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Ken Follett's The Pillars of the Earth

Review · Adventure · Xbox One · PC · macOS

Ken Follett's The Pillars of the Earth

Reviewed: 30 Apr 2026

Xbox One · PC · macOS · Linux · PlayStation 4 · iOS

Daedalic Entertainment · 2017

Ludograph rating

B

Good

66 /100

Automated review

Ken Follett's The Pillars of the Earth offers a rich narrative adventure that encourages critical thinking and empathy through complex choices.

06010030Benefit →Low risk →B 49 · R 0
The Ludograph reading, plotted from the published benefit and risk sub-scores.

Growth (BDS)

49

Risk (RIS)

0

Daily limit

120min

Age guidance

13+

Developmental benefits

B1Cognitive
0.66
B2Social-emotional
0.47
B3Motor
0.10

Ken Follett's The Pillars of the Earth offers a rich, interactive narrative experience that fosters critical thinking, empathy, and ethical reasoning through complex decision-making and exploration. Players engage deeply with historical context and character development, enhancing reading comprehension and learning transfer.

Design risks

R1Compulsion-loop pressure
0.00
R2Monetization
0.00
R3Social risk
0.00

While the game contains some historical violence and mature themes typical of its setting, it exhibits very low levels of compulsion-loop design, monetization pressure, and social risks due to its single-player, premium game design. Content risks are moderate, reflecting the source material's themes.

Content (not in risk score)

R4.1Violence Level
0.67
R4.2Sexual Content
0.33
R4.3Language
0.33
R4.4Substance References
0.33
R4.5Fear / Horror
0.33

Content risk is displayed separately and does not affect the time recommendation.

Regulatory design checks · DSA — Assessed: meets criteria·GDPR-K — Assessed: meets criteria·ODDS — Assessed: meets criteria

  • DSA:What Ludograph checks: whether the game's design gives minors the transparency the EU Digital Services Act expects: plain terms, honest defaults, and clear reporting routes.: Estimated from review data. No dark pattern or child-targeting concerns found.
  • GDPR-K:What Ludograph checks: whether age assurance and consent flows are designed for under-16s, in the spirit of GDPR Article 8.: Estimated from review data. No privacy or child-targeting concerns found.
  • ODDS:What Ludograph checks: whether paid random-reward drop rates are disclosed, as required in China, Japan and South Korea.: Estimated from review data. No paid random-reward mechanics found, so drop-rate disclosure requirements do not apply.

These reflect Ludograph's assessment of the game's design practices against each framework's criteria, not a legal compliance determination.

Avg playtime~3 hReviewedApr 2026Report a data error →How scores are calculated →

Parents ask…

Is Ken Follett's The Pillars of the Earth safe for kids?

Ludograph gives Ken Follett's The Pillars of the Earth a rating of 66/100, recommended for ages 13 and up. It offers solid benefits but needs parental guidance on the risks.

What age is Ken Follett's The Pillars of the Earth appropriate for?

Ludograph's rubric recommends a minimum age of 13+ for Ken Follett's The Pillars of the Earth, based on benefits, risks, and content review.

How long should kids play Ken Follett's The Pillars of the Earth?

Our session recommendation for Ken Follett's The Pillars of the Earth is up to 120 minutes per day. It is derived from the game's own structure (natural stopping points, compulsion-loop design, monetization pressure, and social dynamics), not from a universal screen-time dose.

Session recommendations are design-based heuristics. Evidence linking specific daily durations to child outcomes is limited, and context matters as much as time; treat this as a starting point for household rules, not a clinical threshold.

What are the main risks of Ken Follett's The Pillars of the Earth?

While the game contains some historical violence and mature themes typical of its setting, it exhibits very low levels of compulsion-loop design, monetization pressure, and social risks due to its single-player, premium game design. Content risks are moderate, reflecting the source material's themes.