What if kids’ games didn’t try so hard to be “engaging”?

We’ve been making kids’ games for over a decade — and recently, we’ve started questioning a lot of the design assumptions behind them.

Most games (even well-meaning ones) focus on holding attention: fast tapping, flashy rewards, constant feedback. But kids — especially young ones — don’t always need more stimulation. Sometimes, they need space to think, watch, try, or just be.

We started exploring this idea by working on something new: a project where we blend storytelling and gameplay into what we’re calling a playable cartoon.

It’s called Food Festival 3, and it’s a cooking game — but made with real recipes, real kitchen steps, and a soft rhythm. No timers. No levels. No pressure. Just moments of interaction balanced with quiet animation — a mix of active and passive attention.

We're not sure where this approach will land yet. It’s still a work in progress. But we’re hoping to make something that feels different — more like play, less like performance.

Curious to know:

→ Have you seen other kids’ products that embrace this kind of slower, softer design?

→ Or examples where not optimizing for engagement actually made the experience better?

Would love to hear from other parents, developers, designers — or anyone thinking about how children engage with screens today.