TL;DR: Elden Ring is the "Final Boss" of modern gaming. There is no official "Elden Ring 2" yet, but the massive expansion, Shadow of the Erdtree, is so big that teens are treating it like a sequel. It’s Rated M (17+), brutally difficult, and full of dark fantasy imagery. If your kid is obsessed, they aren’t just "playing a game"—they are participating in a digital rite of passage that rewards patience and punishes button-mashing.
If you’ve heard your teen yelling about "The Lands Between," "Tarnished," or someone named Messmer the Impaler, you’ve encountered the Elden Ring phenomenon. Developed by FromSoftware—the same people behind the notoriously difficult Dark Souls series—this game changed the landscape of open-world gaming when it dropped.
Right now, the internet is buzzing about "Elden Ring 2" because the game was such a massive financial success (selling over 25 million copies). While the developers haven't officially announced a numbered sequel, they did release Shadow of the Erdtree, a downloadable content (DLC) expansion that is larger than many full-priced games. For a teen gamer, this expansion is the sequel for all intents and purposes.
It’s a dark fantasy world co-created by George R.R. Martin (the Game of Thrones guy), which should tell you everything you need to know about the vibe: it’s epic, it’s beautiful, and it’s deeply, deeply weird.
It might seem counterintuitive that kids would flock to a game that is famous for making players lose. In an era of "instant win" mobile games and the colorful chaos of Fortnite, Elden Ring is the opposite. It’s the "broccoli" of gaming that somehow tastes like candy to them.
- The "Git Gud" Culture: There is a massive amount of social capital in being good at this game. Finishing Elden Ring is a badge of honor. It’s the digital equivalent of finishing a marathon.
- The Mystery: Unlike Ubisoft games that put a thousand icons on a map, Elden Ring tells the player nothing. Teens love the "lore hunting" aspect—watching YouTube deep dives to understand what the heck is actually going on.
- Community Cooperation: While the game is dark, the community is surprisingly helpful. Players leave messages for each other on the ground (some helpful, some "trolls") and can even summon other players to help them beat a boss they’ve been stuck on for three days.
Ask our chatbot about the difference between Elden Ring and Dark Souls
If you’re deciding whether to let your 14-year-old dive into Shadow of the Erdtree, here is the no-BS breakdown of what you’re actually looking at.
The game is Rated M for a reason. We’re talking about:
- Visceral Violence: Blood splatters, decapitations, and some pretty grotesque creature designs (think: a boss made of grafted-on human limbs).
- Dark Themes: It deals with death, godhood, betrayal, and existential dread. It’s not "scary" like a horror movie, but it is "heavy."
- Body Horror: FromSoftware loves "gross-cool." Giant spiders with finger-hands, rotting landscapes, and skeletal remains are par for the course.
The "No Pause" Problem
This is a huge one for dinner-time logistics. You cannot pause Elden Ring. Because the game has integrated online features (even if they are playing solo), hitting the "Options" button just brings up a menu while the giant dragon continues to stomp on your character. If your kid says "I can't pause, I'm at a boss!", they are actually telling the truth.
Financial Impact
Unlike Roblox or Fortnite, Elden Ring isn't trying to nickel-and-dime you. There are no "loot boxes" or "battle passes." You buy the game, you own the game. The Shadow of the Erdtree expansion is a one-time purchase. In terms of "bang for your buck," it’s actually one of the best values in gaming.
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While the ESRB says 17+, the "Screenwise community reality" is that many parents of 14 and 15-year-olds allow this game because the violence is fantasy-based rather than realistic military violence (like Call of Duty).
- Ages 0-12: Hard pass. The difficulty will lead to frustration-induced tantrums, and the imagery is genuinely nightmare-inducing for younger kids.
- Ages 13-15: Use your judgment. If they handle frustration well and aren't sensitive to dark imagery, it can be a great lesson in perseverance. But be prepared for some "gamer rage."
- Ages 16+: This is the target demographic. They have the cognitive ability to understand the complex systems and the emotional maturity to handle the dark themes.
If you want to actually connect with your teen about this, don't ask "Are you winning?" (The answer is almost always "No, I just died again.")
Instead, try these:
- "What build are you running?" (They’ll tell you if they are a wizard, a knight, etc.)
- "Which boss is giving you the most trouble right now?"
- "Have you seen any cool lore videos about the Erdtree lately?"
This shows you respect the effort they are putting into a difficult hobby.
Elden Ring and its expansion Shadow of the Erdtree are masterpieces of digital art, but they are "heavy" media. They aren't "brain rot"—they require intense focus, strategic thinking, and incredible patience.
However, they are also time-sinks. A single playthrough can easily take 100+ hours. If you notice your teen becoming irritable, skipping meals, or losing sleep because they "almost had him," it’s time to step in. But if they’re just occasionally yelling at a screen because a guy with a flaming spear beat them for the 20th time? That’s just part of the experience.
- Check the Vibe: Watch a 5-minute gameplay video of Shadow of the Erdtree on YouTube to see if the "body horror" is a dealbreaker for your family.
- Set "Boss Boundaries": Agree that they can finish a boss fight before coming to dinner, but they shouldn't start a new one 5 minutes before the meal.
- Encourage Breaks: FromSoftware games are mentally taxing. Encourage a "15-minute walk for every 2 hours of play" rule to prevent the dreaded "Souls-burnout."
Learn more about managing gaming-induced frustration and rage
Check out our guide on the best "Cozy Games" if Elden Ring is too intense