Common Sense Media Review
By Paul Semel
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Dot-eats-dot arcade game tame except for racy usernames.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 10+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Download
Videos and Photos
Agar.io
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 22 parent reviews
Based on 47 kid reviews
Kids say the game is generally entertaining and addictive but marred by excessive advertisements, frequent lag, and a hostile player community characterized by toxic behavior and inappropriate usernames. While many enjoy teaming up with friends and finding hidden elements within the game, some players express concerns over the lack of moderation and the negative impact of greedy monetization practices by developers.
- - excessive ads
- - server issues
- - inappropriate usernames
- - toxic community
- - addictive gameplay
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's It About?
As a super-simple arcade game, AGAR.IO doesn't have a story: You simple move around, absorbing smaller circles so you can get bigger, all while trying not to be eaten by players who are bigger than you. Players can choose a username that will appear on their circle, or they can buy special "skins" to decorate the circle. On the grid, which serves as the gameboard, players absorb dots and smaller players and can hide behind static, green circles called "viruses" -- but only if they are smaller than the virus. Because you get slower as you get larger, bigger players can split into smaller circles to more easily chase and absorb smaller players. There's no winning level or end to the game, so players who have logged in can save progress and play continuously across devices.
Is It Any Good?
Though really simple, this arcade game has enough challenge to make it super addictive, but its cutthroat nature and iffy usernames might not work for younger players. While the game itself is rather innocuous, you'll undoubtedly run into someone whose name is a curse word, or is sexually explicit, or makes a drug reference; however, there are no racy visuals, so if the words alone are OK in your family, then there's nothing to fear. Also, it's very easy to lose again and again, and it takes a lot of gameplay to level up and get really big, which means kids could play for hours with no clear end in sight. Parents may want to set limits before downloading and know that the game is also available online, which means kids could turn off the phone and continue to play on the computer.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about in-app purchases and your family's rules around them. Is it OK to spend real money on level-ups?
Talk about the appeal of this type of game. Why is it so popular?
Since there's no clear end to the game, talk about time limits or other ways to know when to stop playing.
App Details
- Devices : iPhone , iPod Touch , iPad , Android
- Pricing structure : Free (with optional in-app purchases)
- Release date : January 27, 2016
- Genre : Arcade Games
- Publisher : Miniclip.com
- Version : 1.2.2
- Minimum software requirements : iOS 6.0 or later; Android 2.3.3 and up
- Last updated : October 11, 2021
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate