 | 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. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Kingdom of Loathing
Common Sense Media says
Quirky alcohol-related role-playing game.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this site is funny and edgy and addicting, but kids shouldn't be associating alcohol and violence with "play." Characters have to do a lot of killing in order to progress (even though lots of times they fight something odd, like a possessed can of tomatoes) and sometimes the prose or even the landscape itself has a double entendre meaning, like a visit to the "Orc Chasm."
What's it about?
Kingdom of Loathing is a role-playing game that has gained quite a few fans, although it's initially hard to see why. Players create a character from several possible classes: Pastamancer, Seal Clubber, Accordion Thief, and so on. Characters have certain levels of muscle, mysticality, and moxie, all of which allow players to succeed in combat. The object is to roam around the map and solve puzzles and quests. Instead of gold, the "coin of the realm" is meat. With enough meat, players buy supplies and items to complete the quests. Players "win" -- and can choose to consume -- quantities of virtual beer and cocktails. You can choose to combat other real players (but only if you smash your mystical groovy hippie stone that keeps you and other players invisible to each other). You can also chat in real-time and join clans of other players.
Is it any good?
On the grand scale of online role-playing games, this one is not the worst. It's funny and edgy and addicting in its own way, but kids shouldn't be associating alcohol and violence with "play."
Besides the major role alcohol plays in the game's scenarios, you may be reviled by some of the violence and language: "In the Haunted Pantry, you're attacked by a fiendish can of asparagus. Cans of asparagus aren't normally all that scary, but this one's got a knife!" and "Inside the Haunted Pantry, you encounter an undead elbow macaroni of unusual size. It rubs its hands together and prepares to assault you like a peanut. It gets the jump on you. It tries to pastaslap you in the nipple, but misses." Characters have to do a lot of killing in order to progress (even though lots of times they fight something odd, like a possessed can of tomatoes) and sometimes the prose or even the landscape itself has a double entendre, sexual meaning, like a visit to the "Orc Chasm." Then there are some of the questionable assigned tasks: "You see that guy over there? That guy's name is Paco. I want you to steal his wallet without him noticing."
What families can talk about
Families can talk about violence in video games. What do you think of video games that involve killing? What kind of message do you think these games send to kids?
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AGE
NOT FOR KIDS? What the?
This game rocks, and kids shouldn't be shielded to the fact that alcohol exists.
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AGE
A great game, a biased review
I have played this game for a while, and so far, have seen no problems with it. The review was completely biased from a 15 minute gameplay. Sure, the game does involve alcohol, but, they do produce negative results. Last year, I created an account (which was subsequently deleted) and played it for over 2 months. During and prior to that, I never suddenly got the urge to break into my parents liquor cabinet and start drinking away.
All of the "inappropriate" activities that are involved are usually in jest and you never actually "kill" anything as far as I have seen. Usually, when battle is over, the loser simply leaves. Therefore, I don't see how someone can rate this game so poorly. Obviously, the "official" reviewer took no more than 5 to 15 minutes of gameplay. Had they taken the time to explore the game and meet the community, they would have realized the true purpose of the game.
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AGE
Best Game Ever
I really like this game and would classify this game as a great game for all ages. but in order to reach the full enjoyment of the game you have to probably be 9 or 10. The game has nothing to do with beer and drugs. who ever wrote this review for the amazing game is a nut case. they probably haven't even played the game themselves and heard a long line of rumors and now they're spreading bad things about a great game. The game as many unique features like the amazing humor of the game, i don't care if the game has double meanings as long as no one pays attention or knows what it means I'm fine with it. In a nutshell this game provides years of fun and entertainment! if i was still a kid today i would be screaming to everyone and to my friends to play. i have personally played this game and i have told my close friends and they all enjoyed it, they gave it a five out of a five! I would rather play this game than spend 20 bucks a month on WoW. Which i do say myself is more violent then this game.
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AGE
It Is okay
It's okay and yes it does have beer in it but if you drink too much you will become sick and you can't play until the next day and i haven't saw anything bad other than that
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AGE
Weird, funny, addictice, online game for 13+
Parents should not judge kingdom of loathing by the Common Sense Media website. Its a really cute, fun, weird game! Its great, but it is only for teenagers, and I mean just 13+, for there are a lot of drug/alchohol referances. You can drink and do drugs in the game, but the cool thing is, doing this teaches you how bad drugs and alchohol are. Taking a drug will make you feel great at first, but then you get a low that lasts a very long time and makes you feel awful in the game. Drinking alchohol may improve you a tiny bit, but it also gets you drunk-which is bad. There is a little bit of mild language and some innuendo and double-entendre talk, but its fine for teenagers who are experienced in this area. I don't understand what Common Sense Media thinks is so awful about this game. Its really fun, funny and enjoyable. As for violence in the game, combat is a big part of it, but there is no gore or blood at all, just some words that describe the sounds of the fight like: Kappow! Whack! Zork! Biff! You know! This game is fine for any teenager. Period.
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Kid, 10 years old
April 10, 2011
AGE
What was the reviewer thinking?
The game is FINE, just registered and already I love the game!
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AGE
CommonSense Media Needs To Stop Hiring Conservatives.
This game is about as inoffensive as games get.
Just because you can drink doesn't mean children can't play it, I give it on for anyone who can read.
Violence is mild and double entendres will fly right over the lil'uns heads.
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AGE
I think that his reviewer is biased and did not do his/her job properly and truly analyze the game.
There's no problem with this game. The reviewer got it all wrong.
Firstly, if a kid actually gets any of the innuendo or sexual entendres, then obviously they already know what it's referring to. And if they don't already know, reading something that's a double entendre isn't going to corrupt them at all, cause they won't get it.
Secondly, I've been playing this game since 2005, when I was 12+. I am now 17+, and I do not drink, fight, or steal people's wallets (or my own pants). Neither do I condone violence or drunkeness. In fact, this game already teaches children the bad effects of being drunk - you can't adventure productively anymore, and if you do, Drunken Stupor adventures don't result in anything good. I can safely say this game has not made me any more of a drug addict, lover of violence or a "Boozetafarian". (Eg: Goofballs give you goofball withdrawal for TEN times the length of the positive effect, and if taken too many times, starts reduces your stats. If that isn't a clear warning, then what is?)
Furthermore, Alcohol does not play a major role in the game's scenarios. You don't need to consume any to win a battle, to socialize, or to even play the game. It just gives you a few more adventures, and if you drink too much, you get a penalty.
Thirdly, almost all games today have some element of "violence" (as this reviewer has put it) than what you see on Kingdom of Loathing. For example, First Person Shooters (self explanatory) such as Left 4 Dead and L4D2, and CounterStrike. Strategy games such as Age of Empires, Age of Mythology, Rise of Nations, StarCraft, Civilization, Caesar. MMORPGs like CabalSEA, or even MAPLESTORY! All of them have some element of killing to level up. Movies also have violence - Spiderman, Batman, Harry Potter, Avatar, even The Ant Bully, Lord of the Rings, and Shrek have plenty of "violence". Books too! Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys, even the Secret Seven and the Famous Five have all sorts of criminals in them and these heroes engaging in "violence" to defeat them at points. If you can't stand something on KoL's level, you might as well spend all your time living as a mountain hermit.
What this reviewer needs to do is to take a reality pill, and realize that whatever's in the game will stay in the game. If anything, this game exposes children to the outside world, and allows them to realize some of the good and bad points of things in this world (eg consuming too much beer, taking drugs) without having them take it in real life.
The reviewer gives me the impression that all he'she did was to stare at a couple of screenshots of the game, noted down the "Drunkeness" meter, looked at the Wrong side of the Tracks, saw a few battles, and took serious offense at the entendres, all without truly analyzing it properly and letting initial prejudices get in the way (Which, by the way, is a bad example to kiddies! We don't want children to learn to judge a book by its cover, do we?)
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| Genre: | Gaming |
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