Equii
Challenging picture puzzles plastered with ads.
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Equii
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this app.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Equii is a rebus-puzzle app where kids try to figure out a word or phrase based on a collection of picture clues. These rebus puzzles are sometimes quite challenging, and many kids will struggle to figure out what the pictures are in the first place. They'll also need to spell the final answer correctly in order to get it to register. There are in-app purchases without a parent gate, pop-up ads, and video ads. Kids will need to use coins to purchase hints/help and may feel pressure to buy more with real money if they can't complete a puzzle. There are user-created puzzles (using an included library of images) that don't seem to be moderated, but users can report them if necessary. Also built in is an image of a woman in a bikini labeled "boobs." Read the developer's privacy policy for details on how your (or your kids') information is collected, used, and shared and any choices you may have in the matter, and note that privacy policies and terms of service frequently change.
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What’s It About?
EQUII is a free rebus-puzzle app with added options like DIY puzzles and head-to-head matches. Kids are presented with a few images. To figure out the final word or phrase, they sound out the words represented by the images. They may need to either add or subtract sound and know that they aren't necessarily using the exact words to get the final answer. For example, in + turn + ship = internship. Chair + e = cherry. If they get stuck, they may choose to buy hints and help by using coins. They'll earn more when they complete the puzzle.There's a head-to-head round where kids can play against another friend or another random player. Like hints, power-ups to strengthen their game cost coins. For kids who are feeling creative, there's also a puzzle-making option. Kids search the library of image icons to create their own rebus puzzles.
Is It Any Good?
Rebus puzzles encourage kids to think about words and how they sound, but they can be challenging, and the app's ads and purchases mar the experience. Equii's puzzles are clever and occasionally quite difficult. Sometimes they require looking at the icons in a different way, saying the words aloud, and thinking about words that sound similar. Kids may do best paired with an adult who can help them sound things out and spell the final answer correctly. Equii could even be fun for a whole family to work through together. It would be nice to have a paid version that was ad-free, even if the in-app purchases were still available. As it stands, it's not appropriate for younger kids.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about solving rebus puzzles like the ones in Equii. Share tips for how to get started and ways to figure out the answer. How do you figure out what the pictures might mean? Does it help to look at them altogether or individually?
Discuss in-app purchases and how/if kids can request purchases from an adult. What are the family rules?
App Details
- Devices: iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Android
- Subjects: Language & Reading: phonics
- Skills: Thinking & Reasoning: problem solving, thinking critically, Creativity: developing novel solutions, making new creations
- Pricing structure: Free (with optional in-app purchases)
- Release date: May 15, 2018
- Category: Word Games
- Publisher: Triora Technologies, LLC
- Version: 1.5.8
- Minimum software requirements: iOS 7.0 or later; Android 5.0 and up
- Last updated: July 23, 2018
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For kids who love word games and puzzle apps
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