The edutainment market is experiencing explosive growth. According to Mordor Intelligence, the educational games segment is currently valued at $29.46 billion and is projected to nearly triple in size by 2030. This growth reflects global demand for interactive, engaging, and educational content that both entertains and teaches. But as the market expands, a critical question arises: can children's games grow without manipulating young audiences?
To understand how to balance market growth with children's safety, we spoke with Oleh Riazanov, a game designer with over a decade of experience and an International Association of Creativity and Art (ICAA) member. He has worked on projects at Gameloft and Playgendary, has been a Creative Director at Thundermark, and now leads game design at Bini Games, overseeing UX and monetization in more than 30 educational apps for preschoolers. Riazanov also shares his research through open-access scholarly publications, contributing to the global dialogue on safe and ethical game design. From Oleh, we learned three key principles he applies to demonstrate how edutainment can grow without resorting to dark patterns, ensuring games remain both safe and genuinely educational for young audiences.
Transparent Monetization
In June 2025, updated Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) regulations came into effect, strengthening transparency requirements for children's apps, including stricter parental consent rules and clearer disclosure of purchase terms. This confirms that for success in the edutainment segment, simple and understandable monetization models are critical: subscriptions or clearly defined packages that parents can easily control.
"When we test monetization in projects, the key factor is not the transaction amount but parents' reaction to the model itself. If parents see predictable spending scenarios, they are willing to pay longer and more consistently. This means that when designing the economy, it's useful to calculate the Lifetime Value (LTV) of the family. Parents are the decision-makers, and long-term revenue depends on their trust," shares Oleh.
Riazanov tested this approach in practice at Gameloft, a globally recognized studio known for its high-quality mobile titles and family-friendly franchises, while working on My Little Pony: Magic Princess. During his time on the project, more than 30 major updates were released, including new maps and storylines. One of the key milestones was the implementation of COPPA and GDPR-Kids compliance, where Oleh played an essential role in ensuring these changes were introduced without release delays and without compromising the gameplay experience.
Children's User Experience (UX)
Designing UX for children is one of the most challenging aspects of the edutainment industry. Preschoolers interact with interfaces differently from teenagers or adults, as they have limited attention spans, weaker motor skills, and a distinct way of processing information. As a result, standard game design principles don't apply here.
"The key question in designing games for preschoolers is how to turn every minute of interaction into a positive experience. A simple structure, large interface elements, instant feedback, and visual rewards allow the child to feel progress and return to the game again," says Oleh.
He put this principle into practice at Bini Games, a global leader in edutainment apps for kids. Since 2023, Oleh has led game design there, focusing on adapting UX and gameplay loops specifically for preschool educational content. Here, Riazanov supports ongoing improvements to progression and monetization systems that balance learning outcomes for children with transparency and value for parents.
Balancing Play and Learning
One of the biggest challenges for the edutainment industry is finding the right balance between entertainment and educational value. If the focus is placed only on learning, a child quickly loses interest; if the emphasis shifts too much toward play, the product loses its value for parents.
"We always look for the golden mean: the game should delight the child, and the content should help them grow. It's important not to fall into the temptation of a 'quick win' with flashy graphics or retention mechanics. In the long run, projects succeed when they build real educational habits," emphasizes Oleh.
He implemented this approach at Thundermark, where, as Creative Director, together with the top management team, Riazanov established a complete pipeline "from concept to launch" for small teams. His role included integrating economy, level design, and game mechanics into a unified documentation system, which streamlined both development and partner presentations. Thanks to this structured approach, the Joykis and Tribute projects were able to enter the market with a clearly defined balance between gameplay and educational goals.
"Edutainment without dark patterns is not a dream but a design choice and one the whole industry can follow," shares Oleh. "At the heart of every successful kids' game is trust: trust from parents, joy for children, and real value in learning. If we hold to these principles, the industry will keep growing responsibly."
