Gaming and Youths (What's Not Appropriate?)

[MGibster]

I got into a discussion elsewhere about whether Cyberpunk Red was an appropriate game for teenagers. Just a little about my background, I cut my teeth on the original Cyberpunk, 2013 not 2020, around 1989, when I was 13 and quickly moved on to 2020 a year later, so I was mighty surprised to hear vociferous arguments that it was an inappropriate game for teens. The common refrain was Cyberpunk studied dark themes like corporate greed, abuse of power, corruption, anti-authoritarianism, and of course there's the violence. The sweet, sweet violence. Despite those arguments, I think Red is an entirely appropriate game for teens.

You might remember an obscure series of books targeted towards young adults readers (12-18 range) called The Hunger Games (2008). For those who may have forgotten, the basic premise involves teens being forced to fight one another to the death for the entertainment of the elites. There's dark themes aplenty including abuse of power, corruption, sexual abuse, anti-authoritarianism., and of course the violence. The sweet, sweet violence. What I'm getting at is these themes are appropriate for mainstream entertainment aimed directly at a teenage market, so what's so bad about Cyberpunk?

Am I out of touch?

 

[ErisIndomina]

I'd say everything listed is fine for teenagers. "Oh no, they might be exposed to themes!"
EDIT: I can't think of a single theme listed that they wouldn't encounter in a half-decent English Lit course.

 

[500 Toads]

Cyberpunk seems fine. My group leaned more towards Shadowrun when it came to cyberpunk themes, but that also has plenty of vice, corruption and violence.

I'd hesitate to run the Delta Green module God's Teeth for teens -- but that is a very dark module where the cycle of child abuse is core to the plot, and there are a lot of adults who would be too squeamish for that.

 

[sevenbastard]

I can't think of a single theme listed that they wouldn't encounter in a half-decent English Lit course.

Especially if that course has the classic novel from the 1900s called Neuromancer.

 

[Scribe]

The common refrain was Cyberpunk studied dark themes like corporate greed, abuse of power, corruption, anti-authoritarianism, and of course there's the violence. The sweet, sweet violence. Despite those arguments, I think Red is an entirely appropriate game for teens.

How is a single thing here not appropriate for teens.

EDIT: Granted, I grew up on Punk, so...maybe my views are distorted slightly?

 

[Professor Murder]

So there are two layers: What games are appropriate and what tables are appropriate.

For context, I got the Monster Manual when I was 8. It contained female nudity. Was it an appropriate purchase? Probably not? If my parents had read the book first and seen the depiction of the Succubus perhaps they would not have indulged my desire to get it. Plenty of games contain imagery or content that parents may not find age appropriate. Id also say that the themes of violence in particular are ones that parents may desire to age gate. But this is the case for any book.

How age appropriate a given gaming group may be is an entirely separate issue but I would argue is even more important. Players and GMs should definitely take into account the ages of everyone at their table. It matters much less what a parent feels a child is ready for. If an adult player of GM initiates or participates in say a romantic or even intimate scene with a minor at a table, even if it is in context of being in character, it's entirely possible that laws are being broken. GMs and players at conventions or other situations where they may be joined by people they dont know at a gaming table should take this danger seriously.

 

[jdrakeh]

I think you're fine. Everything you mention in Cyberpunk could conceivably find its way into a PG-13 movie with a little finesse.

 

[ErisIndomina]

If an adult player of GM initiates or participates in say a romantic or even intimate scene with a minor at a table, even if it is in context of being in character, it's entirely possible that laws are being broken.

Now this is absolutely true. Although I'd say that those things really require the uh... Right kind of group, even if everyone involved is an adult.

 

[aco175]

I find that there is a sliding scale of being offended and there will always be someone more offended no matter where you draw the line. I guess find your place on the scale and be ok with it.

We can only look at the graphics and themes of D&D from basic/1e to 5e and see several things. I feel some have become better or more appropriate over the years and other things have gone down the other way. These will always be someone who is the opposite and feels that it should be more in that direction.

 

[billd91]

The common refrain was Cyberpunk studied dark themes like corporate greed, abuse of power, corruption, anti-authoritarianism, and of course there's the violence. The sweet, sweet violence.

Of those, violence is probably the most teen-unfriendly but considering so many RPGs include it, I'm willing to bet that's not what the people you were conversing with object to for teens. Individual teens may not be a right fit for CPRed, but not teens as a group in general.