Playing together: what research says about family co-play
Games are better together. Research links family co-play with connection, and young kids learn more from screens when an adult joins in.
Playing games together is linked with stronger family connection: girls aged 11 to 16 who played with a parent showed better behavior and mental health, though boys showed no difference. A 2024 meta-analysis found young children learn a little more from digital media when an adult uses it with them.
What the research found
- Co-playing with a parent (Coyne et al., 2011): in 287 families with kids aged 11 to 16, girls who played video games with a parent showed less aggression, more helping behavior, more family connection and better mental health. Boys showed no significant differences.
- Learning with an adult (Taylor et al., 2024): across 17 experiments with children up to age 6, adult co-use led to a small learning boost (g ≈ 0.20).
- Conversation prompts in digital media improve adult-child interaction (Mathers et al., 2025).
Where experts disagree
Coyne's study was cross-sectional, so close families may simply play together more. Taylor and colleagues rated most studies at high risk of bias, and most used videos rather than games.
How this shaped OurDot
OurDot's games are built to play together: a daily family word where everyone compares colored dots, trivia about each other, team card games and a counting race for little ones. No ads, purchases or streaks, and guardians set daily game time.
What we don't claim
- That gaming together improves mental health.
- That puzzles make kids smarter.