Cheeky mode vs family mode: which one should your game use?
Family mode is clean and the default. Cheeky mode adds a wink. Here's exactly what changes, who it's for and how to judge the room before you hit send.
Every game you make has a tone, and there are two to choose from. Family mode is the default: clean, silly and safe to send to absolutely anyone. Cheeky mode adds a little wink for grown-ups, plus one ending that only exists for adults.
Choosing between them isn’t really about how rude you are. It’s about who will see the game, and who they might show it to. This guide explains what each mode includes, who’s allowed to use cheeky mode, and how to judge the room before you press send.
What family mode is
Family mode is where every game starts. The pre-written lines (the intro, the in-game quips, the game-over roasts and the ending message) are all clean, and the humour comes from teasing, puns and gentle chaos rather than anything suggestive.
It’s still properly funny. A birthday game in family mode will cheerfully point out that the candles are winning, and a Christmas one will tell your dad that he’s on mince pie number twelve and should pace himself. The jokes poke fun at the player, the obstacles and the occasion, never at anything you’d need to explain to a seven-year-old.
All the regular endings are available in family mode: cake smash, dance party, group hug, fireworks (the sky spells out your message), slow dance, trophy, high five and proposal ring, plus the postcard ending for the Postcard occasion, where a vintage postcard flies in reading “Greetings from” your chosen place. That’s plenty of choice for nearly every game you’ll ever make.
What cheeky mode adds
Cheeky mode adds two things:
- Light innuendo in the pre-written lines. Think saucy seaside postcard rather than late-night telly: raised eyebrows, double meanings and the occasional “steady on”. Nothing explicit, nothing crude.
- The censored-romance ending. Your two characters are reunited at the end, and a giant pixel censor bar slaps itself over the moment. You see nothing at all, which is exactly why it’s funny. It’s available in themes such as Valentine’s Day and Halloween, where a romantic or spooky reunion is the natural finale.
That’s it. Cheeky mode doesn’t change the game styles, the controls or the leaderboard. It changes the tone and unlocks one ending.
Who can use cheeky mode
The rules are short and they’re not negotiable:
- The creator must be 18 or over. You need to be 13 or over to make an account at all, but cheeky mode is adults only.
- Every character in the game must be an adult. Not most of them. Every single one.
- Games with children’s photos are always family mode. If any character was made from a photo of a child, the game stays in family mode, full stop.
The usual photo rules apply on top: everyone in a photo must have agreed to be turned into a character, and no celebrities, politicians or other public figures. The full rules are in our acceptable use policy. If you’re making something starring your own little ones, our guide to making a game starring your kids covers everything you need, and it’s family mode all the way.
When cheeky mode works
Cheeky mode shines when the audience is small, adult and already in on the joke.
- Your partner. A Valentine’s game for your girlfriend or boyfriend that ends with the censor bar is the kind of thing that gets a laugh and a “you idiot” in the best possible way. It’s also lovely for couples apart; see our long-distance relationship gift ideas.
- Stag and hen dos. The stag and hen do theme already has bouncers, exes, pints and shots. A stag do game for your best friend or a hen do game for your best friend shared in the group chat for the weekend is tailor-made for a little extra cheek, as long as everyone in it is up for it.
- Anniversaries between adults. After a few years together, a cheeky anniversary game for your husband or wife can be funnier than a soppy one. The wedding and anniversary theme has wedding crashers, rings and cake to work with.
The common thread: you know exactly who’ll see it, and all of them will laugh.
When to stay in family mode
Family mode is the right choice far more often than you’d think. Stick with it for:
- Anything for work. Leaving dos, Secret Santa, office birthdays. Work games get shown around, sometimes on a meeting-room screen, and the link travels further than you expect. A Christmas game for a coworker should be one you’d happily show HR.
- Family group chats. Even if your sister would love the cheeky version, the chat also contains Auntie Pat, your nephew and someone’s new boyfriend.
- Anything that might be forwarded to kids. Grandparents, especially, love forwarding things. A game you send to your mum may well end up on a ten-year-old’s tablet by teatime.
- Parents and grandparents themselves. Unless you’re absolutely sure, nobody wants that conversation at Sunday lunch.
- New relationships. If you’ve been seeing each other for three weeks, maybe let the censor bar wait.
A simple test: would you be happy if the person showed the game to their mum, their boss and a child? If the answer is yes to all three, cheeky mode probably isn’t adding much. If it’s no to any of them, family mode is safer.
Pro tip: If you’re not sure who’ll end up seeing it, go family mode and add one personal in-joke instead. An in-joke only the two of you understand is cheekier than any innuendo, and it’s completely invisible to everyone else.
How to tone any game up or down
Whichever mode you pick, every line is yours to change. Editing a game is free and instant, even after you’ve shared it, and the link stays the same. That gives you a lot of control.
Toning a family game up (slightly)
- Keep family mode on.
- Swap one or two game-over roasts for affectionate teasing that only makes sense to the recipient.
- Use pet names, nicknames or a shared catchphrase in the ending message.
- Stop there. One wink is charming; five is a different game.
Toning a cheeky game down
- Play it through once and note every line that made you wince or check over your shoulder.
- Rewrite those lines, or swap them for clean in-jokes.
- Switch the ending from censored romance to a slow dance or a group hug if it might travel.
- Read the whole thing as if their mum were reading over their shoulder. If anything still makes you hesitate, change it, or use family mode instead.
Remember that whatever you write must still follow the acceptable use policy, in either mode.
Family-safe funny vs mildly cheeky: example lines
To give you a feel for the difference, here are lines in each tone. The cheeky ones are about as far as we’d ever go.
| Moment | Family-safe funny | Mildly cheeky |
|---|---|---|
| Valentine’s game over | “Cupid needs glasses.” | “Steady on, Romeo. Save some energy for later.” |
| Collecting roses | “14 roses collected. Still forgot the card.” | “14 roses collected. Someone’s angling for a cuddle.” |
| Anniversary intro | “Ten years together and still can’t agree on the thermostat.” | “Ten years together and they still can’t keep their hands off the biscuits. Or each other.” |
| Stag do bouncer | “Not on the list, mate.” | “Not on the list, mate. Neither is your dancing.” |
| Hen do game over | “Swerved the ex. Missed the dance floor.” | “The bride’s had three shots and a wink from the barman.” |
| Slow dance ending | “Slow dance unlocked. Mind her feet.” | “Slow dance unlocked. Hands where we can see them, please.” |
| Something steamy | “Things are heating up. Oh no, it’s the oven.” | “Things are getting steamy. Oh, it’s just the kettle.” |
| Late night | “Bedtime. Your high score will still be here tomorrow.” | “Not tonight, darling, I’ve got a high score to beat.” |
Notice that the cheeky column never says anything. It just raises an eyebrow and leaves the rest to the reader, which is the whole spirit of cheeky mode.
Which mode? A quick decision table
| Who’s it for | Where it’ll be shared | Mode we’d pick |
|---|---|---|
| Your partner | Just the two of you | Cheeky, if you both like that sort of thing |
| Stag or hen group (all adults) | The weekend group chat | Cheeky, if the whole cast is happy with it |
| Your spouse, for an anniversary | Privately | Either; cheeky can be funnier than soppy |
| A coworker | Work chat or email | Family |
| Mum, Dad or grandparents | Family group chat | Family |
| Your best friend’s birthday | Mutual friends’ chat | Family, with a sharp in-joke |
| Anyone whose game includes a child | Anywhere | Family (always) |
| You’re under 18 | Anywhere | Family (always) |
| Not sure | Not sure | Family |
The short version
Family mode is the default, it’s genuinely funny, and it’s right for most games. Cheeky mode is a small, grown-up extra: a bit of innuendo and a censor bar, for adult creators with an all-adult cast, sent to people who’ll enjoy it. When in doubt, go family and let your in-jokes do the cheeky work.
Once you’ve picked your tone, our walkthrough on how to make a personalised video game covers every other decision, from the game style to the link you share.