Review · Adventure · PC · iOS · PlayStation 4
Journey
By the LumiKin editors
Reviewed: 01 May 2026
PC · iOS · PlayStation 4 · PlayStation 3
thatgamecompany · 2012
LumiScore
53/100
Good
Journey is an adventure game that fosters teamwork and problem solving through non-verbal cooperative multiplayer, with mild microtransaction risks.
Growth (BDS)
38
Risk (RIS)
13
Daily limit
120min
Age guidance
—
Developmental benefits
| B1 | Cognitive | 0.40 | |
| B2 | Social-emotional | 0.53 | |
| B3 | Motor | 0.35 | |
Journey encourages children to develop social-emotional skills such as teamwork and empathy through its unique non-verbal cooperative multiplayer. It also hones cognitive abilities like spatial awareness and critical thinking as players explore its vast, wordless world and unravel its narrative through environmental storytelling.
Design risks
| R1 | Dopamine pressure | 0.13 | |
| R2 | Monetization | 0.08 | |
| R3 | Social risk | 0.06 | |
The primary risks involve mild exposure to microtransactions, which, while likely cosmetic, could lead to unwarranted spending. Although the game fosters connection, its pervasive theme of loneliness, even with co-op, might evoke feelings of isolation in some children if not balanced by its positive social aspects.
Heads up
- Monthly spendTypical real-money spend by engaged players: $0–5/mo.
Regulatory compliance · DSA·GDPR-K·ODDS
- DSA:Estimated from review data. No dark pattern or child-targeting concerns found.
- GDPR-K:Estimated from review data. Low-level privacy signals; manual review required.
- ODDS:Estimated from review data. Game has natural stopping points and low session-extension risk.