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  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 12, age appropriate for kids over 99; suggested age 14.

  • Is it any good?

    3.0

  • Common Sense says

    Simple, fun games heavily promote USA TV shows.

Why We Rated This iffy for Ages 14–18

The good stuff

  • Educational value:

    Solitaire and Sudoku involve some brain cells.
 

What to watch out for

  • Messages:

    The WeeMee Avatars that players can design to represent themselves are relatively cute and harmless, compared to some other teen and adult game sites. A couple of the games, such as "Wack-an-Ex" or "Flippin In-Laws" may push the envelope. A few games involve gambling.

  • Violence:

    Other than a few games of questionable taste, like "Wack-an-Ex" or "Duck Wrangler," most games are harmless fun. See warning in Sexual Content about link to USANetwork.com.

  • Sex:

    None related to the games, but the site has a link to USANetwork.com, where webisodes of some adult shows, like Prison Break and others, may include inappropriate content for kids.

  • Language:

    See warning in Sexual Content about link to USANetwork.com.

  • Consumerism:

    Players have to sit through ads while each game loads and then click "continue" to leave the ad and proceed to the game they've been awaiting. Banner ads and other ads for NBC/Universal and USA Network, as well as many other products, dominate this site. And, of course, many of the games themselves have promotional aspects related to the USA Network.

  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Not an issue.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About CharacterArcade

Parents need to know that the NBC/Universal Studios-owned USA Network runs this site as a promotional tool for their shows and star actors, and an advertising vehicle for sponsors. Many of the games have character tie-ins, including Character Sudoku or Solitaire, which display the faces of actors from shows like Monk, Psych, and Prison Break on the spaces and cards. Players who join the free site can upload a photo of themselves or create a cute WeeMee Character, which players can dress up in outfits, including an "I (heart) Monk" T-shirt. Some of the games featured are gambling ones.

Did this review help you decide?

Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about why this site has so many ads. Since it's run by a TV network, help your kids make the connection between the amount of ads flashed in front of them during a TV episode and the number of ads peppered throughout this site. Which seems to have more? Why?
Tools and tips that can help

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Most Recent Reviews

  1. Teen Reviewer Age 16
    lili 224
    Lives in New York
    I rate this title on for age 2 and give it 5.0

    best thing ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    i love characterarcade.com it is not a bad website for kids thirteen and up it is a great website

    This review...

    Helped me decide | Had useful details | Read my mind
    Flag as inappropriate

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