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Responsible play

Free Canadian help, a private self-check, setting the session first, screen time, breaks, sleep, flashing light, motion sickness, spending and paid random items, chat safety, ESRB ratings, family settings and gaming disorder.

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01Why this page exists

The games in our library are made to be hard to put down: one more level, one more run, one more match. That pull is part of what makes them wonderful, and it is also why a site that recommends them should be honest about the downsides and about how to keep play a pleasure rather than a habit that runs the evening.

02Free, confidential help in Canada

Paid random items, such as loot boxes, card packs and prize spins, share features with gambling: you pay before you know what you will get, and that uncertainty is what makes them easy to keep buying. If the time or money going into games feels out of control, for you or someone you care about, these organisations help for free and in confidence in Canada:

  • Responsible Gambling Council

    A Canadian non-profit with a directory of free helplines and treatment services for every province and territory, plus practical guides for keeping play of any kind healthy.

    Visit Responsible Gambling Council

  • ConnexOntario

    Free, confidential health-services information for anyone worried about gaming, gambling, substance use or mental health — 1-866-531-2600, 24 hours a day, every day, in over 170 languages.

    Visit ConnexOntario

  • Gambling Therapy

    Free emotional and practical support for individuals and families worldwide: online support groups, self-help resources and trained advisers you can reach from home.

    Visit Gambling Therapy

03Urgent help and young people

Free and confidential, for anything that is worrying you, not only games:

  • Kids Help Phone

    Free, confidential support for young people at any hour: call 1-800-668-6868 or text CONNECT to 686868.

    Visit Kids Help Phone

  • Hope for Wellness Helpline

    Counselling and crisis support for Indigenous peoples across Canada, by phone or online chat, day and night: 1-855-242-3310.

    Visit Hope for Wellness Helpline

  • Tel-jeunes

    Free, confidential help in French for young people in Quebec, by phone at 1-800-263-2266, by text or by chat.

    Visit Tel-jeunes

  • Centre for Addiction and Mental Health

    Clear, free information about problem gaming and about finding treatment and support in each province.

    Visit Centre for Addiction and Mental Health

In crisis? Call or text 9-8-8 at any hour to reach Canada’s suicide crisis helpline (988.ca). In an emergency, call 911.

04A private self-check

Thinking about the last few months, how often is each of these true for you?

  1. My sessions run much longer than I planned.
  2. Gaming pushes out sleep, meals, school, work or time with people.
  3. I feel restless, irritable or low when I cannot play.
  4. I spend more on games, expansions or extras than I meant to, or keep the amount to myself.
  5. I play mainly to escape how I feel, not because it is fun.
  6. I come back for daily rewards, streaks or events even when I do not feel like playing.
  7. I keep pressing continue long after it stopped being enjoyable.
  8. I get angry or upset with the people I play with, or with myself, after losing.
  9. Someone close to me has said they are worried about my gaming.

This is a prompt to reflect, not a diagnosis. Your answers stay on this page and are never sent.

05Set the session before you press start

  • Decide how long the session is and where it ends before you begin. Every review in our library names a save point.
  • Use the session settings: a bedtime, a break reminder and nothing bought during play.
  • Use the play-time limits on your console, computer or phone as well; they hold when willpower does not.
  • Stop at a save point, never halfway, so stopping never feels like losing progress.
  • Keep some evenings completely game-free.

06Screen time in Canada

The Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines, developed by the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology, recommend no more than two hours of recreational screen time a day for children and youth aged 5 to 17, and no more than three hours for adults. Games share that budget with videos, social apps and everything else on a screen, alongside daily movement and enough sleep. Read the full guidelines.

07Playing together

  • Agree when the session ends with everyone before you press start, not when someone wants to leave.
  • Make “last match” mean the last match. Nobody should feel guilty for leaving at the agreed time.
  • Losing is part of every good game. If a defeat leaves someone upset, take a break rather than an immediate rematch.
  • Playing with people you know makes stopping easier: strangers will never ask you to stay for one more.

08Breaks, eyes, ears and body

  • Every twenty minutes, look at something about six metres away for twenty seconds.
  • Every half hour or so, stand up for a few minutes, stretch and drink some water.
  • Keep headphones at around 60% volume or lower, and turn on the headphone safety alerts your phone or console offers.
  • If your hands, wrists, neck or eyes hurt, stop, and see a doctor if it keeps happening.

09Sleep

Switch screens off at least an hour before bed. Bright screens and absorbing games keep the brain alert long after the game is closed, and late sessions almost always run long. Most children aged 5 to 13 need nine to eleven hours of sleep, teenagers eight to ten and adults seven to nine. Consoles and phones keep bedtime and downtime settings in their family settings.

10Flashing light and photosensitivity

A small number of people can have seizures triggered by flashing lights or patterns, sometimes for the first time and without any history of epilepsy. Read each game’s warning, play in a well-lit room, sit well back from the screen and stop at once if you feel dizzy, notice altered vision or twitching. If anyone in the family has epilepsy, talk to a doctor before playing.

11Motion sickness

Spinning cameras, motion blur and fast scrolling can bring on nausea, headaches and dizziness. Turn off camera shake and motion effects where the game allows, sit further from the screen, keep a light on and stop at the first sign of feeling unwell. It usually passes quickly with rest.

12Spending, expansions and paid random items

  • Agree a monthly amount in dollars before playing, never during a session.
  • Play the base game for a while before buying expansions, and buy them one at a time.
  • Work out what a game’s coins, gems or credits cost in dollars before spending them.
  • Avoid paid random items: not knowing what you will get is exactly what makes them hard to stop buying.
  • Keep purchase approval switched on and remove saved cards from children’s accounts.
  • Prepaid cards make a hard limit for younger players.

13Daily rewards, streaks and notifications

Login rewards, streaks, season passes, weekend events and limited-time offers are designed to bring you back on the game’s timetable, not yours. Turn off game notifications, let a streak go without guilt and come back when you actually want to play. None of the games in our library needs you to log in every day.

14Who can talk to you online

  • Set text and voice chat to friends only, or off, in each game and on the platform.
  • Never share passwords, your address, school, phone number or photos.
  • Be careful with anyone who wants to move to another app, offers gifts, asks for pictures or asks you to keep a secret.
  • Protect every account with a unique password and two-step verification.

Harassment is never part of the game. Take screenshots, report it on the platform and tell someone you trust. If an adult asks a young player for pictures or to keep secrets, report it to Cybertip.ca, Canada’s national tipline. Get Cyber Safe explains account security step by step, and MediaSmarts has plain guides for parents.

15Frustration and losing streaks

After a few defeats in a row, frustration builds quickly and play gets worse, not better. Lower the difficulty, use assist options without guilt, step away at the next save and come back another day: the attempt that finally goes right is rarely the one started at midnight.

16Age ratings in Canada

Games sold in Canada carry ESRB ratings: E (Everyone), E10+ (Everyone 10+), T (Teen), M (Mature 17+) and AO (Adults Only 18+), with RP while a rating is pending. Content descriptors explain why a game got its rating, and interactive elements flag what happens beyond the story: In-Game Purchases, In-Game Purchases (Includes Random Items) and Users Interact. The ESRB ratings guide explains every label. A rating describes the game, not the other players in it.

17Family settings

Every console, computer and phone can set daily play time, a bedtime, spending approval and who can chat: Nintendo Switch Parental Controls, PlayStation Family Management, Xbox Family Settings, Steam Families, Apple Screen Time and Google Family Link. The family settings section of our home page says where each one lives.

18Accessibility is not cheating

Subtitles, colour-blind modes, reduced motion, easier difficulty settings, larger text and remappable controls are all part of playing comfortably. Using them is never cheating, and they often make the difference between a good evening and a frustrating one.

19When gaming becomes a problem

The World Health Organization describes “gaming disorder” when gaming takes priority over other interests and daily life despite the harm it causes, usually for a year or more. Signs to watch for:

  • regularly playing far longer than planned;
  • losing sleep, or missing meals, school, work or friends;
  • irritability, low mood or anxiety when not playing;
  • spending more than intended, or hiding it;
  • dropping other hobbies and people.

In Canada, the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health explains problem gaming and how to find treatment, and a family doctor or nurse practitioner can point you to support in your province or territory.

20Helping someone else

Start by asking what they enjoy about the game and who they play with. Agree small steps together, such as a set save point or friends-only chat, rather than a sudden ban, and plan things to do away from screens that are genuinely fun.

21How this site is built

Arcabelle has no accounts, notifications, streaks, countdown offers or rewards for coming back. Questions about this page are welcome through hello@arcabelle.com.