Top 5 Free MMORPGs For Kids Or Families That Want To Play Together

Having 3 kids that have grown up in a house of gamers myself, we were (and are) often on the prowl for games we can all play together. When they were younger, they wanted to play MMORPGs that they saw my wife or I playing, but at the time they were maybe a bit too young. Sure, every child is different and some may be a bit ahead of their age sometimes, but parents often want to make sure their children are playing games that are content, complexity, or even cost appropriate for their kids.

Today I am putting together a list of MMORPGs that I think fit the bill nicely. Rather than suggest creation platforms like Roblox, I wanted to stick to MMORPGs, titles that were free and weren't absurd in their cash shops, and provided a simple experience for kids that were younger while still offering complexity and stories that older children or parents wouldn't mind when they joined in.

In no particular order, here are my top 5 (actually 7) MMORPGs to check out for kids or some family time.

Wizard101/Pirate101

Sure, colorful games are often associated with being "kid friendly," but honestly, if there's no depth, then kids will abandon them quickly as they age out of the game or parents will find the experience boring when playing with the fam.

Wizard101 and Pirate101 from KingsIsle Entertainment hits both of these marks and provides the ultimate Wizard or Pirate fantasy. Who hasn't wanted to be either a wizard or pirate at some point in their lives? Heck, I still want to be one.

With a more friendly progression system, some easy to understand spell combat, and a fun narrative, either game will likely find the mark. It's more than just surface level amusement here, though. For those that want to dive deeper, there's some depth to character advancement and some more complex fights to be had in both titles.

Trove

No matter how young your kids may be, it's likely that they have either seen or played Minecraft. Trove, now owned by gamigo, doesn't provide quite the "go build whatever you want" gameplay that Minecraft does, but the voxel aesthetic of Trove will immediately call the game to mind for anyone.

With a multitude of classes to chose from, almost every type of biome you can imagine to explore, and some fun stories along the way, Trove has a bit of everything but once again, isn't just surface level "cute."

Quests, treasure, bosses big and small, it doesn't matte what age your children are, there's likely an activity here for them. For those that do want a bit more "Minecraft," Trove includes Cornerstones, a kind of "home base" you take along with you and there's even ways to create things that show up in your world and in the worlds of other players.

Palia

Palia is just barely an MMORPG in my book, but it's enough to earn a spot on the list. Yes, you'll adventure through the world with other players. Yes there's kind of a story to guide you along the way. This one isn't for those looking for some large fantasy world to explore though. Palia is on the list for those looking for a more "cozy" experience. You'll see that word tossed around a lot when Palia is discussed.

Palia falls more on the "simulation" side of MMOs. Do whatever you like, kind of like in games like Animal Crossing. Build houses, decorate, farm, fish, garden... whatever you feel like doing. There isn't a lot of depth here as far as stats or spell management goes, but don't mistake that for "simple." There's quite a bit to do and plenty of patterns and recipes to learn.

This may be one for the more creative kids out there.

AdventureQuest 3D

AdventureQuest 3D, often called simply AQ3D, is probably the most "traditional" MMORPG on this list. Yes, it's colorful and bright, but don't be fooled. Multiple classes are available to play and you can even switch between those classes at any time. Part of the fun in AQ3D is actually unlocking the classes themselves.

With a huge world to explore, massive boss fights, a multitude of quests, pets, and even PvP, you and the family will get any type of gameplay you want. AQ3D is also cross platform, so even if you don't have enough PCs for the entire family, you can boot up the game on your mobile device.

RuneScape 3/OS RuneScape

Now we get to some more "traditional" MMORPGs. I've put both RuneScape 3 and Old School RuneScape on this list because they fill different niches. Both provide plenty of deep systems to level, skill up, and master. They also provide a very in-depth and rich story and plenty of challenges.

The primary reason to pick one or the other may usually be based on age. RuneScape 3 is more colorful and has a more modern look than Old School RuneScape, but Old School RuneScape may be more appropriate for your older children who may be looking for more challenge and complexity.

Yes, RuneScape 3 has a bit of a cash shop controversy going on right now, but that has little to do with new players. Both games benefit from spending some money on the optional subscription, but you'll have plenty to explore in either without spending a dime.

There's plenty of other kid and family friendly MMOs out there, but these are great ways to get started. Sadly, some of my family's favorites aren't around anymore. I would have loved to have put the official Club Penguin servers on this list, but alas the official ones are gone. I guess it wasn't technically an MMORPG anyway.

What MMOs do you play with your kids? Got a recommendation for other families? Toss it below!