The short answer
For a digital game you usually do not apply to each ratings board separately. Participating stores, including Google Play, use the free IARC questionnaire, which produces an ESRB rating for North America, a PEGI rating for Europe and equivalents for other regions in one step. Apple has its own age rating questionnaire, and Steam uses a content survey. Paid, direct applications to ESRB or PEGI are mainly needed for physical console releases.
The main systems
| System | Region | Categories |
|---|---|---|
| ESRB | United States, Canada, Mexico | E (Everyone), E10+, T (Teen), M (Mature 17+), AO (Adults Only 18+) |
| PEGI | Most of Europe | 3, 7, 12, 16, 18 |
| USK | Germany | 0, 6, 12, 16, 18 |
| Classification Board | Australia | G, PG, M, MA 15+, R 18+ |
| ClassInd | Brazil | L, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18 |
| GRAC | South Korea | All, 12, 15, 19 |
| CERO | Japan | A, B, C, D, Z |
| Apple age ratings | App Store worldwide | Apple's own age bands |
Alongside the age category, most systems add content descriptors, such as violence or language, and interactive elements, such as in-game purchases or users interact.
IARC: one questionnaire, many ratings
The International Age Rating Coalition was created by ratings boards so digital storefronts could rate games at scale. You answer a questionnaire about your game's content inside the store's developer console. The system then assigns the rating for each participating region automatically and at no charge. The boards monitor results and can correct ratings after release.
Stores using IARC include Google Play and several console and PC storefronts. The list changes, so check the IARC website for current participants.
How rating works by platform
- Google Play. Complete the content rating questionnaire in the Play Console. Apps without a rating can be removed. Ratings appear per region automatically.
- Apple App Store. Complete Apple's age rating questions in App Store Connect. Apple assigns one of its own age bands, and the rating interacts with parental controls and the Kids Category.
- Steam. Complete the content survey, which informs the store page and regional availability. Some countries need an official rating before a game can be sold there, Germany being the best-known case.
- Consoles. Digital releases generally use IARC through the platform's publishing tools. Physical boxed games need a direct, paid rating from each board.
- Meta Quest and other stores. Most use an IARC-based questionnaire in their developer dashboard.
Our submission checklist covers the other forms the stores require.
What raises a rating
| Content | Effect |
|---|---|
| Violence | Cartoon and fantasy violence rates lower than realistic violence against humans. Blood, gore and cruelty raise it sharply |
| Sexual content and nudity | Suggestive themes raise the rating moderately, explicit content to adult-only |
| Language | Mild language is tolerated at lower ages, strong language pushes to teen and above |
| Drugs, alcohol, tobacco | Depiction or use raises the rating, more so when glamorised |
| Fear and horror | Frightening scenes lift a game out of the youngest categories |
| Gambling | Simulated gambling can raise the rating significantly in some systems |
| Discrimination | Content likely to encourage hatred is rated at the top or refused |
Context matters: frequency, realism, whether the player is rewarded for it and how it is shown.
Purchases, loot boxes and online play
In-game purchases do not usually change the age category, but they add a label. ESRB uses In-Game Purchases, with an extra note when random items are included, and PEGI has an equivalent descriptor. Online chat and user-generated content add a users interact notice. Several countries now have specific rules on randomized purchases, so check the law in each market as well as the rating. Related reading: battle pass design.
Ratings and children's privacy are different things
A low age rating describes content. It does not decide whether your game is legally directed at children. That question brings separate obligations under laws such as COPPA in the United States and the Age Appropriate Design Code in the United Kingdom, plus store programmes for family apps. See rules for kids games, the COPPA rule update and app store age verification laws.
Answer accurately
The questionnaire is a declaration. If the answers understate the content, boards can re-rate the game, and stores can remove it or act against the account. Have someone who knows the whole game answer, including late content, and update the answers when an update adds new themes.
Design to a target rating
Decide the target rating at the start, because it affects audience and advertising.
- A game for everyone should avoid realistic weapons, blood and strong language from the first concept sketch.
- A teen rating allows action and mild language and still reaches most players.
- A mature rating narrows the audience, limits some advertising channels and can restrict visibility in certain countries.
Small changes move ratings: replacing blood with sparks, making enemies robots, or removing a casino mini-game. It is cheaper to decide early than to rework art later. Horror games in particular should plan this, as discussed in how to make a horror game.
Cost and time
| Route | Cost | Time |
|---|---|---|
| IARC questionnaire in a digital store | Free | Minutes, issued immediately |
| Apple age rating | Free | Part of submission |
| Direct rating for physical release | Paid, varies by board and budget | Days to weeks |
| Country-specific approvals | Varies | Plan weeks ahead |
Using ratings in marketing
Trailers, store pages and adverts often must display the rating in certain regions, and platforms set their own rules for where mature games can be promoted. Plan the rating before producing the trailer. See game trailer cost.
Getting help
We complete rating questionnaires, privacy declarations and store forms as part of every build we publish. Packages are on the offer page.
Sources: ESRB: Ratings guide · PEGI · International Age Rating Coalition. Checked November 11, 2026.
Related: Mobile game development · PC game development · Get a quote
Quick answers ❓
Do I need an age rating to publish a game?
Yes. The major stores require a content rating before a game can be listed, and unrated apps can be removed.
How much does a game rating cost?
For digital games it is usually free through the IARC questionnaire or the store's own form. Direct ratings for physical console releases are paid.
What is IARC?
The International Age Rating Coalition runs a free questionnaire inside participating digital stores that issues age ratings for several regions at once.
What is the difference between ESRB and PEGI?
ESRB rates games for North America with categories from E to AO. PEGI rates games for most of Europe with age labels from 3 to 18.
Do in-app purchases change a game's age rating?
Usually not the age category, but they add a label such as In-Game Purchases, with an extra notice when purchases include random items.
Related guides
Rules for kids games → Game submission checklist →Preparing a game for the stores? 🔞
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