AGE LABELS
Five numbers
PEGI 3, 7, 12, 16 and 18 are minimum age recommendations based on content such as violence, bad language and fear.
Check a feature- Check the number
- Read the descriptors
- Play it together
- Informed choices, happier players
00WHAT THE RATINGS SAY
Read the number,
then the label.
A PEGI rating is about content, not difficulty.
A PEGI 3 game can be hard to master, and a PEGI 18 game can be easy to play. Since June 2026 the ratings also weigh features such as loot boxes, open chat and daily rewards, not just what you see on screen.
Check a feature01Principles
02THE SHORT ANSWER
The number is
only half of it.
The age label says who a game suits.
The descriptors say why.
NEW FOR 2026
Features count now
Since June 2026, paid random items, open chat and play-by-appointment rewards can raise a game's rating.
See the numbers
AT HOME
Talk and play together
PEGI encourages parents to play with their children and agree rules on time, spending and online contact.
How to do it03A QUICK FEATURE CHECK
What does the
game include?
Pick a feature to see the PEGI rating it now leads to. The bar shows how high the rating goes.
Based on PEGI's own explanation of its labels and descriptors, including the June 2026 changes. Ratings apply to games submitted since then.
04TWO NUMBERS WORTH KNOWING
Most parents know it,
most games are mild.
One figure on how parents use the labels,
one on how games were rated in 2025.
79%
Gaming parents aware of PEGI labels
In a 2025 survey across 15 EU countries, 79% of parents whose children play games knew the PEGI labels. Of those, 75% said they use them when buying a game.
AWARENESS · IPSOS FOR VGE
31%
Products rated PEGI 12 in 2025
PEGI 12 was the most common rating among the 1,511 products rated through PEGI's traditional pre-release procedure in 2025. 15% were rated PEGI 18.
RATINGS · PEGI 2025
From October 2026, PEGI is also updating some existing digital-only games rated 3, 7 or 12 that contain paid random items, moving them to PEGI 16.
05FOUR HABITS TO TRY
Know the game,
not just the box.
These come from PEGI's own tips for parents. Every child is different, and PEGI says the final call is yours.
Look for the label
Check the PEGI rating on the box or in the digital store, and read the descriptors beside it.
Watch or play it first
Read a review or watch a summary, or better still, play the game yourself or with your child.
Agree the rules together
Settle on time per day and week, spending and who your child can talk to online.
Use parental controls
Set limits on age, time, spending and online access, and remind children to report bad behaviour.
06WHO RATES THEM
One system,
more than 35 countries.
PEGI was founded in 2003 and is used in more than 35 countries, including the United Kingdom and Ireland. Ratings are issued by two independent administrators: the Games Rating Authority in the UK and NICAM in the Netherlands.
The same criteria apply whether a game comes on a disc or as a download. Many digital storefronts use the IARC system, which is based on exactly the same PEGI criteria.
07Questions
Questions people ask
Does PEGI tell me how hard a game is?
No. PEGI rates age suitability, not difficulty. A PEGI 3 game may be too hard for young children, and a PEGI 18 game can be very easy to play.
Is there a PEGI 15 rating?
No. PEGI has five age labels: 3, 7, 12, 16 and 18. A 15 is a BBFC rating, which the British Board of Film Classification defines as suitable only for 15 years and over.
What does PEGI 12 mean?
Games may show slightly more graphic violence towards fantasy characters or non-realistic violence towards human-like characters, sexual innuendo, and only mild bad language.
Why might a game's rating have gone up?
From October 2026, PEGI is updating some existing digital-only games rated 3, 7 or 12 that contain paid random items such as loot boxes, moving them to PEGI 16.
What is the In-Game Purchases descriptor?
It appears whenever a game lets players buy digital goods or services with real money, such as extra levels, outfits, virtual coins or subscriptions.
What does the PEGI ! symbol mean?
Parental Guidance Recommended. It is used for some non-game apps on storefronts using IARC, warning that they can offer a broad range of user-generated or curated content.
08Sources
Where the facts come from
- PEGI: What do the labels mean?
- PEGI: Statistics about PEGI
- PEGI news: PEGI updates age ratings of existing games with paid random items (October 2026)
- PEGI: Tips for parents
- PEGI: The PEGI organisation
- PEGI: PEGI age ratings
- BBFC: 15 rating
What changed
- : Added a FAQ answering whether there is a PEGI 15 (PEGI labels page, BBFC 15 rating page) and PEGI's cryptocurrency/NFT feature rule (PEGI 18) to the feature check.