I love video games, especially when I play with other students and everyone’s only goal becomes to beat their youth pastor! I tend to have at least an idea of what’s new out there in the video game world, but I still found WhatTheyPlay.com to be a tremendous resource. It’s geared toward helping parents (and youth workers) figure out what’s appropriate for their kids to play without making the parent play through the whole game first. The reviews are pretty neutral, covering the synopsis of the game and a brief rundown of anything that might be considered inappropriate (although the Guitar Hero 3 review failed to explain the extent of how far sexuality actually goes in the game). The parents are then left to decide if it’s ok for their kids to play or not. A rating at the end indicates what age level other parents think the game is appropriate for, as well as comments and insights from site visitors that I often found to be even more helpful than the original review itself. The screenshots and video trailers posted with each game are also helpful for someone who wants to see visuals of what the game is all about. Check it out: WhatTheyPlay.com

P.S. If you play on Xbox Live, let me know and let’s exchange gamer tags!

• We underestimate the influence of video games
• Ministry opportunities in video games
• Favorite Youth Group Games: Toilet paper dodgeball
• Favorite Youth Group Games: Binocular Soccer
• Favorite Youth Group Games: Musical dodge ball