Review · Action · Nintendo Switch
Super Mario Maker 2
By the LumiKin editors
Reviewed: 01 May 2026
Nintendo Switch
2019
LumiScore
65/100
Good
Super Mario Maker 2 is a platformer that fosters creativity and problem-solving by letting kids design their own levels with very low risk.
Growth (BDS)
51
Risk (RIS)
11
Daily limit
120min
Age guidance
—
Developmental benefits
| B1 | Cognitive | 0.60 | |
| B2 | Social-emotional | 0.33 | |
| B3 | Motor | 0.55 | |
Super Mario Maker 2 is an exceptional creativity and problem-solving platform that asks children to think like game designers — balancing challenge, layout, and player experience from the other side of the screen. The course editor develops spatial reasoning, iterative thinking, and systems understanding as children learn how mechanics interact. Playing community levels also sharpens hand-eye coordination and reaction time across an enormous variety of self-directed challenges.
Design risks
| R1 | Dopamine pressure | 0.10 | |
| R2 | Monetization | 0.00 | |
| R3 | Social risk | 0.28 | |
The game carries virtually no manipulative engagement design: no loot boxes, no streaks, no spending pressure, and no time-limited events. The one meaningful consideration is the infinite pool of community-uploaded courses, which has no natural endpoint and could extend sessions without a child noticing. Online course sharing involves minimal stranger interaction through pre-set reaction stamps only, with no open text or voice chat.
Heads up
- Monthly spendTypical real-money spend by engaged players: $0–0/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. Some session-extension signals; manual review required.