Think of the Children is a fast-paced coop game about keeping kids alive

I have a two-year-old daughter, and keeping her out of danger is a full time job. Whenever I take her outdoors, she wants to be in the most dangerous place possible, whether that be in the middle of a busy road or inside a murky creek. So I can relate to this new co-operative action game Think of the Children, which is all about making sure kids don't hurt themselves.

Scheduled to release some time this year, Think of the Children is a "frantic multitasking game" in the vein of 2016 favourite Overcooked. Except instead of making sure food is cooked properly, you have a more pressing task: keep children alive. Oh, and you have to keep them happy too, which is arguably even harder. If you don't succeed in keeping them alive, you go to jail. You're trapped, you see. Parenthood is a trap.

Here's how Jammed Up Studios describes the setting: "Hauled before the court for bad parenting and endangering your children, the prosecution present a series of family days out as evidence that will either condemn or exonerate you. To avoid jail players will have to play through each event in flashback to prove their parenting skills, and their innocence, to the judge."

While solo play is possible, it looks like Think of the Children will probably work better as a cooperative game, and it supports up to four players. Check out the announcement trailer below for an idea of how it all plays out.

Shaun Prescott is the Australian editor of PC Gamer. With over ten years experience covering the games industry, his work has appeared on GamesRadar+, TechRadar, The Guardian, PLAY Magazine, the Sydney Morning Herald, and more. Specific interests include indie games, obscure Metroidvanias, speedrunning, experimental games and FPSs. He thinks Lulu by Metallica and Lou Reed is an all-time classic that will receive its due critical reappraisal one day.