Common Sense Media Review
By Chris Morris
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Classic console action game transitions smoothly to mobile.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Download
Videos and Photos
Bully: Anniversary Edition
Privacy Rating Warning
Privacy Rating
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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?
BULLY: ANNIVERSARY EDITION puts players in the shoes of a troubled teenager, Jimmy Hopkins, who has been plunked into the country's toughest boarding school. He quickly sees the culture of bullying, sometimes taking part in it, sometimes pulling pranks, and sometimes standing up for the little guy. Players choose which missions they'd like to take part in. The goal is to rule the school, but to do so, you'll need to defeat rivals who usually -- but not always -- start the fight as well as school officials, who turn a fairly blind eye to the chaos on campus.
Is It Any Good?
Though there's violence, swearing, and sexual innuendo, this is also an engaging game in which the main character can make choices to help others. With its title and the reputation of its developer, this game got a lot of unwarranted negative attention in its 2006 debut. And while Bully: Anniversary Edition is still not a game for young kids, it's not nearly as bad as many people might have feared or been told. Overall, the transition from console to mobile is done well. Game controls are very smooth, and the way classroom mini-games are played (often rhythm-based) makes them fun and a break from the fighting-centric main game mechanic. Of course, parents will know best if their kids can handle the content and understand that many of the behaviors in the game don't translate well to real life, but in terms of many games available to teens, this one is fairly mild.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about violence in the media and how it's the same and/or different from real life. How is violence used in Bully: Anniversary Edition?
Talk about bullying in the game and in real life. What is the main character's response? In what ways can you respond in real life? Which way is best?
App Details
- Devices : iPhone , iPod Touch , iPad , Android
- Pricing structure : Paid
- Release date : December 8, 2016
- Genre : Adventure Games
- Topics : School ( High School )
- Publisher : Rockstar Games
- Version : 1.03.1
- Minimum software requirements : iOS 9.0 or later; Android 4.0 and up
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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