The World’s First Toxic Rating System for Video Games

Melanin Gamers creator invents the first rating for online interactions in video games.

I used to run an after-school program for kids centered around video games. I wanted to teach students how to spot an unsafe interaction, react, and disengage. I know how gaming communities can be online. They could groom users to join a hate group, potentially kidnap and abuse them, steal information, or encourage them to do dangerous things. This could happen over Xbox Live, now Xbox Network, and PSN, now PlayStation Plus. Some parents may not know. As an educator, I have to help and protect kids. My reach can only go so far. There’s a new rating system that can spread the word about online interactions of games like Minecraft, Roblox, Apex Legends, and more.

Annabel, the founder of Melanin Gamers, created a toxic rating system for video games. The Watch is a rating system for online and community experiences instead of in-game content. The Watch uses data from research on tolerance in games like Call of Duty. Some data comes from surveys for people to share their experiences. Then it’s transferred into numbers to rate, gender discrimination, racism, sexism, and more. Annabel says, “We screen the surveys because we know trolls will fill it out.” It seems like she’s thought of everything!

She mentions when people think of toxic communities games like Call of Duty and Apex Legends come to mind. Annabel wants us to be aware of games like Minecraft and Animal Crossing: New Horizons.

Minecraft is rated E10+. Meaning it’s for kids 10+. Kids as young as 4 play it. The in-game content includes fantasy violence which is deemed ok for 10-year-olds. However, the online interactions could be rated M for Mature — depending on the server participants. These tools are useful for BIPOC gamers, gamers of any gender, and parents of gamers.

Check out the games on The Watch, if you’ve played any of these games, fill out the survey.

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