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[[quoteright:300:[[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyG3 https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/0078513836173_500X500_2953.jpg]]]]
[[caption-width-right:300:[[SickeninglySweet Too cute for you? Don't worry, it comes with a free syringe of insulin.]]]]

VideoGameCulture has two sides of stereotyped gaming by the media. One is the popular UltraSuperDeathGoreFestChainsawer3000 which is portrayed in media as a [[MurderSimulators violent game]] that motivates a player to [[NewMediaAreEvil commit acts of violence in real life]]. The other is the extremely kiddy game rated [[MediaNotes/EntertainmentSoftwareRatingBoard E for Everyone]] (in North America),[[note]]There used to be an eC rating for "[[MediaNotes/EntertainmentSoftwareRatingBoard Early Childhood Rating]]", but it was retired due to lack of usage[[/note]] [[MediaNotes/PanEuropeanGameInformation PEGI 3]] (in Europe), or S CERO (in Asia). The game in question involves an overly sweet character in a SugarBowl setting filled with [[FunnyAnimal cute, anthropomorphic animals]].

When this trope is seen within fiction, the game is often the [[MoralSubstitute alternative offered]] [[AsinineAlternateActivity by the parent]] of the character when he proposes [[UltraSuperDeathGoreFestChainsawer3000 the latest violent game]] he wants for the holidays or his birthday. Needless to say, when given this one, it's seen as a yawn and our [[AlwaysMale young man]] [[RatedMForMoney now seeks a chance to relish in laughable amounts of gore]]. Failure to do so will result in [[MommasBoy mockery]]. For something even ''more'' stereotypical, these games will be [[GirlsShowGhetto marketed towards girls]], due to the perception that "girls don't play violent games." [[note]] Studies show that women will play violent games as much as men, but they need more motivation ''behind'' the violence. [[/note]]

To some people, every game that does not have an M Rating falls under this category, and even some games WITH an M-Rating if the [[ArtStyleDissonance graphics aren't hyper-realistic]]. Many of the people who feel this way are [[EntertainmentAboveTheirAge too young to be playing a T-Rated game, let alone M]].

Most RealLife games that would seem to meet this definition are better received than their fictional counterparts (filtering out SturgeonsLaw, of course), either because they're actually marketed toward small children (who don't care much about quality, as long as the game isn't actually unplayable), or because they're actually ''good''. Plus, the RuleOfCute exists for a reason. However, just like UltraSuperDeathGoreFestChainsawer3000, they don't get named like this in RealLife; some examples include ''VideoGame/AnimalCrossing'', ''VideoGame/CookingMama'' and ''Videogame/DinerDash'' just to name a few.

Contrast with TrueArtIsAngsty. This page has a WordSaladTitle.

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!!Examples:

[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder:Comic Strips]]
* ''ComicStrip/FoxTrot'':
** One storyline had Andy joining a [[MoralGuardians concerned parents group]] called MAGG (Mothers Against Gory Games) and vowing to only allow MAGG approved games in their house. The storyline revolved around Peter playing a game called ''[[VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoViceCity Nice City]]'' and later complaining about the other games Andy had given him, which included ''[[VideoGame/ResidentEvil Resident Good]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/EternalDarkness Eternal Lightness]]''.
** One Sunday strip saw Paige give a few of her old video games (with titles like "Rabbity Rainbow" and "Peanut Butter's Puzzle Jam") to a little girl she babysits frequently, only learning afterwards that Peter had been using the cases to hide his M-rated games from Andy.
** One arc had Paige receive a beta-test version of ''[[{{VideoGame/Riven}} Riv]][[VideoGame/DiabloII iablo]]''. Jason is outraged, until he realizes he must have signed up for the beta while logged in as his sister. [[https://www.gocomics.com/foxtrot/2000/12/09 Paige gets him back in the end]] by claiming Blizzbund followed her advice and are redesigning the game to be an example of the trope.
-->Per your suggestions, the final version of the game will have less violence, cuter monsters, and significantly easier puzzles. PS Thanks especially for the great idea to change the game's title to "Happy Town".
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Films -- Animation]]
* ''Sugar Rush'' from ''WesternAnimation/WreckItRalph'' can be described as ''Videogame/MarioKart'' meets ''TabletopGame/CandyLand''. This doesn't stop arcade visitors from playing it.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
* Spoofed in an episode of the German kids TV Show "Bernd das Brot" (Bernd the Bread). The titular bread is forced to play a "mega motivating social game" called " Happy Pink Pony Farm" where you have to tend for your farm, feed the happy pink ponies and defend your salad against ravenous zombies.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
* ''TabletopGame/GoldenSkyStories'' is quite possibly the most relentlessly harmless roleplaying game in existence. You play a cute furry creature who improves people's lives through small acts of kindness.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Video Games]]
* ''VideoGame/YoshisStory''. This actually angered a lot of fans before it got VindicatedByHistory.
* ''VideoGame/AnimalJam'' is advertised as a cheerful and joyous game where you can play as a RidiculouslyCuteCritter in a SugarBowl land consisting of every ecological biome known and have fun with your animal friends, while [[EdutainmentGame learning some animal facts]]. [[SugarApocalypse The]] [[VileVillainSaccharineShow phantoms]], [[NightmareFuel/AnimalJam however...]]
* ''VideoGame/RobotUnicornAttack'' revels in its over-the-top SugarBowl-ness.
* Franchise/{{Barbie}} games tend to be about as unthreatening as you can get. There are surprising exceptions to this, however, and some of the games can actually be a legitimate challenge.
* An infamous commercial for ''VideoGame/{{Blur}}'' tried to market it as an "X-Treme and totally not kiddy" racing game with kart racer-style weapons by juxtaposing the game with the most SugarBowl-y kart racer they could conceive (and an obvious TakeThat at ''VideoGame/MarioKart'').
--> '''[[VideoGame/BubbleBobble Bub]]-clone''' (to [[Franchise/SuperMarioBros Toad]]-clone): "Racing's not about winning! It's about making friends! *punched in the gut*"
* Subverted in ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2''. While the game itself is a standard, if a little goofy shooter, it's shown in the "Meet the Pyro" short that this is how the Pyro sees the world as they set it on fire.
** In fact, you can experience this in-game by wearing Pyrovision Goggles, where everywhere is lush green grass, grenades are baby bottles, you can tickle others to dea- laughter with rainbows, lollipops, and bubbles, pick up health and ammo as cake or presents, and live in eternal happiness forever.
* Any video game made by Fisher-Price. This shouldn't be surprising considering their target market tends to be for children under five. Anything deemed "too scary, too questionable or too objectionable" is changed or removed. Also, their games are primarily {{Edutainment Game}}s, which this trope usually goes hand-in-hand with. [[note]]The games are also developed by Knowledge Adventure- the folks behind the ''VideoGame/JumpStart'' series of Edutainment titles.[[/note]]
* Most {{Edutainment Game}}s that are targeted at younger kids are primarily this. Examples include:
** Late 90's ''VideoGame/ReaderRabbit'', especially ''Baby'', ''Toddler'', and ''Thinking Adventures''. ''Preschool'' through ''Second Grade'' are also this, albeit at a slightly lesser extent (in that you now have an ineffectual, bumbling villain named Spike the Porcupine to content with).
** Some ''VideoGame/JumpStart'' titles, those targeted at Kindergarteners or younger to be precise, also fits this trope.
* [[ZigZaggingTrope Zig-Zagging]] with the 2003 ''WesternAnimation/StrawberryShortcake'' games. While the Platform/NintendoDS and the first Platform/GameBoyAdvance games are like this, the subsequent Game Boy Advance and [=PS2=] games avert this straight. The first two PC titles are also like this, but averted with the third title (which was a port of the [=PS2=] title). Played straight, however, with the 2009 iOS titles.
* The two ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyG3'' games plays this trope straight. Especially the Platform/NintendoDS title (see image). There's also the sole ''VideoGame/MyLittlePonyFriendshipGardens'' G2 title, in which you raise a virtual pony.
* ''Any'' title released for early educational consoles like the ''[=VTech=] V-Smile'' (especially it's SpinOffBabies-riffic ''V-Smile Baby''), the original ''Franchise/LeapFrog Leapster'', and ''Sega Pico'' (and it's spinoff ''Advanced Pico Beena'') tend to be this. They tend to use licensed cartoon characters to make up for it though. Averted in some later games for educational consoles: The ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' game for the [=LeapPad Explorer=] had Discord, an extremely dangerous and competent villain, as the antagonist.
* The ''Franchise/{{Kirby}}'' games are infamous for being games that ''seem'' like this until you start to notice the little bits of EldritchAbomination and NightmareFuel scattered about, and then the final boss is always [[VileVillainSaccharineShow a refugee straight from Hell]]. ''VideoGame/KirbysEpicYarn'' in particular is completely sugary and saccharine (even managing to avoid any sort of AmericanKirbyIsHardcore trappings its ilk have succumbed to).
%%* ''VideoGame/YoshisWoollyWorld'' is the same for Yoshi's line of games. (please explain this example for its own merits and not merely in comparison to other examples).
* ''VideoGame/AnimalCrossing'' has the entire premise of being a human being moving to a peaceful village of cartooney animals and living peacefully while making friends. Resetti even ''lampshades'' it at one point if you keep hassling him:
--> How 'bout playin' a fantasy without any epic battles, no fightin' against the odds to save some magical realm? Wouldn't it be nice to just lay down your sword, pick a few pretty daisies, and just be... nice?
* ''VideoGame/TheAngryVideoGameNerdAdventures'' has the level Happy Fun Candy Time, which is filled sunshine, rainbows and smiling faces everywhere. [[spoiler:Just try to ignore the severed unicorn head in the remake...]]
%% * ''Videogame/LegoAdaptationGame''
%% * ''Videogame/MySims''
* ''Videogame/StyleSavvy'' revolves entirely around [[VirtualPaperDoll running a clothing boutique, and later a beautician and hair salon]]. There's no stakes or any real consequences for failure and every character is nice, with the customers being unnaturally patient and understanding, [[UnsatisfiableCustomer nothing at all like retail customers tend to behave in real life.]]
* ''VideoGame/HarvestMoon'', a series revolving around living a peaceful life in a farming village. That said, the older games could get [[DysfunctionJunction surprisingly dark]], though the later games play this painfully straight.
* The adventure epic premise of ''Franchise/{{Frozen}}'' and its [[WesternAnimation/FrozenII sequel]] seems rife for an adventure video game tie-in, but instead we end up with not [[VideoGame/FrozenFreeFall one]], but [[VideoGame/FrozenAdventures two]] match-three puzzle games for mobile phones, and a [[VideoGame/FrozenOlafsQuest rather basic platform game]] for the DS and [=3DS=]. It's easy to blame the lack of a traditional home console release to the rise of smartphone gaming and the revenue to be had with [[AllegedlyFreeGame freemium]] titles, but Disney being rather protective of their crown jewel IP could also be a possible reason (and it is, given how the Arendelle world in ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsIII'' is a more or less straight adaptation of the original film with the ''Kingdom Hearts'' characters shoved aside to the background due to the restrictions Disney imposed on Creator/SquareEnix on what not to do with the ''Frozen'' arc).
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Animation]]
* ''WebAnimation/HomestarRunner'':
** At a slumber party, Homestar isn't allowed to play M-rated games -- the only game he is allowed to play is ''Clapping Party'', a game in which the goal is... getting the onscreen hands to clap. An EasterEgg at the end of the cartoon lets you play the game yourself, and it's about as fun as it sounds for the first two levels, [[SubvertedTrope until]] you unlock [[UltraSuperDeathGoreFestChainsawer3000 Blistergeist mode]].
** The Easter egg game "Duck Pond" on the Homestar site is incredibly simple, but also quite addictive. All you do is feed ducks. In a pond.
* ''WebAnimation/{{Japanoschlampen}}'':
** ''Cutie Eichhörnchens Abenteuerländ'' (Cutie Squirrel's Adventure Land) [[AdvertisingByAssociation from the makers of]] the ''[[UltraSuperDeathGoreFestChainsawer3000 Ninja Shotgun Gemetzel]]'' (Ninja Shotgun Carnage) series.
** The cut [=USK12=] (roughly PG-13) version of ''[[VideoGame/{{Fallout}} Vorlaut]] 4'' turns out to be close to this.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Comics]]
* Gabe from ''Webcomic/PennyArcade'' is a hardcore gamer who is also a fan of ''{{Franchise/Barbie}} Horse Adventures''. (A real game). This is subverted (in the strip) with the game's CopyProtection, in which the horse spawns [[BodyHorror with no bones]] if the codes are entered wrong. Gabe is then told "[[MercyKill Select the gun, then select your horse]]".
* From the revived version of ''Series/TheSiflAndOllyShow'', the episode "Olly's Top 3". Olly describes his three favorite videogames of all time. Numbers 1 and 3 are basically torture porn games, but his number 2 pick is ''Pretty Ponies Daycare''.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Original]]
* The cel-shaded ''[[http://loadingreadyrun.com/videos/view/228 Halo 5: Master Chief & Friends Adventures in Dreamland]]''. (It is introduced at 2:20.)
* Inverted by one mashup which takes an ad for ''VideoGame/FarmingSimulator'' and plays [[spoiler:[[VideoGame/Doom2016 BFG Division]]]] over it. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eicqRLGfFw0 It works surprisingly well.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Western Animation]]
* The ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'' episode of ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'' has Butters' favorite game be ''Franchise/HelloKitty Island Adventure''.
* An episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' revolves around Bart attempting to get the ultra-violent popular video game ''Bonestorm''. He instead ends up with ''Lee Carvallo's Putting Challenge''.
--> [[foldercontrol]]

[[folder: Welcome to Lee Carvallo's Putting Challenge. I am Carvallo. ]]
\\
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Now, choose a club. ]]
\\
[[/folder]]

[[folder: You have chosen a [[There Is No Kill Like Overkill 3-wood ]]
. [[StatingTheSimpleSolution May I suggest a putter?]][==]]]\\
[[/folder]]

[[folder: [[Idiot Ball 3-wood ]]
. Now enter the force of your swing. I suggest: feather touch.]]\\
[[/folder]]

[[folder: You have entered: [[There Is No Kill Like Overkill power drive ]]
! Now, push 7-8-7 to swing.]]\\
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Ball is in: [[Epic Fail parking lot ]]
. Would you like to play again?]]\\
[[/folder]]

[[folder: You have selected: [[Rage Quit No ]]
.]]
* In ''WesternAnimation/ReBoot'', ''The Funhouse'' would be this kind of game, if we weren't watching from the perspective of the Game Characters.
* ''WesternAnimation/CodeMonkeys'':
** Mary's games dance the line around this trope, trying to combine it with feminist values, though some are less innocent than others (like when she is forced to make a "Little Suzy Snackcakes" game with bulimia as a game mechanic.)
** There's also "Everyone's a Person", made by the Hitler family to teach people that everyone is a person (even Hitler.)
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Arthur}}'' has a browser game called ''Virtual Goose''. Unusually for this trope, the main characters think it is the most awesome game ever, although DW's board game ''Confuse the Goose'' is considered a baby toy despite being identical.
* ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitansGo'' has ''Puppy Tummy Tickles'', a video game in which you just tickle a puppy's tummy. Starfire introduces it to Cyborg and Beast Boy to break up a fight between them over a video game. and also to carry on Starfire's plan to spread kindness. It works.
* The episode "Squirt the Daisies" in ''WesternAnimation/CowAndChicken'' has Cow play the titular game all while her brother Chicken engrosses himself in ''[[Franchise/MortalKombat Immortal Wombat]]''. Unsurprisingly, ''Squirt the Daisies'' is what one would expect with an overly-girly game.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheAdventuresOfJimmyNeutronBoyGenius'' depicts Carl with a whole ''collection'' of llama-themed video games. Two of the titles he mentions (''Ninja Llamas in Space'' and ''Llama vs. Mecha-Dingo'') actually sound pretty action-packed, so of course he goes with his favorite: the apparently 100% conflict-free ''Llamapalooza''. It ''[[ChekhovsGun still]]'' winds up rescuing Jimmy and Sheen [[TheMostDangerousVideoGame after they've been trapped]] in the latter's Ultralord game.
[[/folder]]
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->[[Memes/{{Vinesauce}} Binny, y u play babby gaems?]]
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