Herotopia

Review

Common Sense Media says

Online world where kids become heroes by combating bullying.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Learning3
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.

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Parents say

Not yet rated

Kids say

Not yet rated

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that Herotopia (http://www.herotopia.com) is a browser-based, massively multiplayer online game (MMO) that is kid safe and friendly. Chat is locked down to drop down text only, even for friends. Kids can sign up and play immediately, but if parents confirm the parental email that is entered at sign up, kids will receive tokens for in-game purchases. The free game provides a ton of content and mini-games that can be enjoyed, but a subscription at $5.95 a month will open up a member's area for play and other premium features like the ability to level up your character and to own a pet. Although not ESRB rated, the game has COPPA Safe Harbor Certification.

  • Positive messages4
    The game is about helping each other deal with bullies.
  • Positive role models4
    The heroes are kids who thwart the bullies. They guide kids along missions with clues and give kids tips about what to do with bullies at school.
  • Ease of play4
    The game is played mostly by use of mouse-clicks, however, some mini-games may be harder than others as the game caters to kids from ages six on up.
  • Violence & scariness1
    There is little violence in the game but some may be found in the mini-games. For example "Bully Bop" which is a variation of "Whack-a-mole," has kids bopping bullies on the head. The hit is depicted with the cartoon stars and graphic whirls around a character's head.
  • Language0
    Language is appropriate for the age group with simple text drop downs for chat and a little more reading involved in the mission text.
  • Consumerism0
    Not applicable.
  • Privacy & safety5
    Very Safe: This is a browser-based, massively multiplayer online game (MMO) that is kid safe and friendly. Chat is locked down to drop down text only, even for friends. Kids can sign up and play immediately, but if parents confirm the parental email that is entered at sign up, kids will receive tokens for in-game purchases. Although not ESRB rated, the game has COPPA Safe Harbor Certification.
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What kids can learn

3

Kids can learn about geography as they chase a group of bullies around the world to thwart their villainous pranks. When arriving in a new country, kids visit famous landmarks, read Fun Facts about the location and the culture of the country, and learn some popular phrases in foreign languages. Additional learning comes from playing mini-games that cover spelling, math, and logic. Kids are encouraged to do good things for the community, including eco-friendly tasks. By working with others, kids learn to outfox the bullies. As superheroes, kids outwit bullies, learn geography, and practice good global citizenship.

Subjects
  • Arts
  • Hobbies
Skills
  • Collaboration
  • Communication
  • Creativity
See more details

What's it about?

The Bully Bunch has gotten out of control in Herotopia, and its up to you to be a hero and help keep the world safe from them. Kids will travel around the world and, in the process, explore by mousing over and clicking on objects. Some objects are housing mini-games, while others show fun facts. The daily mission also takes kids around the world, but they journey by solving clues to figure out where to go and what to look for.

Is it any good?

 

In Herotopia, kids choose to be a girl, boy, or even a baby. They then go on daily missions to help one of the Hero characters (in game characters) deal with the trouble-making Bully Bunch. With countless mini-games that range from car racing to spelling bees, there is plenty to do in this colorful online world. Kids get a small amount of tokens each day that they play and tokens are also earned by playing mini-games. With tokens, they can buy clothing for their characters, items for their house, and gifts to send their friends.

Part of the fun of playing in an online world like this one is that it's always changing and evolving as new areas of the world, missions, and games are added to it. The free part of the game still provides large amount of content to play and families can check it out before committing to a membership.

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What families can talk about

  • Families can talk about bullying at school and among friends. Is anyone picking on you at school? Are you picking on anyone? What can you do about it?

  • Families can also talk about cyber-bullying and what it is. Do you think making fun of someone is okay?

This review was written by Carolyn Koh

What kids can learn

3

Kids can learn about geography as they chase a group of bullies around the world to thwart their villainous pranks. When arriving in a new country, kids visit famous landmarks, read Fun Facts about the location and the culture of the country, and learn some popular phrases in foreign languages. Additional learning comes from playing mini-games that cover spelling, math, and logic. Kids are encouraged to do good things for the community, including eco-friendly tasks. By working with others, kids learn to outfox the bullies. As superheroes, kids outwit bullies, learn geography, and practice good global citizenship.

Subjects
  • Arts:
  • Hobbies:
  • Language & Reading: reading, spelling
  • Math: arithmetic
  • Science:
  • Social Studies: cultural understanding, exploration, geography
Skills
  • Collaboration:
  • Communication:
  • Creativity:
  • Emotional Development: developing resilience, empathy, moving beyond obstacles
  • Health & Fitness:
  • Responsibility & Ethics: following codes of conduct, honoring the community, respect for others
  • Self-Direction:
  • Tech Skills:
  • Thinking & Reasoning: decision-making, logic, solving puzzles

What's it about?

The Bully Bunch has gotten out of control in Herotopia, and its up to you to be a hero and help keep the world safe from them. Kids will travel around the world and, in the process, explore by mousing over and clicking on objects. Some objects are housing mini-games, while others show fun facts. The daily mission also takes kids around the world, but they journey by solving clues to figure out where to go and what to look for.

How kids will learn

As superheroes, kids undertake quests in Herotopia to stop the pranks of a gang of bullies who are trying to sabotage famous landmarks around the world. Kids earn points for doing good deeds, whether it's sending others positive messages or stopping to turn off the leaking water hydrant. They also earn points for playing mini-games, including one about sorting trash into recycling or non-recycling bins. By going on quests to undo the hijinks of bullies, kids learn there are many ways to deal with those who are being mean.

How parents can help

  • Read the Bully Blog with your kids as they play the game, and ask if they're encountering any of the same bullying behavior in real life.
  • Role-play with your kids about what they would do if they encountered a bullying situation.
This review was written by Carolyn Koh
Kid, 10 years old
November 27, 2011
AGE
6
 
Only stayed for 1 day
Sigh, boring.
Was this review useful?
Helped me decide (11) | Had useful details (13) | Read my mind (15)
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This review was written by Carolyn Koh
Topics:superheroes
Platforms:Windows, Mac
Available online?Not available online
Genre:Massively Multi-player Online Game (MMOG)
Developer:Herotainment
Release date:May 25, 2011
Price:Free or $5.95 monthly subscription
ESRB rating:NR for Not Rated
This review was written by Carolyn Koh

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About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.
Our child development rating guidelines

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