TL;DR: The Quick Take
Ori and the Will of the Wisps is a visual masterpiece that’s essentially the video game equivalent of a Studio Ghibli film. It’s a challenging "Metroidvania" (more on that below) that teaches kids how to handle failure, navigate grief, and keep going when things feel impossible.
- Best for: Ages 9+ (mostly due to difficulty, not content).
- Key Themes: Resilience, empathy, environmental stewardship, and sacrifice.
- Platform: Xbox, PC, Nintendo Switch.
- Parental Effort: Low (no chat rooms or microtransactions), but you might need to offer emotional support when a boss fight gets frustrating.
Quick Links:
- Ori and the Blind Forest (The first game)
- Hollow Knight (A similar but much harder alternative)
- The Wild Robot by Peter Brown (Perfect companion book for the same "nature and heart" vibe)
If you haven't seen your kid playing this yet, imagine a watercolor painting that came to life and then decided to test your reflexes. You play as Ori, a small, glowing guardian spirit, navigating a massive, interconnected forest called Niwen.
In terms of genre, it’s a Metroidvania. This is a nerdy way of saying the map is huge, but certain areas are locked until you find a new ability—like a double jump or a dash. It requires a lot of "backtracking," which sounds boring but is actually great for building spatial awareness and memory.
Unlike the first game, Ori and the Blind Forest, this sequel adds a more robust combat system and actual side quests. It’s bigger, more polished, and significantly more emotional. If the first game was a short story, this one is an epic novel.
We talk a lot about "grit" in parenting circles, but it’s hard to teach. You can’t really lecture a ten-year-old into having a growth mindset. However, you can let them play a game where they will inevitably fail fifty times in a row before finally succeeding.
Ori and the Will of the Wisps is famous for its "Escape Sequences." There are moments where a giant boss (like a massive wolf or a terrifying spider) chases you through a crumbling environment. There are no checkpoints during these runs. If you mess up the last jump, you start over.
For a kid, this is a controlled environment to practice frustration management. They’ll get "salty," they might call the game "mid" or "trash" when they die, but the beauty of Ori is that the controls are so precise and the world is so beautiful that they want to keep trying. When they finally beat that boss, the dopamine hit and the sense of "I did that" is massive.
In a world of Roblox "obby" maps that look like they were made in five minutes and Skibidi Toilet memes that make us all feel like we're losing our minds, Ori is a breath of fresh air.
- The "Flow State": The movement in this game is incredibly fluid. Once Ori gets a few upgrades, moving through the world feels like a dance. Kids love the "feel" of the controls—it's satisfying in a way that slow, clunky games aren't.
- The Visuals: It is genuinely one of the most beautiful games ever made. Every frame could be a desktop wallpaper. It exposes kids to high-level art and orchestral music.
- The Story: It doesn't talk down to them. It deals with heavy stuff—loss, disability (one character, Ku, has a broken wing), and the idea that even the "villains" often have tragic backstories.
While the ESRB rating is E for Everyone, that doesn't mean it's for every kid.
Ages 5-8: The "Watch and Learn" Phase
Most kids in this bracket will find the platforming too difficult. The timing required for the jumps is precise. However, this is a great "lap game." You play, they watch. They can help make decisions on which skills to upgrade. Be warned: the opening 15 minutes are very sad. If your kid is sensitive to "Disney parent" tropes (moms/dads/friends in peril), have the tissues ready.
Ages 9-12: The Sweet Spot
This is the prime audience. They have the motor skills to handle the difficulty and the emotional maturity to appreciate the story. It’s a great alternative to the constant chaos of Fortnite.
Ages 13+: Still Relevant
Even for teens who think they’re too cool for "cute" games, the challenge level of the late-game bosses will keep them humbled.
Check out our guide on the best "cozy but challenging" games for pre-teens
Here is the good news: Ori and the Will of the Wisps is about as safe as it gets.
- No Online Interaction: There is no voice chat, no text chat with strangers, and no "predatory" social features. It is a solitary experience.
- Microtransactions: There are none. You buy the game, you own the game. No one is going to be begging for "Ori-bucks" or "Glow-skins."
- Violence: It’s "fantasy violence." You’re hitting shadowy monsters with a sword made of light. There’s no blood, no gore, and no realistic weaponry.
- Data Privacy: Since it’s primarily a single-player console/PC game, the data harvesting is minimal compared to any mobile app or social media platform.
I’m not kidding about the "Ghibli" comparison. This game explores the idea that the world is a beautiful place, but it can also be scary and unfair.
There is a character named Shriek—the main antagonist—who is a giant, deformed owl. Her backstory is heartbreaking. She was born into a world that rejected her, and she chose bitterness and darkness as a result. This is a fantastic conversation starter about empathy. Instead of just "killing the bad guy," the game asks the player to understand why the bad guy is the way they are.
Ask our chatbot for talking points about empathy in video games
If your kid is playing Ori, here are a few ways to engage that don't sound like a "parental interview":
- "That boss fight looked intense. How many tries did it take you to figure out the pattern?" (Validates their effort).
- "What happened to Ku’s wing? How are they handling that?" (Opens the door for a talk about disability and support).
- "The forest looks pretty rough in this area. What do you think Ori needs to do to bring the light back?" (Environmental stewardship).
If your kid finishes Ori and is looking for that next fix of "beautiful but tough" gameplay, check these out:
- Think of this as Ori’s darker, moodier cousin. It’s much harder, but it has the same sense of exploration and discovery.
- A pixel-art platformer that is explicitly about climbing a mountain while dealing with anxiety. It’s a bit more "meta" about mental health, but the resilience themes are identical.
- If you want to get them off the screen but keep the vibe, this book (and the The Wild Robot movie) is the perfect tonal match.
- A 3D version of this vibe. It looks like a Pixar movie but has surprisingly deep combat.
Ori and the Will of the Wisps is "good" screen time. It’s a game that respects the player’s intelligence and emotional capacity. It doesn't use cheap tricks to keep them hooked; it uses beauty and a genuine sense of challenge.
If your kid is frustrated because they can’t get past the "Mora the Spider" boss, don't just tell them to put the controller down. Sit with them. Remind them that the game is designed to be hard, and that the "win" only feels good because the "struggle" was real. That’s a life lesson that sticks way better than a lecture.
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