Fortnite: Game guide for parents and teachers

Up to one hundred players fight each other until a person or a team is left as the winner. But Fortnite also offers a game package that is so much more than just that.

Choose language in the Google-box below. Some translations may be flawed or inaccurate.

What is Fortnite?

  • Online shooter game
  • Everyone fights everyone until a player or team is left to win
  • Also a platform with different types of Fortnite games. For example, drive planes, and cars, run through dangerous mazes
  • Free, but with purchase options
  • Social opportunities with chat (public and private), groups, and friends list

Age limit: 12 years from PEGI
Marked with: Frequent, mild violence. Purchase options.
The game has cartoon graphics.

Please note:

  • Violence, shooting
  • Toy weapons similar to real ones
  • Risk of using real money
  • Chat with strangers
  • Ban, cyberbullying

You can read a detailed review of Fortnite here.

What can children and young people learn from Fortnite?

  • Collaboration, communication, and tactics
  • Reaction and planning
  • Navigation in 3D space, building
  • Language (e.g. English) when children and adolescents communicate with others

Smart settings:

  • Own parental controls
  • Turn off chat and friend requests
  • Make your child’s username anonymous
  • Bad Language Filter

 Discussion questions with children and adolescents:

  • What do you like about Fortnite?
  • What does it take to be good at this game?
  • Is it tempting to buy things while playing the game?
  • Who do you like to play with?

Glossary:

  • Save the world – a story part of Fortnite where you fight zombies
  • V-bucks – in-game currency to buy things in Fortnite
  • Battle Royale – the game genre of Fortnite where everyone fights everyone until a winner or a winning team is left behind
  • Battle Pass – season pass that provides multiple skins and v-bucks. Must be purchased
  • Skin – a costume that changes the way the character, or weapons and equipment, looks
  • Solo, Duo, Quad – determine how many players are on one team in Fortnite
  • Creative – a part of Fortnite where you can build your own island
  • Storm – a deadly storm forces players to move to an ever-decreasing playing area
  • XP – how much experience/points you have in the game

(This is part of a series of short articles about popular video games reviewed by «Barnevakten», a Norwegian non-profit foundation that works to ensure safe and conscious media use of children and adolescents.) You can also read:
Game guide for parents and teachers: Minecraft
Game guide for parents and teachers: FIFA 22
Game guide for parents and teachers: Roblox

(Translated from Norwegian by Ratan Samadder)