Obviously, Roman is too young to play it (though he does like the colorful pictures and music), but I definitely like the positive message that the game has. The game has a lot of events that seems to keep kids interested, and I see moderators around all the time.
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Elf Island
(2009, Video Games - Massively Multi-player Online Game (MMOG), Rated NR, Play it on: Mac/Windows)
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Is it age appropriate?
About our ratings(Flash is loading. If this text does not disappear you need to install the latest flash version)
Not age appropriate for kids under 6, age appropriate for kids over 8; suggested age 8. -
Is it any good?
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Common Sense says
Reality-based quests let kids contribute real-world help.
Why We Rated This 
for Ages 8 and Up
The good stuff
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Educational value:
What to watch out for
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Violence & scariness:
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Language:
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Consumerism:
What Parents Need to Know
This review of Elf Island was written by Jinny Gudmundsen
Parents need to know that this is a massively multiplayer online game (MMO) and virtual world. Kids enter the world as an elf and can interact with others within this world. Kids under the age of 13 must get parents permission (an email is sent to the parents) before they can play and chat. Chat is made safe because kids can only use predetermined words that are found in Elf Island's closed dictionary. Further safety features include live monitoring of chat. By playing in this virtual world, kids' in-game actions make a difference in the real world beause the game matches online quests to real-world solutions.
Families Can Talk About
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- Families can talk about how it feels to help real people by playing a game. Does helping people virtually make you want to get involved in issues that you care about -- in the real world?
More on Elf Island
What’s the Story?
In ELF ISLAND (www.ElfIsland.com), kids enter a lush virtual world as an elf. While they can design their own elf avatar, buy it a house and decorate it, play fun minigames, and safely chat with others within this world, what makes this online game stand out from the over 200 others is its overarching theme of being an elf means doing good in the world. The game ties the story of unlocking the secret of Elf Island to doing a series of "Good Quests" in this virtual world, which are then mirrored in real life.
The current "Tree Good Quest" has kids playing games to earn seeds to plant fruit trees in the desert of Niger. Working with non-profit Plant-It 2020 (www.plantit2020.org) and the Eden Foundation (www.eden-foundation.org), when the in-game goal of planting 20,000 trees is reached, 2000 actual fruit trees will be planted in Niger. In the game, kids are introduced to this challenge by watching a video of an actual child in Niger who asks for their help. Kids learn about how planting trees in Niger will help the people there to grow their food and change the ecosystem so that life is more sustainable in the desert. While playing, kids can also learn more about the partnering non-profits.
CloseIs It Any Good?
This is a great concept to help promote digital, as well as actual, social responsibility. With more Goodquests being added all the time, Elf Island has the potential to guide kids toward philanthropic pursuits both on and offline. There is an occasional lag between "Good Quests," so kids might want to check back in after a few days if they hit that period of time where there isn't a "Good Quest" running.
While kids can enter this world for free, they don't get the benefit of Elf Island's "Gaming for Good" without becoming a paying member. Only paying members can go on "Good Quests." Membership starts at $5.95 for a month, $29.95 for 6 months, or $57.95 for a year. Since the game is actually contributing money to the non-profit partners to do good in the real world, this membership cost makes sense. Plus this way, Elf Island is a site that has no advertising.
ClosePublisher’s Details
Released on 4/7/2009, price $5.95/month, online enabled
ESRB rating: NR
ESRB rating: NR
Our Members Say
See all 12 member reviews
Most Recent Reviews
- I rate this title on for age 8 and give it
- My highlights are:
- Good role models
- Safety isn't an issue
A Pretty Promising Game
- I rate this title on for age 8 and give it
- My highlights are:
- Educational
- Safety isn't an issue
Something for everyone
I have two children that have played from the beginning. My daughter really loves animals, so she has been very excited about helping animals. Some of the GoodQuest have focused on areas that my children had not thought about, so it gave us a chance to discuss new topics and open their eyes to the world outside of their community. EI also makes them think about how to get involved. My son is very competitive so he works hard to win the weekly awards. Elf Island has something for everyone, and it's safe the moderators are visible which is an added bonus for me. Being someone that enjoyed going on mission trips, I hope Elf Island is their window to one day going to some of these locations to help. Keep up the Good work Elf Island!
- I rate this title on for age 8 and give it
- My highlights are:
- Educational
- Good role models
- Safety isn't an issue
- Easy to play
Great Game for Tweens with a Positive Message
This type of virtual world shows my kids and I that by playing a fun computer game, they are helping real people, real animals and the earth. Our family loves the idea and especially the graphics! As a parent, I enjoy watching them in the world, but better yet, I love to hear how they tell me how they are doing their small part in something big. That's a great message for our kids!
- I rate this title on for age 8 and give it
- My highlights are:
- Educational
- Good role models
- Safety isn't an issue
- Easy to play
Excellent game with positive impact.
As a parent and a teacher, I find Elf Island to be extremely educational and entertaining. Both my children and students love the game. They get to be entertained while learning about the world around them. Even better, at the end of every 30-day cycle, the children learn how the positively impacted the world around them. Their tagline is Play Games Do Good. What better message could a parent ask for? Kudos to Elf Island!
- I rate this title on for age 14 and give it
- My highlights are:
- Educational
- Good role models
- Safety isn't an issue
- Easy to play
Elf Island is the perfect place - kids help others through fun game play.
My daughter just played the latest GoodQuest game and helped build a real camp for HIV kids in Uganda!! WOW. It's all she and her friends can talk about. Not only is Elf Island fun for her but it gives her a chance to help others. She's happy. I'm happy - it's the perfect combo!
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Ratings at a Glance
| 100% | of parents say it gives kids positive messages |
| 100% | of parents feel the site is safe |
| 88% | of parents say there are good role models |
| 88% | of parents say it's educational |
| 75% | of parents say kids find it easy to play |
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