I Spy Castle

Review

Common Sense Media says

Explore a castle by doing hidden object and other puzzles.
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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Learning2
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 I Spy Castle offers kids a chance to explore a medieval castle and discover its secret history (which has to do with a king who once had a magic sword that called dragons to it). The experience consists mostly of hidden object puzzles, some of which can be quite challenging. But kids will need to use logic to figure out how to enter several locked areas. And a handful of mini-games will test their manual dexterity.

  • Positive messages2
    The game makes kids think. It promotes the idea that using your brain can be fun.
  • Positive role models2
    The knight who leads you through the game doesn't have much in the way of a real character, but he's certainly not a negative example in any way. He's always helpful and ready to offer tips when needed.
  • Ease of play3
    The controls are relatively simple, as are most of the mini-games. The hidden object puzzles can sometimes prove pretty tough, but you're allowed to ask for hints after a certain amount of time passes.
  • Violence & scariness0
    There is a jousting mini-game, in which the player needs to spin a wheel fast in order to power up a wooden knight on a horse. The wooden knight is then launch into a joust with another wooden knight. One of the two will lose and be knocked down in a puff of dust. These are not real people, though -- just flat wooden puppets.
  • Language0
    Not applicable.
  • Consumerism1
    This is the latest in a very long series of I Spy games. The games were spun off from a book series of the same name.
  • Privacy & safety0
    Not applicable.
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What kids can learn

2

Kids can learn new vocabulary, sharpen their observation skills, and practice logical thinking all while playing I Spy Castle. Faced with all types of challenging hidden-object puzzles, kids find patterns, create paths, and determine the arcing trajectory of an arrow. Some of these seek-and-find puzzles can be real stumpers, but they make learning new words fun.

Subjects
  • Arts
  • Hobbies
Skills
  • Collaboration
  • Communication
  • Creativity
  • Emotional Development
  • Health & Fitness
  • Responsibility & Ethics
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What's it about?

In I Spy Castle, an armored knight guides you through a mysterious old castle where dragons once lived. The dragons left when a wicked magician took the king's dragon sword. Now that you're exploring the castle, will you be able to find out what happened to that magic sword?

Is it any good?

 

I Spy Castle represents a nice mix of hidden object puzzles (which the I Spy series is famous for) and more traditionally "video-gamey" aspects. In each room of the castle, you'll uncover a mini-game, like archery or jousting, which adds a nice element of variety. You'll also collect certain objects along the way, and when you hit a locked door (which happens pretty frequently), you'll need to figure out which object to use to get past it. The blending of these different elements makes this a very entertaining adventure.

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What families can talk about

  • Families can talk about medieval history and use this game as a way to bring up real world history. Where in the world were there real castles? Who lived in them? What was life like back then?

  • Families can also discuss how games can make learning fun. Have you ever played a game that taught history before?

This review was written by Christopher Healy

What kids can learn

2

Kids can learn new vocabulary, sharpen their observation skills, and practice logical thinking all while playing I Spy Castle. Faced with all types of challenging hidden-object puzzles, kids find patterns, create paths, and determine the arcing trajectory of an arrow. Some of these seek-and-find puzzles can be real stumpers, but they make learning new words fun.

Subjects
  • Arts:
  • Hobbies:
  • Language & Reading: vocabulary
  • Math: patterns
  • Science: physics
  • Social Studies:
Skills
  • Collaboration:
  • Communication:
  • Creativity:
  • Emotional Development:
  • Health & Fitness:
  • Responsibility & Ethics:
  • Self-Direction:
  • Tech Skills:
  • Thinking & Reasoning: investigation, logic, solving puzzles

What's it about?

In I Spy Castle, an armored knight guides you through a mysterious old castle where dragons once lived. The dragons left when a wicked magician took the king's dragon sword. Now that you're exploring the castle, will you be able to find out what happened to that magic sword?

How kids will learn

Kids scour crowded scenes to find hidden objects. Many are defined only through riddles, so kids need to figure their way through wordplay to determine which ones to search for. A riddle might play on a word with multiple definitions, such as bow. Throughout the larger story, kids discover items that they can later use to solve logic puzzles. The process of figuring out uses for these unexpected clues can help players build deductive reasoning skills.

How parents can help

  • Offer your kid tips and advice if needed. This is just the kind of game that's perfect for an over-the-shoulder puzzle-solving coach.
  • Explore books from the I Spy series with your kids and engage them in a low-tech version of the same great seek-and-find games.
This review was written by Christopher Healy

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This review was written by Christopher Healy
Topics:magic and fantasy
Platforms:Nintendo DS
Available online?Not available online
Genre:Edutainment
Developer:Scholastic
Release date:October 25, 2011
Price:$19.99
ESRB rating:E
This review was written by Christopher Healy

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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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