Common Sense Media Review
By Chris Morris
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Make text-based choices from cradle to grave; not for kids.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Download
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BitLife - Life Simulator
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 43 parent reviews
Parents say that while this mobile app can be fun and engaging for teens, it includes mature themes such as sex, drugs, and crime, leading to mixed opinions regarding its appropriateness for younger players. Many reviewers noted that if children are aware of these topics and mature enough to handle the content, the game can serve as a useful tool for understanding life consequences, though some parents suggest avoiding it for those under 12 due to its adult themes.
- fun and engaging
- mixed opinions
- mature themes
- consequences of actions
- age appropriateness
- parental guidance
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
Based on 270 kid reviews
Privacy Rating Warning
Privacy Rating
Our expert evaluators create our privacy ratings. The ratings are designed to help you understand how apps use your data for commercial purposes.
Pass
Meets our minimum requirements for privacy and security practices.
Warning
Does not meet our recommendations for privacy and security practices.
Fail
Does not have a privacy policy and should not be used.
Privacy Rating
Our expert evaluators create our privacy ratings. The ratings are designed to help you understand how apps use your data for commercial purposes.
Pass
Meets our minimum requirements for privacy and security practices.
Warning
Does not meet our recommendations for privacy and security practices.
Fail
Does not have a privacy policy and should not be used.
What's It About?
In BITLIFE - LIFE SIMULATOR begins with an animated sperm to show that your life is about to begin. Players live a simulated life and have the choice of playing it straight and narrow or making a series of riskier decisions to see the impact those would have. These can range from one-night stands and threesomes to murdering family members to dropping out of school early to ignoring your health. Often, the choices don't have consequences, but other times it can result in the player being jailed, breaking up with a spouse or paramour, or dying. The life you live is largely based on your choices, but the unexpected pops up from time to time as well.
Is It Any Good?
This life simulator is certainly an entertaining distraction for adults, but the mature content makes it best for adults or older teens, depending on your stance on the subjects introduced in the app. It's fun to play the game of "What if?" with so many options available to you (whether that's a night at the casino, getting plastic surgery, experimenting sexually or not factoring in your financial situation). But make no mistake: There's nothing here that is appropriate for kids or, in many cases, teens.
In the first life of the review, for example, the character's mother's occupation was "porn actor" (and she kept getting promoted). The game regularly offers your character drugs and alcohol, encourages you to gamble and either have a hookup with a stranger or coerce a boyfriend/girlfriend into having a threesome. The language is a bit bawdy, but it's all meant in a humorous vein. Similarly, you always have the option to murder a character and it's done in a light-hearted fashion. So while older teens and adults who understand the tongue-in-cheek approach and mature content will likely get a kick out of this simulator, BitLife - Life Simulator is definitely not appropriate for kids and younger teens.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the way sex, and relationships are presented in BitLife - Life Simulator. Are there consequences to any of this behavior? Should there be? Why, or why not?
Families can also talk about the impact of other life choices. If you choose to commit a crime, are dishonest, or are cruel to people, what might the consequences be?
App Details
- Devices : iPhone , iPod Touch , iPad
- Pricing structure : Free (optional $1.99 in-app purchase to remove ads; $4.99 to become a "Bitizen" for more content; $.99 to use the "Time Machine" and revisit choices)
- Release date : December 11, 2018
- Genre : Simulation Games
- Publisher : Candywriter LLC
- Version : 1.7.1
- Minimum software requirements : iOS 8.0 or later
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
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