The Last of Us: Left Behind
LumiScore
Growth
38/100
Growth Value
- Empathy
- Problem Solving
- Spatial Awareness
Risk
LOW
Engagement Patterns
Minimal pressure to spend or play excessively.
Heads up
Parent Pro-Tip
This game is best suited for teens 14 and older due to its realistic violence and mature themes around loss and death — consider watching the opening scenes together before letting your teen play independently. After they finish, it offers a genuine opportunity to discuss friendship, loyalty, and how media can tell meaningful stories about people who are different from us.
Top Skills Developed
Development Areas
Representation?How diverse the game's characters are in gender and ethnicity. Higher = more authentic representation. Display only — does not affect time recommendation.
Bechdel Test?The Bechdel Test checks whether a game has at least two named female characters who talk to each other about something other than a man. A simple measure of representation.— Passes the test
Ellie and Riley are two named female characters who extensively interact throughout the game about their lives, friendship, and shared experiences, none of which is primarily about a male character.
What your child develops
Left Behind is an emotionally rich narrative experience that stands out for its empathy and perspective-taking, placing the player inside a tender, complex friendship between two teenage girls navigating grief, loyalty, and survival. The game asks players to make tense combat and stealth decisions, rewarding resourcefulness and observation over brute force. Its strong character writing and dialogue also make it one of the better examples of literary storytelling in games, supporting reading comprehension and emotional literacy.
Regulatory Compliance
Tap a badge for details. Grey = not yet assessed.
About this game
The Last of Us: Left Behind is a single-player DLC of The Last of Us. It was released February 14, 2014 for $14.