Game classification in Australia, and how to read it
Every game made available in Australia carries a classification. This page explains what that system is, who runs it, what the markings mean in ordinary language, and how to look one up before you play — without stating a rating we cannot point you to the source for.
Why games are classified at all
Classification is a consumer-information system. Its purpose is to tell you, before you buy or install, roughly what to expect from the content — the level of violence, language, themes and other elements — so that adults can make informed choices and parents can decide what is suitable for children. It is not a review and it is not a judgement about quality. A game with a higher classification is not "worse"; it simply contains content intended for older players.
In Australia this system is set out in law and applies across films, some publications and computer games. For games specifically, the practical effect is the marking you see on a store page or box, together with short "consumer advice" lines that describe why the game received the marking it did.
It is worth being clear about what classification is not. It is not a promise that a game is safe from every point of view, and it does not, on its own, tell you about the things that often matter most to families online — whether strangers can contact a child through chat, or how much the game encourages spending. Those are separate questions, and we treat them separately in our guides to account security and in-game spending. Classification answers one question well: what kind of content is in the game, and who it is intended for.
Who decides classification
The body responsible is the Australian Classification Board. Its website is the authoritative place to understand the system and to search for how a particular title has been classified. Because arrangements and specific decisions can change over time, we link you to the Board rather than restating a classification here — the current, correct answer for any given game is the one on the Board's own database, not on a third-party page like this one.
Some games are classified through the Board's processes directly; others may be classified using approved tools that apply the same criteria. Either way, the marking you end up seeing is meant to reflect the same national standard. If you want the detail of how the scheme is structured and governed, the Board's site is the source, and it explains the framework more fully and more currently than any summary we could freeze in place.
The markings, in brief
Australian classification markings run from general audiences through to restricted categories for adults. Rather than assign a specific game to a category here, we describe what the markings are for, and we send you to the Board for the exact definitions and any thresholds, because those definitions are the part that must be quoted accurately.
Read the consumer advice, not just the letter
The single most useful part of a classification is often the short consumer-advice line beside it — phrases describing the specific content that led to the marking. Two games with the same marking can contain very different things, and the consumer advice is where that difference shows. The Australian Classification Board explains what these advice terms mean.
For online combat games this matters because the content that drives a classification — depictions of violence, for instance — is exactly what the genre is built around. A game can be widely played and still carry a marking that a parent would want to know about before handing over a family computer.
How to check a game before you play
Checking a classification takes a couple of minutes and is worth doing whenever a new title enters the house, especially if children share the device.
- Start with the provider's own page and the store you are installing from; the marking and consumer advice are usually shown there.
- Confirm it against the Australian Classification Board database, which is the authoritative record for Australia.
- Read the consumer-advice terms, not only the letter marking, to understand the specific content.
- If the game involves purchases, note whether the store flags in-game buys or chance-based items — this is a separate matter from the content classification.
- For a shared or child's device, pair the classification with the platform's own parental controls.
Chance-based and paid items
A question that comes up often is how "loot boxes" — randomised in-game items bought with money or currency — relate to classification and to gambling. This is an area of active policy attention in Australia and elsewhere, and the arrangements have been evolving. Because the rules and any labelling requirements are exactly the kind of detail that must be quoted from the source, we point you to the primary bodies rather than summarise a position that may move.
The Australian Classification Board is the place for how classification treats games with in-game purchases and randomised content, and the ACCC is the relevant consumer regulator. If a purchase in a game is genuinely a game of chance dressed up as a game feature, that is worth understanding before spending — and it is one reason we treat spending as its own topic in our guide to in-game spending.
What to watch out for
Do not treat a game that sells randomised, purchasable items as automatically suitable for a child simply because it looks cartoonish or is popular. The presence of paid chance-based content is a reason to look more closely, check the classification and consumer advice, and set spending controls — not to assume it is harmless.
Practical advice for families
If you are a parent or carer, classification is one tool among several. Used together, they work far better than any one on its own.
- Classification marking
- Tells you the intended audience and, through consumer advice, the kind of content. Check it first.
- Platform parental controls
- Let you limit purchases, playtime and communication features on the device or account. Set these up when the account is created.
- Account and spending limits
- Separate from classification but just as important; see our spending guide for how to keep purchases deliberate.
- Conversation
- Knowing what a child is playing, and with whom, does more than any single setting. The eSafety Commissioner has age-appropriate guidance for these conversations.
None of this is about banning games. It is about matching a game to the player, which is precisely what the classification system exists to help you do.
Questions
Does classification tell me whether a game is any good?
No. Classification describes the intended audience and the content, not the quality or enjoyment of a game. It is a consumer-information tool, not a review.
Where is the authoritative classification for a specific game?
The Australian Classification Board holds the official record for Australia. We deliberately do not restate specific classifications here, because the Board's database is the current and correct source.
Are loot boxes classified as gambling in Australia?
This is an area of ongoing policy work, so the accurate answer depends on current rules. Check the Australian Classification Board and the ACCC for the position that applies now rather than relying on a summary here.