Best Games to Host a Private Server for Kids and Families

The best games to host a private server for kids and families are Minecraft: Bedrock Edition, Minecraft: Java Edition, Luanti (Minetest), Tiny Block, Terraria, Astroneer and SuperTuxKart. They are friendly in tone, simple to join, and they all let you lock the server with a whitelist or password so only family and invited friends get in. Most run on 1 to 4 GB of RAM, which keeps a family server cheap.

A private server solves the thing parents worry about most with online games: strangers. On a public server anyone can talk to your child. On your own server you decide who is allowed in, you can read the chat log, and you can kick anyone in seconds from a control panel. It also means one world that the whole family shares, instead of five separate save files on five devices.

Family server picks at a glance

1. Minecraft: Bedrock Edition

If your family plays on a mix of devices, this is the one. Bedrock is the version of Minecraft on phones, tablets, Xbox, PlayStation, Switch and Windows, and a Bedrock server lets all of them share one world. A child on a tablet and a parent on a laptop can build the same house. Turn on the allow list in server.properties and only the accounts you add can join.

• Players: 2 GB holds up to 10 comfortably.
• Watch out for: versions. Phones and consoles update automatically, so update the server when Minecraft updates or kids get an "outdated server" message. Minecraft Bedrock outdated server fix covers it.
• Console joining: consoles cannot type a server address directly. How to join a Minecraft Bedrock server on Xbox, PS5 and Switch explains the workarounds.

2. Minecraft: Java Edition

For a family that plays on computers, Java gives you more control: plugins for land claims so siblings stop breaking each other's builds, a keep inventory rule so dying is not a disaster, and a whitelist that is one command away. Peaceful or easy difficulty takes the edge off for younger kids.

• Players: 2 GB for up to 5 on vanilla or Paper.
• Useful guides: how to whitelist on a Minecraft server and how to turn on keep inventory.

3. Minetest (Luanti)

Luanti, called Minetest until 2024, is a free and open source block building game. Nobody has to buy anything, it runs on old laptops and Android, and games like VoxeLibre or Mineclonia play very close to Minecraft. Schools and families use it a lot for exactly those reasons. The privilege system lets you grant building, flying or teleporting one player at a time, which is handy with young kids.

• Players: 2 GB for Minetest Game with a few friends, 4 GB for VoxeLibre with mods.

4. Tiny Block

Tiny Block is a free 2D sandbox survival game that runs in a web browser and on iOS and Android. A world hosted from the game caps at 4 players and closes when the host's phone sleeps. A server keeps one world running and holds 16 by default, which is perfect for a family on mixed devices or a group of school friends. Proximity voice chat means voices fade with distance.

• Players: 16 on the smallest plan.
• RAM: 1 GB.

5. ClassiCube

ClassiCube is a free, open source game compatible with Minecraft Classic. It runs in a browser, so even a school Chromebook can join, and it is about as simple as block building gets. Freebuild worlds suit small children, and the server software MCGalaxy has ranks so you can keep building rights for people you trust.

• RAM: 1 GB for a small community with a few worlds.

6. Terraria

Terraria suits older kids who like adventure: digging, building houses for NPCs and beating bosses together. A family server means characters can be shared across worlds, and a parent can help a struggling child through a boss fight. A password keeps it private.

• RAM: 2 GB for vanilla with up to 8 players.

7. Astroneer

Astroneer is cheerful, colorful and fully cooperative. Players land on planets, reshape the ground with a terrain tool and build bases and rovers. There is no fighting other players, and it is easy to understand without reading. A dedicated server holds up to 8.

• RAM: 4 GB for a few players on a fresh save.

8. SuperTuxKart

A free kart racer for when the family wants something quick. One server lobby can run races, battles, soccer with karts or capture the flag. It runs on Windows, Mac, Linux and Android, and costs nothing to download.

• RAM: 1 GB for a private lobby.

Making a family server safe

Whatever you pick, do these four things:

1. Lock it. Use the game's whitelist or allow list, or at least a password. How to make a game server private covers every method.
2. Do not list it publicly. Most games have a setting to hide the server from the public browser.
3. Keep admin for yourself. Give kids building rights, not admin. Admin lets them ban siblings.
4. Take backups. A griefed or accidentally deleted build is a big deal to a seven year old. One click backups put it back in a minute.

Hosting at home is possible, but it means opening ports on your router and sharing your home IP address with everyone who joins. Is hosting a game server at home safe explains the risks.

A family server without the setup

A GamezServers server gives your family its own address, with nothing on your router opened and no family PC left running. Settings like difficulty, game mode and the allow list are in a control panel, backups are one click, and support answers by email at any hour. A Minecraft Bedrock server for your family is live in about a minute, and new customers pay half for the first month.

FAQ

What is the safest online game for kids?

Any game becomes much safer on a private server with a whitelist, because only people you add can join or chat. Minecraft and Luanti are the most common family picks.

Can kids on tablets and Xbox play on the same server?

Yes, with Minecraft: Bedrock Edition. Phones, tablets, Xbox, PlayStation, Switch and Windows all join the same Bedrock server.

Are there free games for a family server?

Luanti (Minetest), Tiny Block, ClassiCube and SuperTuxKart are all free to download, so you only pay for the server.

Is Minecraft Realms or a server better for a family?

Realms is simple but limited. A server gives you more players, add-ons, the console and a world you can download any time. Minecraft Realms vs dedicated server compares them.