What do kids' games really come with? We check every month.
Strings Attached reads the small print on the most popular kids' games on Google Play, and counts what comes attached: adverts, purchases, data sharing and account data. A new edition every month.
Why we do it
The facts are public. They're just hard to see.
We read the small print
Every listing shows its labels, prices and a Data safety section. Few parents have time to read them for every game. We do it for the most popular ones.
Monthly, so change shows
The same test every month. Each edition keeps its own page, so you can see whether things get better or worse, and cite a specific month.
We count, we don't name
The study is about the market, not calling anyone out. We never name games or developers. Instead, we show you how to check any game yourself.
The No Strings test
What's a string?
Anything a game comes with beyond the game itself. Almost every popular kids’ game is free to download, so the strings are where the catches are. We check each listing for four. A game passes only if it has none of them.
How we test- AdsThe listing carries Google’s “Contains ads” label.
- PurchasesIn-app purchases, subscriptions or a paid download.
- Data sharingData safety declares sharing data with third parties.
- Account dataCollects an email address, name, user ID or phone number.
The archive
Every edition
Newest first. Each edition keeps its own address, charts and PDF, so a citation always points to the right month.
Method
One test, every month, every region
- We take the most popular kids' games from Google Play's top charts, including the top free and top grossing lists.
- We read only what each listing shows: labels, prices, description, Data safety, ratings and recent reviews.
- Every game gets the same four checks. Labels are the developers’ own declarations to Google.
- Method version 1.0. If it ever changes, we say so on every edition it affects.
Our interest: Pumpkin Cat Games makes a kids’ games app. Our app is not counted in the study.
For press and researchers
Citing Strings Attached?
Cite the edition you used, so your numbers always match the page. Every chart and finding has its own embed code and citation.
ExamplePumpkin Cat Games (2026). Strings Attached UK: what the most popular kids’ games come with, October 2026. https://pumpkincatgames.com/research/strings-attached/uk/2026-10
About the series
What is Strings Attached?
A monthly study of the most popular kids’ games on Google Play. We read each game’s listing and count what comes attached: adverts, purchases, data sharing and account data. Only games with none of the four pass our No Strings test, which is our own check and not a safety rating.
How often is it published?
Every month. Each edition keeps its own page, charts and PDF at its own address, so you can cite a specific month and see how the numbers change over time. Older editions are never overwritten.
Which countries does it cover?
The UK, for now, using Google Play UK’s top charts. When we add a region, it gets its own editions and its own address, so a UK figure and a figure for another region are never mixed up.
Can I compare one month with another?
Yes, when the method is the same. Every edition states its method version. If the method ever changes, every edition it affects says so, and we only draw a trend line between months that used the same method.
Why don’t you name the games?
The study is about the market, not calling out individual games or developers. Everything we count is public on each listing, and the four checks show you how to look for yourself before your child taps Install.
About us. Pumpkin Cat Games makes a kids’ games app, so we have an interest in this market. Our app is not counted in the study, and every number comes from the games’ own Google Play listings.