The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB), the content rating board for games released in North America, has issued an "Adults Only" (AO) rating for 23 released video games. AO is the highest rating in the ESRB system, and indicates that the organization believes that the game's content is suitable only for players aged 18 years and over.
The majority of AO-rated games are adult video games, typically those with pornographic or strong sexual content. Three games have been given the rating solely due to extreme levels of violence: the canceled Thrill Kill (1998), the initial cut of Manhunt 2 (2007), and Hatred (2015). The only game to receive the rating for reasons other than pornographic content or extreme violence is Peak Entertainment Casinos (2003), which allows players to gamble using real money.
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (2004) was temporarily re-rated from M ("Mature") to AO after a sexually-explicit minigame was found hidden in the game, but the M rating was reinstated after Rockstar Games patched out the content. Fahrenheit edited out an explicit sex scene to meet the M rating. The ESRB lists a "director's cut" of the game on PC as having an AO rating, but it is unknown if this was ever publicly released.
Self-imposed restrictions by publishers, distributors, and retailers limit the availability of AO-rated games; thus, the rating has been described by journalists as a "kiss of death" and de facto ban. All three major video game console manufacturers (Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony) prohibit AO-rated games from being published on their platforms. In May 2015, the video game livestreaming service Twitch updated its content guidelines to include a blanket ban on streaming AO-rated games, citing that a previous policy on games containing overt sexual content or extreme violence (which assessed games on a case-by-case basis) was unclear and confusing to broadcasters. This list contains only games that officially released and received an AO rating by the ESRB, and does not include unrated games with adult content which is common with Indie games that are distributed online on platforms such as Steam.
Games released with an AO rating Release Title Platform Developer Publisher ESRB content descriptors Notes 1993 The Joy of Sex CD-i Cloudscan Philips Media Strong sexual content Interactive video media containing a game. 1995Crystal Fantasy Mac, Windows MacDaddy Entertainment 1996Cyber PhotographerAlso rated M under the title Cyber Photographer and Printshop. 1997All Nude CyberAll Nude GlamourRiana Rouge Black Dragon Realistic blood and gore, strong sexual content 1998 All Nude NikkiMac, Windows MacDaddy Entertainment Strong sexual contentErotic Heat Vol. 4: Body Language DVD Diamond Productions NuTech Digital Strong sexual content 2000 Playboy Screensaver: The Women of Playboy Mac Graphix Zone Sony Imagesoft Mature sexual themes Sexy GamesMobile phone Unknown Nicosceles Sexual themes, partial nudity Singles WindowsRotobeeEidos Interactive Nudity, strong sexual content Digital version only. Physical release received an M rating. 2001 Snow Drop Peach Princess Strong sexual content CROWD 2002Sweet BasilStrong sexual content, violence2003Peak Entertainment CasinosOnline, Windows Peak Entertainment Gambling Peak Entertainment, a provider of online gambling services, submitted its product to the ESRB for an AO rating to demonstrate its commitment to discouraging underage gambling. It is the only AO-rated game to receive the rating for reasons unrelated to violence or sexual content.2004Leisure Suit Larry: Magna Cum Laude Uncut and Uncensored WindowsHigh Voltage SoftwareVivendi Universal Games Mature humor, nudity, strong language, strong sexual content, use of alcohol A censored version was also released for Windows, PlayStation 2 and Xbox with an M rating. In Europe, the game was released uncensored on all platforms. 2006Playboy: The Mansion: Private PartyCyberlore Groove Media Nudity, strong sexual content Expansion pack for Playboy: The Mansion, with the base game receiving an M rating. 2009Manhunt 2 (uncut version)Rockstar London Rockstar Games, Take Two Interactive Blood and gore, intense violence, strong language, strong sexual content, use of drugs 2013Seduce MeMac, Windows No Reply Games Strong sexual content, nudity, strong language, use of drugs Developed by a studio led by former Guerrilla Games employees Miriam Bellard and Andrejs Skuja, it was pulled from the Steam Greenlight program for its sexual content. 2014Ef: A Fairy Tale of the Two Windows Minori MangaGamer Blood, nudity, sexual violence, strong language, strong sexual content Unlike other self-rated games by MangaGamer, this game was sent to the ESRB at the request from the Japanese developer in order to get a green-light for a hardcopy release in the United States. 2015Hatred Destructive Creations Blood and gore, intense violence, strong language The game, along with its Steam Greenlight campaign, had been controversial due to its premise, which focuses on a main character who indiscriminately murders every person he encounters.
Games that received, but were not released with an AO rating In some cases, a game that initially received an AO rating from the ESRB was edited prior to their initial release in order to meet the criteria for an M rating. In selected cases, an AO-rated game was cancelled prior to its release, temporarily received the rating post-release due to the inclusion of normally inaccessible content that met the rating, the uncut version of the game was released at a later date with an AO rating, or an unrated or self-rated version, patch, or downloadable content (DLC) was released via a platform with more liberal content rules (such as Steam). Release Title Platform Developer Publisher ESRB content descriptors Notes1997Wet: The Sexy Empire Windows Interactive Strip, CDV Software CDV Software Entertainment USA Strong sexual content Never officially released in North America.1998Thrill Kill PlayStation Paradox Development Virgin Interactive Animated blood and gore, animated violence The game's release was cancelled after publisher Virgin Interactive's U.S. operations were acquired by Electronic Arts, which objected to the game's subject matter.2004Grand Theft Auto: San AndreasWindows, PlayStation 2, XboxRockstar NorthRockstar Games, Take Two InteractiveBlood and gore, intense violence, nudity, strong language, strong sexual content, use of drugsOriginally rated M, San Andreas was temporarily re-rated AO following the discovery of an incomplete "Hot Coffee" minigame that could be enabled with a mod or cheating device, which featured characters engaging in sexual intercourse. Its rating was changed back to M after Rockstar released a patch that removes the offending content entirely.2005Lula 3DWindows CDV Software Entertainment USA Blood, nudity, strong language, strong sexual content, violence Never officially released in North America.FahrenheitWindows, PlayStation 2, XboxQuantic Dream Atari Blood, nudity, strong language, strong sexual content, use of drugs and alcohol, violence Sex scenes were edited out of the game to meet the M rating for its North American release, which was also retitled Indigo Prophecy. Quantic Dream CEO Guillaume de Fondaumière remarked that many players imported the uncut European release instead. The ESRB lists a "director's cut" of the game on PC as having an AO rating, but it is unknown if this was ever publicly released. A 2015 remaster of the game received an M rating with no cuts. 2007Manhunt 2PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, WiiRockstar LondonRockstar Games, Take Two Interactive Blood and gore, intense violence, strong language, strong sexual content, use of drugs The game was edited prior to release to meet the M rating. In 2009, an uncut version was released for PC under the AO rating. Both cuts were also refused classification in the United Kingdom, but Rockstar successfully appealed for an "18" rating on the M-rated edit. 2018Conan ExilesWindows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S FuncomBlood and gore, intense violence, language, nudity, use of alcoholThe console versions of the game remove the full-frontal nudity present in the Windows version to meet the M rating.
See also
X rating List of NC-17 rated films List of Hong Kong Category III films
References