Raising Is Hole.io safe for kids? What parents of kids 4–7 should know
Is Hole.io safe for kids? The official ratings differ by store: the ESRB rates the Nintendo Switch version E10+ for crude humor and fantasy violence, Apple's App Store rates the phone game 4+, and Google Play lists it as Teen for violence and blood. The phone game is free, shows ads, and sells gems, skins, and ad removal from $0.99 to $9.99. Neither store lists chat, and Wikipedia says the opponents in Classic and Battle modes are computer-controlled. We found no government action naming Hole.io.
Hole.io at a glance
- ✓Official rating above age 7
ESRB: E10+ (Switch); App Store 4+; Play: Teen - –Contact with other players or strangers
No chat listed (stores); opponents are bots - ✓Purchases with real money
App Store: gems, skins, no ads, $0.99–$9.99 - –Paid random items
No random items listed (App Store, Play) - ✓Violence or scary content in rating descriptors
ESRB: Fantasy Violence; Play: Violence, Blood - –Government lawsuits, fines, or safety warnings
CNIL 2022 Voodoo fine didn't name Hole.io
Each flag is a yes-or-no fact from the sources on this page. The number is a count of flags, not a safety score. How we count.
| Type | Free phone game by Voodoo (2018): steer a black hole that swallows a city |
|---|---|
| App Store (iOS) | 4+ (ages 4 and up) — Infrequent Contests; contains ads; in-app purchases source |
| Google Play | Teen (ages 13 and up) — Violence, Blood; In-Game Purchases; contains ads source |
| US & Canada (ESRB) | E10+ (everyone 10 and older) — Crude Humor, Fantasy Violence; In-Game Purchases (Hole io on Nintendo Switch, 2023) source |
| Opponents | Computer-controlled in Classic and Battle modes, per Wikipedia source |
| Regulator | France's CNIL fined Voodoo €3 million (announced January 2023) over ad tracking without consent; no game named source |
Checked October 2026. Ratings and settings change; check the official source before you decide. What do these ratings mean?
Facts for parents, not medical or legal advice. If you're worried about your child, talk to your pediatrician.
What is Hole.io?
Short answer: A free game in which you steer a black hole around a city and swallow everything that fits.
The hole starts tiny and grows as it eats trash cans, cars, and finally skyscrapers. Voodoo, a French studio, released it for phones in 2018, and according to Wikipedia it reached No. 1 among free games on the App Store and Google Play soon after. Modes include Classic (be the biggest hole in two minutes), Battle (be the last hole standing), and Solo. A Nintendo Switch version, Hole io, came out in 2023.
Is Hole.io safe for kids? What the ratings say
Short answer: The official ratings range from 4+ to Teen, depending on the store.
- ESRB (Switch): E10+, Crude Humor, Fantasy Violence; In-Game Purchases.
- App Store: 4+, Infrequent Contests.
- Google Play: Teen, Violence, Blood; In-Game Purchases.
We use the ESRB rating for the age bar because the game is also sold on a console. We couldn't find a Common Sense Media review of Hole.io.
Ads, purchases, and other players
The App Store lists ads and in-app purchases: 320 Gems for $1.99, skins from $0.99, offers at $4.99, and No Ads for $9.99. Its privacy label says location, identifiers, and usage data may be used to track users across other companies' apps and websites.
Neither store lists chat. Wikipedia says the other holes in Classic and Battle are computer-controlled, and that the game was criticized for presenting them as other players.
In January 2023, France's data regulator CNIL announced a €3 million fine against Voodoo for using a device identifier for advertising without consent; the reports we read didn't name individual games.
The habit kids may copy: one more round
A round lasts two minutes, and the next one starts with a tap.
Try tonight: the last round
Before playing, agree together on how many rounds, and let your child show the number on their fingers. When the last round ends, practice the stop: "That was my last round. I'm the boss of my want." In our program, this is the lesson "I'm the Boss of My Want": practicing the pause between wanting something and getting it.
Why you can trust this page: the main facts link to their sources, a separate reviewer checks each page before it goes live, and the date shows when we last checked. How we review · Report an error
FAQ
What age is Hole.io for?
The ESRB rates the Switch version E10+. Apple rates the phone game 4+, and Google Play lists it as Teen.
Does Hole.io have chat?
Neither the App Store nor Google Play lists chat. Wikipedia says the opponents in Classic and Battle modes are computer-controlled.
Does Hole.io have in-app purchases?
Yes. The App Store lists gems, skins, offers, and ad removal from $0.99 to $9.99, and the game shows ads.
Is Hole.io violent?
The ESRB lists Fantasy Violence and Crude Humor for the Switch version, and Google Play lists Violence and Blood. Apple lists only Infrequent Contests.
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