By Kaleb Ashbaker
Many mobile games on the market today seem harmless. They feature bright colors, cartoonish characters, and cheerful music—what could possibly be wrong with that? On the surface, these games look like a fun way to pass the time, but many are intentionally designed to hook users and keep them engaged for as long as possible. Some even expose children to harmful content or unsafe interactions. Below are a few types of games parents should pay close attention to.
1. Roblox
Roblox is one of the most popular games in the world, with up to 115 million daily users (Active Player, 2025). Rather than being a single game, it’s a platform where users can create and play games made by others. Unfortunately, this freedom has led to significant safety concerns. Some user-generated games copy existing content, hide paywalls, or create opportunities for predators to contact children.
Roblox has become so synonymous with pedophile lawsuits that the Miller Law Group (2025) has a page dedicated to help parents recognize the signs of grooming on the site. The icing on the cake is that the directors of Roblox would rather ban users (Eaton, 2025) exposing sexual predators to hide what is going on rather than to deal with the problem.
2. Gacha Games
The term “Gacha” comes from a Japanese vending machine (“gachapon”). Gacha games—such as AFK Journey, Genshin Impact, and Zenless Zone Zero—encourage players to spend real money for chances to unlock rare, often sexualized characters (Duy, 2024). The list of these characters is endless so the desire to gamble your money away will never end.
3. Fake Ad Mobile Games
False advertising in mobile games has been a growing issue. Some games use videos or images that don’t exist in the actual gameplay (Gamesrated, 2025), while others rely on sexual imagery or shocking phrases (Uie, 2025) to attract downloads. Once installed, the game looks nothing like what was advertised and the whole thing is designed to eventually draw money out of you. Almost all of these games are about building towns/bases and very quickly they slow down progress that can go by quicker if you purchase in-game currency.
Games like Archero 2, Whiteout Survival, Evony, and Kingshot are just a few in the long list of games in this category.
What You Can Do
These games frequently top the charts in the Apple and Google app stores, and new ones appear constantly. To protect our children, vigilance and open communication are essential. Here are five practical steps you can take:
1. Stay Engaged
The most popular mobile games change and increase rapidly. Make a habit of checking app stores and watching the ads your kids might encounter. Staying aware of new trends helps you identify risks early.
2. Talk With Your Kids
Your phones will most likely not have the same advertisement algorithms as your children’s devices so communicate with your children to see what ads they have been seeing and what games they hear about at school or from their friends. Open conversations build trust and help them recognize red flags themselves.
3. Set Up Parental Controls
Use parental control apps to help filter and monitor your child’s activity. PC Magazine (Key, 2024) offers a helpful guide to the best parental control tools and how to use them effectively.
4. Raise Technologically Resilient Kids
Beyond filters and controls, focus on teaching your children to use technology wisely. Discuss digital boundaries, healthy screen time, and online safety. Here are two articles about raising resilient children and how to help them have a positive relationship with screens.
5. Support the ASAA
Organizations like the Digital Childhood Alliance are making efforts to improve app safety laws. The App Store Accountability Act (ASAA) has been making tremendous strides to strengthen age ratings and increase transparency in game’s terms and service contracts . Supporting this kind of legislation can make a lasting difference. Click here to learn more about how to advocate for the ASAA in your state.
References
Active Player. (2025). Roblox live player count and statistics (2025). https://activeplayer.io/roblox/
Duy, B. H. (2024). AFK journey ads are getting WILD. Facebook. Retrieved 2025, from https://www.facebook.com/groups/642852017544801/posts/1123383829491615/
Eaton, N. (2025). “It’s unfathomable”: YouTuber banned from Roblox warns parents after predator busts. KSL.com. https://www.ksl.com/article/51372749/its-unfathomable-youtuber-banned-from-roblox-warns-parents-after-predator-busts
Gamesrated. (2025). Make your day. TikTok. https://www.tiktok.com/@gamesrated/video/7467692801124273441
Guadagno, C. (2025). Roblox grooming: Predatory game features. Miller Law Group. https://millerlawgroupnc.com/blog/roblox-grooming-how-online-predators-exploit-game-features/
Key, K. (2024). The best parental control software for 2025. PCMAG. https://www.pcmag.com/picks/the-best-parental-control-software
Uie, P. (2025). What is this ad @YouTube. X (formerly Twitter). https://x.com/PrestonUie/status/1921045965315723602
About the Author:
Kaleb Ashbaker is a student at Brigham Young University of Idaho. He is a Marriage and Family Studies major and hopes to gain his license to practice Marriage and Family Therapy in Arizona, where he lives with his wife.
