The European project ‘FAIR GAME’ (Fostering Awareness, Inclusion, and Resilience in Gaming Environments) has officially launched. Its goal is to make child rights and mental well-being a standard part of the online gaming industry. The consortium focuses on facilitating dialogue between children, parents, and the gaming industry, and turning those insights into action. Key initiatives include developing educational materials, supporting child ambassadors in promoting online safety, and creating a ‘Child Rights in Gaming Pledge’ for the industry.
Online gaming is a cornerstone of children’s daily lives. While it fosters creativity and social interaction, it also involves risks like harmful content, cyberbullying, and manipulative monetization. FAIR GAME addresses these issues by supporting children, parents and the industry in creating a healthier gaming environment, in line with European frameworks like the Digital Services Act (DSA).
Within the partnership, 8D contributes design expertise and twelve years of industry experience to ensure that project outcomes are practical for developers. To achieve this, 8D facilitates co-creation labs where children, parents, and developers engage in direct dialogue. The project also supports a group of ‘child ambassadors’: young people who promote the project’s goals among their peers. All practical insights from the co-creation process will culminate in the ‘Child Rights in Gaming Pledge,’ a set of actionable guidelines for the gaming sector.
Maarten Stevens, managing director at 8D:
“We’re seeing a clear shift in how society views the impact of addictive media, reflected in stricter EU regulations for social media. It’s a logical next step for the gaming sector to take responsibility and address harmful patterns as well. Through FAIR GAME, we want to work alongside the industry, parents, and children to ensure that player well-being becomes a core value in the development process.”
Game studios or developers interested in participating in co-creation sessions or contributing to the Child Rights in Gaming Pledge are invited to contact us at maarten@8d.nl. We also welcome interest from parents, teachers and young players (ages 10-18) who wish to share their experiences and help build a safer gaming environment.
The FAIR GAME partnership consists of: Terre des Hommes Hellas (Greece), Universidad de Murcia (Spain), Eurochild (Belgium), South East European University (North Macedonia), 8D (Netherlands), Smile of the Child (Greece), and Hope for Children (Cyprus). FAIR GAME is funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them. Proposal number: 101252741.
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