Child Appropriate Game Design (CAGD)

A Kids Play Tech Lab Research Project

The Children and Age-Appropriate Game Design (or “Child Appropriate Game Design” (CAGD) for short) project is a four-year international and multidisciplinary study of how ideas about “age appropriateness” shape how children’s digital games are designed, regulated, and played. Over four years, we will talk to children and children’s game developers (focus groups, interviews), review relevant policies and regulatory developments (policy analysis), and examine the designs and settings of key children’s games (design analysis and case studies).

We will map how questions relating to age appropriateness and children’s rights in games are already being addressed by these key stakeholder groups (children, parents, industry, policymakers). And identify best practices, policy recommendations, and pedagogical materials aimed at building stronger support and awareness of children’s rights and best interests in this space moving forward. 

The CAGD project is led by Dr. Sara Grimes (Principal Investigator, McGill University, Canada), Dr. Darshana Jayemanne (Abertay University, Scotland), and Dr. Seth Giddings (University of Southampton, England). It is funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) of Canada.

Dr. Jayemanne’s contributions are supported by InGAME: Innovation for Games and Media Enterprise, funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council. Concept and prototype development for our collab with A-Game Studios (D’Orcs) funded by the Canada Media Fund and Ontario Creates.