Angry Birds Friends

Common Sense Media says

Clever social version of mobile favorite requires Facebook.

Age(i)

2
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5
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8
9
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Quality(i)

 

Learning(i)

(i)
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Angry Birds Friends gallery

What parents need to know

Ease of play

The controls are as easy as ever to players who are familiar with this type of game, but puzzles can be quite tricky. Instructions are shown in pictures, so no reading is required.

Violence

Cartoony birds launch themselves out of slingshots to break through wood, glass, and stone obstacles -- and ultimately to flatten evil pigs. When the pigs are defeated, they disappear in a puff of smoke. If they are damaged by falling debris, but not entirely destroyed, the pigs will develop bruised, black eyes. 

Sex
Not applicable
Language
Not applicable
Consumerism

Players can purchase in-game currency with real-world money to buy advantages in the game to help boost their score -- but that's not aggressively pushed on players. 

Drinking, drugs, & smoking
Not applicable
Privacy & safety

The game lets players compete against their friends on several platforms through Rovio's own internal multiplayer service. This allows people on Facebook, iDevices, and Android to all compete against each other, provided they are connected via friend lists or contact lists. A Facebook login is required to play the mobile app.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Angry Birds Friends is a socially focused installment of the popular mobile game series. Players play a half-dozen new maps each week in a rotating series of tournaments, with the goal of getting the highest score. Their opponents are friends on Facebook and in their phone or tablet's contact list. (If friends don't have the game, players can contact them and encourage them to play.) No one plays against random strangers. In addition, there are in-app purchase opportunities for in-game bonuses that kids could spend real-world money obtaining. 

What kids can learn

Subjects

Science

  • motion
  • physics

Skills

Thinking & Reasoning

  • hypothesis-testing
  • solving puzzles
  • strategy

Engagement, Approach, Support

Engagement

Angry Birds Friends engages players with challenging gameplay and regularly updated new challenges to solve. Players consistently have new levels to play. 

Learning Approach

Kids can learn about gravity, momentum, and trajectory, as well as how different physical surfaces are more or less destructible than others.

Support

The game keeps track of your performance against friends and ensures there's always a reason to come back for more. 

What kids can learn

Subjects

Science

  • motion
  • physics

Skills

Thinking & Reasoning

  • hypothesis-testing
  • solving puzzles
  • strategy

Kids can learn about gravity, momentum, and trajectory, as well as how different physical surfaces are more or less destructible than others (ice, for example, is more breakable and easy to move than rock). Teens can also use momentum to make objects slam into each other and cause destructive chain reactions. Angry Birds Friends lets teens observe real-world physics concepts through hands-on, trial-and-error puzzle-solving.

This Learning Rating review was written by Chris Morris

Parents say

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AGE
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Kids say

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AGE
8
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What's it about?

As with other Angry Birds games, kids drag and tap their finger on the screen to aim and launch birds out of a giant slingshot to collapse structures and destroy the pigs that are hidden on and inside them. Players can retry a level as many times as they want without penalty, leaving them free to experiment with different strategies until they've mastered the level.

Is it any good?

QUALITY
 

Given how prevalent social media interaction is in games like Candy Crush Saga, it was only a matter of time before the Angry Birds got in on the act. Angry Birds Friends does a pretty good job of bringing friends together -- and offers plenty in the way of new features (such as birds that puff up or lay eggs on pigs). And it certainly doesn't hurt that the game is free. The in-app purchase options are just that -- options. And they're not aggressively pushed to players, but avid players will likely be susceptible to buying them. If you simply play weekly, though, they won't be essential. 

It would be nice to see a one-on-one tournament option rather than just the larger collection of friends, but developer Rovio once again delivers an entertaining experience that will keep fans happy. 

Families can talk about...

  • Challenge your teen to a game. You'll need a Facebook login and Internet connection to play.

  • Play a game of basketball to show the importance of trajectory and judging distance.

App details

Devices:iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Android, Kindle Fire
Price:Free
Pricing structure:Free
Release date:May 2, 2013
Category:Puzzle Games
Size:43.50 MB
Publisher:Rovio Entertainment Ltd
Version:1.0.1
Minimum software requirements:iOS 4.3 or later; Android 2.2 and up

This review of Angry Birds Friends was written by

Chris Morris

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.
  • NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids of any age.

Find out more

Quality

Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Learning ratings

  • Best: Really engaging, great learning approach.
  • Very Good: Engaging, good learning approach.
  • Good: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
  • Fair: Somewhat engaging, okay learning approach.
  • Not for Learning: Not recommended for learning.
  • Not for Kids: Not age-appropriate for kids; not recommended for learning.

Find out more

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Teen, 14 years old Written byRummy-Bummy May 10, 2013
AGE
8
QUALITY
 

Fantastic

It is fantastic; AngryBirds are for children and they are fun.What is better , to go out with friends where is unsafe or to play AngryBirds(friends) in home? I play AngryBirds but ,as you can see,I am going good in my writing and I think properly ! They are really wrong ! Well this is my opinion...
What other families should know
Safety and privacy concerns
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Parent Written byParent of a kid July 14, 2013
AGE
13
QUALITY
 

Not really good.

Not really good. You have to be 13, since you need facebook.
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Teen, 14 years old Written byTommyhead October 30, 2013
AGE
8
QUALITY
 

Very Social

it's good for lots of teens that want to communicate with others.
What other families should know
Great role models
Too much violence
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