Dragon Quest Builders 2 is basically what you'd get if Minecraft and a Saturday morning anime had a baby—and honestly, it's a pretty great baby. The building mechanics are robust enough to satisfy creative kids, while the story campaign gives structure-craving players clear goals and a genuinely sweet narrative about friendship and construction.

The best part? No microtransactions, no loot boxes, and multiplayer without text chat means fewer opportunities for toxic nonsense. Your kid can build elaborate castles with friends without you worrying about what's happening in the chat window.

The downsides are typical JRPG stuff: some grinding, fetch quests that feel like homework, and pacing that might bore kids used to instant gratification. It's also from 2018, so while not ancient, it's not the hot new thing either. That said, the gameplay holds up well and the creative freedom keeps it relevant.

If your kid loves Minecraft but you wish it had more structure, or they love story games but you want them doing something more creative than just button-mashing, this hits a sweet spot. Just know they'll probably spend 40 hours on it if they get hooked.