/blog/rating-category-breakdown-90-of-games-rated-in-2025-are-age-appropriate-for-your-13-year-old
- www.esrb.org/blog/e-for-everyone-is-the-rating-category-most-frequently-assigned-by-esrb
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