Parents need to know that El Hijo is an action game for iOS and Android devices. Without much direct prompting, players need to determine what to do next in the game. Completing some scenes will likely require more than one try, and some functions, like crouching to avoid detection, don't always work when needed. Characters don't seem to get hurt, but people shoot guns at times and threaten violence. Outlaws catch up with the mother in the story, for example, and although they don't try to kill her, she raises her hands in the air. Criminals also burn down the main character's house, and he and his mother visit a grave early on in the story. Although they are paying their respects, some kids might find the image scary or sad.