ESRB Everyone 10+

Everyone 10+ is an ESRB rating that suggests a video game is suitable for ages 10 and up. According to the ESRB, an E10+ rated video game "may contain more cartoon, fantasy or mild violence, mild language (up to the B-word level) and/or minimal suggestive themes."

This rating was introduced in March 2nd, 2005 (in between E and T) and the first video game to receive this rating was Donkey Kong: Jungle Beat (which was released in March 14th, 2005). This may have resulted in Shadow the Hedgehog aiming for E10+ instead of T.

Video games with this rating are rated B in Mexico.

French name: Enfants et adultes 10+
Spanish name: Todos +10

Factors[]

These factors apply to officially-rated games, as IARC-rated games can contain content that's not mentioned in the rating descriptors. Post-launch material also doesn't count for the factors.

Violence[]

E10+ rated games may contain either mild violence, moderate fantasy violence, or moderate violence (if there is a justification of context and it isn't potentially too disturbing for an E10+). More intense violence will get a higher rating. Moderate violent references are acceptable.

Blood/Gore[]

E10+ rated games may contain blood in any color. Red blood must be in limited or small amounts (mild blood). Discolored blood must be unrealistic or in moderate amounts (animated blood). Injury details can include scratches, minimal blood dripping from wounds, or mild cartoony gore. Realistic and stronger blood, gore, or injury detail will get a higher rating.

Sexuality[]

E10+ rated games may contain stronger (but still mild) suggestive content and language than in E-rated games. Innuendos and sexual references can be more severe than in E rated games. Outfits may reveal more skin than in E-rated games or emphasize anatomical features, like breasts or buttocks. Breasts can have minimal jiggle physics. Directly implied sexual activity, heavy emphasis on anatomy (e.g. breasts, buttocks), strong jiggle physics on breasts, or anything else stronger will get a higher rating.

Nudity[]

E10+ rated games may contain partial nudity only. Partial nudity may be allocated as long as it's cartoony, artistic or heavily simplified. If not, nudity has to be covered by graphic effects or a higher rating will be given.

Language[]

E10+ rated games may contain mild language that's more frequent and stronger than in E rated games (such as Shadow The Hedgehog). E10+ rated language can include uses of language such as "ass", "bastard", "b*tch", and "piss". Stronger profanity, if included, has to be censored or partially heard (e.g., "What a load of bullsh-" and "What the f...?") or a higher rating is given. Exceptions to this rule include River City Girls Zero, which has two instances of "sh*t" uncensored.

E10+ rated games may also contain infrequent use of mild derogatory language (e.g., "skank", "slut", "whore"), given the proper context.^[1]

Substances[]

E10+ rated games may contain uses of alcohol and tobacco, provided they are only used by adult characters. Alcohol and tobacco references as well as subtle/vague drug references can be allocated within the E10+ rating. Any stronger references to or uses of hard substances will get a higher rating.

Gambling[]

Like the E rating, simulated gambling may be permitted, but must not be the main feature of the game.

Humor[]

E10+ rated games may contain (moderate) crude humor and comic mischief. Strong crude humor (e.g. realistic or excessive bodily waste) will get a higher rating.

Escalation scale[]

Violence - (E) Mild Fantasy Violence/Violent References -> (E10+) Fantasy Violence/Mild Violence/Violent References -> (T) Violence -> (M17+) Intense Violence

Blood - (E/E10+) Mild Blood/Animated Blood -> (T) Blood (and Gore) -> (M17+) Blood and Gore

Sexuality - (E) Mild Suggestive Themes -> (E10+) (Mild) Suggestive Themes -> (T) Suggestive Themes/(Mild) Sexual Themes/Sexual Content -> (M17+) (Strong) Sexual Content

Nudity - (T) Partial Nudity -> (M17+) Nudity

Language - (E) Mild Language/Mild Lyrics -> (E10+/T) Language/Lyrics -> (M17+) Strong Language/Strong Lyrics

Substances - (E) Alcohol/Tobacco Reference/Use of Alcohol (and Tobacco) -> (E10+) Use of Alcohol (and Tobacco)/Drug Reference -> (T) Use of Drugs (and Alcohol)/Drug Reference -> (M17+) Use of Drugs

Humor - (E) Comic Mischief/Crude Humor -> (E10+/T) Crude Humor -> (M17+) Mature Humor

Examples of notable E10+ rated video games[]

Donkey Kong Jungle Beat (Cartoon Violence)
- Donkey Kong Jungle Beat is a 3D platformer from Nintendo's Donkey Kong series, released for the GameCube. Violence involves stylized fights between anthropomorphic animals with punches, blows, etc... This is the first game to receive the E10+ rating.
Minecraft (Fantasy Violence, (removed) Mild Blood)
- Minecraft is a popular 3D sandbox game in which players can build, fight and create. The Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 editions contain examples of mild blood (bloody purchasable skins, blood on sword in Strength indicator, blood on Zombie Pigmen) but they have been removed from subsequent versions of the game. Fantasy violence using swords, bows and magic is present and fantastical in nature, with mobs turning red when struck, and falling to the ground and disappearing into air when defeated.
Splatoon (Cartoon Violence)
- Splatoon is Nintendo's first entry into the third-person shooter series. Players can use ink guns to splat areas of turf and enemies with an array of colors of ink. Most notably in the game is the lack of red ink, which was present in an early stage of the game and removed (probably to avoid it being miscategorized and misinterpreted as blood), but Nintendo hasn't provided an official reason as to the reason why it had been removed. The game also contains mild violent references.
Shadow the Hedgehog (Fantasy Violence, Mild Language)
- Shadow the Hedgehog is a 2005 3D platformer in which you play as Sonic the Hedgehog's rival named Shadow, who is more darker themed and uses guns and swears. The game was originally going to be oriented to teens (meaning SEGA wanted to achieve a T rating) but when the E10+ rating was introduced, SEGA quickly changed many aspects of the game (including changing blood color from red to green, off screening a character's death and changing a couple of swear words) to achieve an E10+.
Portal 2 (Fantasy Violence, Mild Language)
- Portal 2 is a 2011 puzzle first-person shooter developed by Valve, in which you play as a test subject trying to escape a laboratory using a portal gun. The game once was hit with controversy when a dad was playing Portal 2 with his adopted daughter and found out about dialogue from an antagonist telling the protagonist she is a "fatty fatty [with] no parents".^[2] The offended father contacted the WBTV news and tried to file a report to Sony; however, the controversy was deemed idiotic and unnecessary since it was just a mild issue; the daughter even claimed she "didn't even hear the line".
Stardew Valley (Fantasy Violence, Mild Blood, Simulated Gambling, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco)
- Stardew Valley used to be rated T and it was re-rated to E10+.

[Most of the] Just Dance series (Comic Mischief, Lyrics, Mild Suggestive Themes)
- Just Dance is a popular music-rhythm dancing game series that started off in 2009 on the Wii. While Ubisoft tends to keep content PG and kid-friendly for the most part, there is still a plethora of mature content that slips by or gets the greenlight, whether it be in the song lyrics or choreography. This isn't helped with the extremely inconsistent censorship and changing opinions on what should be censored. There are times where suggestive lyrics (that would normally get a Teen rating) that reference kinks, fetishes, genitalia, and other direct sexual acts are left intact and audible (e.g., "I got the big D", "If we hanging, we banging", "Being a ***** is my kink", "This a hickey or a bruise?" "Pan mi **** so mi c*m" "Is your muffin buttered?" "Baby, if you strip, you can get a tip") and language that is censored in the majority of songs is left audible (e.g., "b*tch", "ass", "goddamn", "sh*t"). This is rather confusing as milder content, like references to clothing (e.g., "lingerine", "bras"), mild language (e.g., "damn", "hell"), and alcohol, are often omitted from lyrics. The series is also notorious for frequently including suggestive dance moves into the choreos of the songs, which gained it some backlash because of this.
The Legend Of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Animated Blood, Comic Mischief, Fantasy Violence)
- The infamous Zelda entry was rated E10+ as well as the HD version rereleased in 2021.

Equivalents[]

MPAA's PG rating
TV Parental Guidelines' TV-Y7-FV and TV-PG ratings
MTRCB's PG rating
PEGI's 7 rating
BBFC's PG rating
ACB's PG rating^[3]
CERO's hard A and soft B ratings
Netflix's 10+ rating

References[]

↑ https://www.esrb.org/ratings/29105/challenge-me-word-puzzles/
↑ https://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/behold-the-dumbest-video-game-controversy-yet/
↑ However, there have also been G and M rated E10+ rated video games (e.g. Just Dance, Sonic Unleashed, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild).

Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB)
Current ratings Discontinued rating

[1] ttps://www.esrb.org/ratings/29105/challenge-me-word-puzzles/

[2] ttps://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/behold-the-dumbest-video-game-controversy-yet/

[3] However, there have also been G and M rated E10+ rated video games (e.g. Just Dance, Sonic Unleashed, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild).

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