Raising Subway Surfers age rating: what parents of kids 4–7 should know
Subway Surfers age rating: Apple's App Store rates it 9+ for infrequent cartoon or fantasy violence, Google Play lists Everyone 10+ with Fantasy Violence and In-Game Purchases (Includes Random Items), and PEGI rates it 3. Common Sense Media, an independent nonprofit, lists it for ages 9 and up and says that when the runner hits a train, the guard simply catches them, with no blood. The game is free, shows ads, and sells coins and keys for real money.
Subway Surfers at a glance
- ✓Official rating above age 7
Google Play: Everyone 10+; App Store: 9+ - –Contact with other players or strangers
No chat or messaging listed (App Store, Play) - ✓Purchases with real money
Coin and key packs $0.99–$4.99 (App Store) - ✓Paid random items
Google Play: Includes Random Items - ✓Violence or scary content in rating descriptors
App Store, Play: cartoon or fantasy violence - –Government lawsuits, fines, or safety warnings
No government action found
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 endless-runner phone game by SYBO and Kiloo (2012): run the tracks, dodge trains |
|---|---|
| App Store (iOS) | 9+ (ages 9 and up) — Infrequent Cartoon or Fantasy Violence; contains ads source |
| Google Play | Everyone 10+ (ages 10 and up) — Fantasy Violence; In-Game Purchases (Includes Random Items); contains ads source |
| PEGI (Europe) | 3 (suitable for all ages) — no pertinent content; in-app purchases source |
| Common Sense Media | 9+ (an independent nonprofit's age guide) |
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 Subway Surfers?
Short answer: A free phone game in which a kid runs along train tracks, away from an inspector and his dog.
Players swipe to dodge trains and collect coins. It was made by SYBO and Kiloo in Denmark and came out in May 2012. In 2018 it became the first game to pass 1 billion downloads on Google Play, according to Wikipedia. A sequel, Subway Surfers City, came out in February 2026; the App Store rates it 9+ as well.
Subway Surfers age rating: what's in it
Short answer: The official labels range from 3 to 10+.
- App Store: 9+, Infrequent Cartoon or Fantasy Violence.
- Google Play: Everyone 10+, Fantasy Violence; In-Game Purchases (Includes Random Items).
- PEGI: 3. PEGI says the guard grabs the character but "does not appear to hurt the boy."
- Common Sense Media: 9+.
Common Sense Media found no blood, bad language, sex, or drugs, and says buying coins with real money is "not thrust upon players." We found no ESRB or USK entry.
Ads, purchases, and privacy
The App Store lists ads and purchases: coin packs and keys, from $0.99 to $4.99, plus Double Coins for $4.99. Google Play says purchases include random items. Fan wikis say keys open in-game mystery boxes; we couldn't confirm whether mystery boxes are sold directly for money. Neither store lists chat or messaging.
In 2017, parents in New York and California filed a private class action against Kiloo, SYBO, and several ad networks, alleging children's data went to advertisers without parents' permission, as Pocket Gamer reported. We couldn't confirm the outcome, and we found no action by a government regulator.
Why young kids know Subway Surfers
It was the most-downloaded mobile game of the 2010s, with 2.7 billion downloads by December 2019, according to SYBO and App Annie figures cited by Wikipedia. It's free and shows 1 billion+ downloads on Google Play. We found no data on how many young children play it.
The habit kids may copy: one more run
A run ends only when the player crashes, and the next one starts with a tap.
Try tonight: the boss of the want
Before screen time, agree on a number of runs together, and let your child hold up the fingers. When the last run ends, practice the stop: "I want one more. And 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.
Who makes it: Miniclip (incl. SYBO). See what its other titles teach in the Kids' Media Publisher Index.
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 Subway Surfers for?
It's 9+ on the App Store, Everyone 10+ on Google Play, and 3 by PEGI. Common Sense Media lists it for ages 9 and up.
Is Subway Surfers safe for kids?
Common Sense Media found no blood, bad language, sex, or drugs; the guard catches the runner after a crash. The game shows ads and sells coins and keys for real money.
Does Subway Surfers have chat?
Neither the App Store nor Google Play lists chat or messaging for the game.
Does Subway Surfers have in-app purchases?
Yes. The App Store lists coin packs, keys, and Double Coins from $0.99 to $4.99, and Google Play says purchases include random items.
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