Play well

Why an index talks about this

We spend the year telling you which games are worth your time, so we owe you the other half of the conversation. Games are at their best as one part of a full life. This guide collects the habits, settings and free support that keep them there, for you and for the people you play with.

Plan the session

• Decide how long you will play before you start and set a timer. Consoles, PCs and phones all include one.
• End at a natural break: the end of a race, a run, a chapter or a match, not “one more”.
• Keep some evenings game-free, especially before exams, early shifts and family plans.
• Notice long sessions that happened without a decision. They are the ones worth changing.

Breaks, eyes and posture

• Take five to ten minutes away from the screen every hour.
• Follow the 20-20-20 rule: every twenty minutes, look at something about six metres away for twenty seconds.
• Sit with your back supported and the screen at eye level; keep water nearby.
• Stop if you feel pain in your wrists, neck or eyes, dizziness, nausea or a headache.

Sleep comes first

Finish at least an hour before bed. Late sessions push sleep back, and a bright screen makes it harder to fall asleep. Teenagers need eight to ten hours a night; if a game keeps eating into that, move it to earlier in the day.

Age ratings in Canada

Games sold in Canada carry ESRB ratings: E (Everyone), E10+ (Everyone 10+), T (Teen), M (Mature 17+) and AO (Adults Only 18+), with RP while a rating is pending. Content descriptors explain why a game got its rating, and interactive elements flag what happens beyond the story: In-Game Purchases, In-Game Purchases (Includes Random Items) and Users Interact. Several games in this index are rated T or M. The ESRB ratings guide explains every label.

Money inside games

• Many games sell optional extras after purchase. Decide on a monthly amount before you play and stick to it.
• Virtual currencies hide real prices. Convert them back to dollars before you buy.
• Randomised packs and paid chances at rare items work like gambling: you pay without knowing what you will get, which makes it easy to keep going. Many players simply skip them, and children should not buy them.
• Turn on purchase approval or a password on every account, use prepaid cards as a hard limit for younger players and check your statements.
• Nobody can give you free currency. “Generators” and too-good offers are scams that steal accounts.

Family settings that help

Every major platform includes free tools to limit play time, cap spending, filter content by age and control who can send messages: Xbox Family Settings, PlayStation Family Management, Nintendo Switch Parental Controls, Steam Family View, Apple Screen Time and Google Family Link. Set them up together with your children and explain why. Rules agreed at the table work far better than restrictions discovered later.

Staying safe online

• Never share your full name, address, school, passwords or photos with people you meet in a game.
• Use chat filters and keep messages to friends where you can.
• Block and report anyone who is abusive or pushy, or who asks you to move to a private app, send pictures or keep secrets.
• Protect your accounts with a unique password and two-step verification.

Harassment is never part of the game. Take screenshots, report it on the platform and tell someone you trust. If an adult asks a child for images or to keep secrets, report it to Cybertip.ca, Canada’s national tipline. Get Cyber Safe from the Government of Canada explains account security step by step.

Comfort and accessibility

Read the photosensitivity warning before you play: a small number of people can have seizures triggered by flashing lights. Use the comfort options many games now include, such as reduced motion, field-of-view sliders, subtitles, colour-blind modes and difficulty assists. Using them is playing the game properly.

Signs play is becoming a problem

The World Health Organization recognises “gaming disorder” when gaming takes priority over other interests and daily life despite harm. Things worth noticing, in yourself or someone close to you:

• playing much longer than planned, again and again;
• losing sleep or skipping meals, school, work or plans with friends;
• feeling irritable, anxious or low when you cannot play;
• hiding how much time or money goes into games;
• using games as the only way to cope with stress or sadness.

One sign does not mean something is wrong. Several at once, for weeks, is a good reason to talk to someone.

How to raise it with someone

Start with curiosity, not a verdict: ask what they enjoy about the game and how they feel after a long session. Agree on small, specific changes together rather than an outright ban, and offer other plans that are genuinely fun. If things do not improve, a family doctor or one of the services below can help.

Free, confidential support in Canada

• Responsible Gambling Council

  A Canadian non-profit with a directory of free helplines and treatment services for every province and territory, plus practical guides for keeping play of any kind healthy.

  Visit Responsible Gambling Council ↗

• ConnexOntario

  Free, confidential health-services information for anyone worried about gaming, gambling, substance use or mental health — 1-866-531-2600, 24 hours a day, every day, in over 170 languages.

  Visit ConnexOntario ↗

• Gambling Therapy

  Free emotional and practical support for individuals and families worldwide: online support groups, self-help resources and trained advisers you can reach from home.

  Visit Gambling Therapy ↗

• Kids Help Phone

  Free, confidential support for young people, any hour of the day: call 1-800-668-6868 or text CONNECT to 686868.

  Visit Kids Help Phone ↗

• Hope for Wellness Helpline

  Counselling and crisis support for Indigenous peoples across Canada, by phone or chat, around the clock: 1-855-242-3310.

  Visit Hope for Wellness Helpline ↗

• Tel-jeunes

  Free, confidential help in French for young people in Quebec, by phone at 1-800-263-2266, by text or by chat.

  Visit Tel-jeunes ↗

• Centre for Addiction and Mental Health

  Clear, free information on problematic gaming and on finding treatment in each province.

  Visit Centre for Addiction and Mental Health ↗

In crisis? Call or text 9-8-8 at any hour to reach Canada’s suicide crisis helpline (988.ca). In an emergency, call 911.

For parents and carers

Ask your children to show you the games they love and play with them sometimes; ten minutes of playing together teaches more than an hour of rules. Keep consoles in shared rooms where you can, agree on screen-free times such as meals and the hour before bed, and aim for balance rather than bans.

How this site is built

Plum Atlas has no accounts, notifications, streaks, countdowns or rewards for coming back, because none of that helps anyone choose well. Questions about this guide are welcome at index@plumatlas.com.