Continuum Content Rating System
The Continuum Content Rating System is a custom classification scale created to assess both video games and books for age appropriateness and thematic content. Unlike ESRB or PEGI (games) or MPAA (films), the Continuum system is tailored to highlight nuance between general maturity, explicit adult themes, and pornographic works.
Rating Categories
| Rating | Age Group | Description (Games) | Description (Books) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
A | All Ages | Suitable for everyone. No violence, adult themes, or offensive content. | Suitable for all readers. No violence, adult themes, or offensive content. May include simple humor or gentle adventure. |
|
K | 7+ | Kids. Mild fantasy violence, comic mischief, or themes too complex for very young children. | Written for children and young readers. May include mild peril, fantasy action, or moral lessons. |
|
YT | 13+ | Young Teen. Moderate violence, crude humor, mild peril, or emotional intensity. No strong language or sexual content. | Aimed at early teens. May include moderate violence, emotional challenges, darker fantasy, or mild suspense. Language remains mild and there is no sexual content. |
|
T | 15+ | Teen. Stronger violence, darker themes, and limited suggestive elements. Comparable to PG-15 media. | For older teens. May feature intense action, stronger themes (war, loss, social issues), limited suggestive elements, or light horror. |
|
M | 17+ | Mature. Intense violence, blood and gore, strong language, or disturbing themes. May include brief or non-sexual nudity (e.g., Wolfenstein: The New Colossus, Skyrim (Unmodded), Doom Eternal). | Intended for mature readers. Contains graphic violence, strong language, disturbing themes, or brief/non-sexual nudity in text or illustrations. |
 |
X | 18+ | Adults Only. Explicit adult content, including sexual nudity, sexual activity, or highly graphic themes. Not pornographic. Examples: Cyberpunk 2077, The Witcher, or modded Skyrim (CBBE). | For adults. Includes sexual content, explicit nudity, or highly graphic depictions of violence and trauma. Not pornographic. |
|
XXX | 18+ Only | Pornographic content. Reserved for works where sexual activity or pornography is the central focus. | Pornographic content. Reserved for works where sexual activity or pornography is the central focus (e.g., explicit erotic literature or adult comics). |
Overview
The Continuum Ratings provide consistency across creative media. The addition of the X (18+) and XXX (18+) distinction separates games and books that contain explicit adult material from works that are fully pornographic. This prevents the assumption that all adult-rated content is pornographic.
Usage
Continuum Ratings are displayed with bold icons in promotional material, game packaging, and book metadata. Each icon uses a distinct color scheme and metallic lettering to ensure instant recognition:
- A (Blue)
- K (Green)
- YT (Yellow-Green)
- T (Orange)
- M (Dark Red)
- X (Red)
- XXX (Deep Red)
See also
- ESRB (games)
- PEGI (games)
- MPAA film rating system (films)
- Book censorship
Continuum Content Rating System
The Continuum Content Rating System is a custom classification scale created to assess both video games and books for age appropriateness and thematic content. Unlike ESRB or PEGI (games) or MPAA (films), the Continuum system is tailored to highlight nuance between general maturity, explicit adult themes, and pornographic works.