Parents' Guide to Episode -- Choose Your Story

App iPhone , iPod Touch , iPad , Android , Kindle Fire Free Simulation Games
Episode -- Choose Your Story Poster Image

Common Sense Media Review

Mieke VanderBorght By Mieke VanderBorght , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 15+

Mature themes, purchases in stories teens read and create.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 15+?

Any Positive Content?

Parent and Kid Reviews

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age 15+

Based on 82 parent reviews

Parents say the app is filled with inappropriate content, including sexual themes, that may not be suitable for younger audiences despite being rated for ages 12+. Many reviews express concerns about the frequent ads and in-app purchase requirements, while a few highlight that the app offers engaging storytelling but emphasize the importance of parental control to protect children from its more adult-oriented narratives.

  • inappropriate content
  • age restrictions
  • in-app purchases
  • parental controls
  • engaging stories
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age 14+

Based on 183 kid reviews

Kids say that while the app offers a fun and interactive experience with the ability to choose stories, it is often criticized for inappropriate content, including sexual themes, bad language, and problematic messaging aimed at young audiences. Many reviews argue that it is not suitable for children, as the app often promotes unhealthy relationship stereotypes and relies heavily on microtransactions to unlock content, causing concern among parents about its influence on minors.

  • inappropriate content
  • not suitable for children
  • concerns over messaging
  • reliance on microtransactions
  • mixed reviews on experience
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See all 183 kid reviews

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What's It About?

Readers actively influence story details as they progress through any number of serial stories in EPISODE -- CHOOSE YOUR STORY. Stories are divided into episodes, and kids must spend a ticket to advance to the next one: Two free tickets appear four hours after you open a new episode, or you can buy them. In the stories, kids choose from a multiple-choice list to influence things such as the main character's facial features and outfits, dialogue, and reactions to events or even whether the love interest will be male or female. Sometimes, certain choices cost "gems," which can be earned or bought. The editorial staff creates some stories, but the great majority are user-submitted. Sign in with a Google account to learn how to write, direct, and post your own story.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say ( 82 ):
Kids say ( 183 ):

This creative forum for interactive digital storytelling loses ground with the superficial, stereotypical, and mature themes that dominate the stories. It gets high marks for its concept, and the clear tutorials help guide the way from creating a compelling story to writing believable dialogue and necessary code to direct the story. There's also a whole fan community and active forum, both of which help kids really get into it and share ideas and experiences. That said, this could be so much better if the focus of these stories wasn't the equivalent of trashy, addictive, soap opera-like romance novels. Almost all the stories center, sometimes exclusively, on clothing and dating/sexual behavior. It's also disappointing how much kids are pushed to purchase items throughout the stories, and frequent app commercials are a major nuisance. So, while this is a well-made app that will appeal to teens and offers some cool creative elements, parents will want to carefully consider the messages the app conveys and set expectations around spending real money.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the way sex, relationships, and body image are depicted in Episode -- Choose Your Story. What about the emphasis on the important of appearance? How does that feel? What do you think about how the characters talk about sex, their sexual interest, characters of the opposite (or same) sex, and sexual behavior? Are there consequences to any of this behavior? Should there be? Why, or why not? Does their behavior feel realistic and appropriate for their age?

  • Talk to your kids about the commercial model of the app. What tactics do the developers use to try to get you to spend money? Is it fair? Why, or why not? How about what happens in the stories? What do you think about many of the characters' obsessions with clothing, shopping, or appearances?

App Details

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Episode -- Choose Your Story Poster Image

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