Honest, free games for kids. Built by a dad.
Hi, I'm Drew, a dad of two from Surrey. This is the story of why Pumpkin Cat Games exists, and the promise behind every game we make.
Drew, founderFrom the kitchen table, in four chapters
- Chapter 1
How it started
It began the way it does for most families: school homework moved to an app, and suddenly our kids had phones in their hands.
Then came music apps and language practice. That was our first wake-up call: in the modern app world, "free" rarely actually means free. It almost always means invasive data tracking and a relentless stream of adverts no parent would ever willingly approve.
- Chapter 2
The breaking point
Before a family holiday, the kids asked for a couple of travel games. My wife and I sat down to help them choose, expecting to find at least some apps offering simple, honest, clean fun. Instead, we found an absolute minefield.
What we found in kids' apps- Video adverts and constant interruptions
- Account sign-ups and data harvesting
- Sneaky paywalls and accidental clicks
- Manipulative loops built to hook kids
What we built instead- No adverts, ever. Just the game
- No accounts, emails or tracking
- Nothing to buy, so no accidental taps
- Parent controls and daily time limits built in
"Children's natural curiosity was being treated as a commodity to track and monetise. Kids just need to play, without being targeted by a digital ad machine."
- Chapter 3
Building a better playground
After so much searching and failing to find apps we trusted, I decided to build an alternative.
From our home in Surrey, I started coding a small collection of simple, wholesome games: puzzles and challenges we could play together, or that the kids could enjoy solo. I built in simple parental controls to manage screen time and access, alongside adjustable difficulty so the games adapt to each child and offer genuine, healthy achievement.
the real bosses:My children became my chief testers, idea generators and harshest critics. - Chapter 4
Behind the name
With a test app installed, we started playing the games out and about, as a family and with friends. Other parents loved the idea and asked if they could have it too. That gave us the push to make the games freely available, launching first on Android while we weigh up Apple's hefty annual developer fee for a free passion project.
All we needed was a name. The kitchen-table brainstorm began, and after dozens of wonderfully weird ideas, the kids unanimously picked the winner.
Pumpkin Cat Games was born.(the kids still take full credit)
Our promise to parents
Every Pumpkin Cat game is built on four standards we won't bend on.
Zero adverts
No banners, pop-ups or video interruptions.
Zero tracking
No behavioural monitoring, analytics or data harvesting.
Zero sign-ups
No accounts, email addresses or logins required.
Zero paywalls
Completely free to play, with nothing to buy. Ever.
Designed in line with COPPA, UK & EU GDPR and the ICO Children's Code.
Honest, well-made fun you can hand over with peace of mind.
Free on Android now.