Parents' Guide to

Garbage Pail Kids: The Game

By Neilie Johnson, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 12+

Repetitious card collection game relies on gross-out humor.

App iPhone , iPod Touch , iPad Free Strategy Games
Garbage Pail Kids: The Game Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this app.

  • The Garbage Pail Kids: The Game Screenshot 1
  • The Garbage Pail Kids: The Game Screenshot 2
  • The Garbage Pail Kids: The Game Screenshot 3
  • The Garbage Pail Kids: The Game Screenshot 4
  • The Garbage Pail Kids: The Game Screenshot 5

Community Reviews

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age 14+

Based on 3 parent reviews

danny L.
danny L. Adult
February 10, 2023
age 13+

cabbage patch parody has way to much dark and gross humor not for kids

i think this game is amazing just like the cards its very gross and dark but if you look at the history of the Garbage pail kids they were always very gross and dark they started off as cards marketed to kids in the 80s they were very gross and dark characters puked characters got skinned alive characters got shot to death got there heads chopped off and got disembowled the cards were not for kids then they made a movie which is pretty amazing if you like that type of humor its not a kids movie its rated PG but today would definately be borderline PG-13 the main character is a kid who gets beat up by a man who wants him dead he gets thrown in a sewer and is left for dead the boy likes a 20 year old woman a Garbage Pail kid has a flip knife a alligator carries around bleeding ripped off ears and bites a guys toe off in a bar were theres a bar fight the guy and the garbage pail kids drink beer all of the Garbage Pail kids have hangovers theres a character who pukes and a Garbage Pail kid farts in peoples faces and the Garbage Pail kids rip some girls dresses off definately not a kids movie for teens and older the cards have also now been resold with a rating of 13+ makes sense not for little kids but if your a fan of gross and dark humor like ren and stimpy monty python you will love the Garbage Pail Kids some of the cards also could be 18+ because of the dark humor

This title has:

Easy to play/use
Too much violence
Too much sex
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
XXxxSUPERREALMOMXXxx
XXxxSUPERREALMOMXXxx Adult
July 5, 2020
age 18+

I PLAY THIS GAME IN MY KIDHOOD

IT GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD

This title has:

Easy to play/use
Too much consumerism
See all 3 parent reviews

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What’s It About?

GARBAGE PAIL KIDS: THE GAME is a freemium card/collection game based on the popular Garbage Pail Kids trading cards. The point is to collect all the GPK cards, create powerful teams from them, and win turn-based battles against the AI and real players online. Cards come in three categories: Brawlers, Tanks, and Support, and each card can be upgraded and equipped with items and accessories that improve its effectiveness. Three different battle modes -- Nut Fights, Dolt Fights, and Calamity Club -- take players through a series of battles with AI opponents, allowing them to earn items and materials for crafting items. Rewards also include three types of in-app currency, which can be used to buy character tokens (which are then used to purchase character cards). Arena mode pits human players against one another online, and Events give players the chance to fight special battles and earn rare character tokens, experience, and currency.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (3 ):
Kids say: Not yet rated

Nostalgia sells, and this much anticipated app draws upon '80s kids' memories of their favorite gross-out toys, with an aim to making money by reigniting that childhood passion. Unfortunately, due to dull, repetitious combat and a super-slow collection mechanic, nostalgia is about all Garbage Pail Kids: The Game has to offer. Admittedly (for those of us who remember them), it's fun at first, getting reacquainted with the Garbage Pail Kids. Who can forget Adam Bomb or TeeVee Stevie? These objectionable characters, with their violent tendencies and poor hygiene, will no doubt elicit the same giggly reaction in today's kids as yesterday's. Whether that's appropriate in today's political climate is another story. Some cards represent characters who cross-dress or who have physical deformations or weight problems, and conscientious parents might want to avoid encouraging their kids to laugh at people who are obese, disabled, or gender-fluid.

Beyond questions of sensitivity and taste, the app succeeds somewhat in terms of gameplay. It's quick and easy to jump in, create a squad, and fight, especially if you turn on auto-play mode. Character upgrades are straightforward and simple, and the app tells you when and where to use your equipment. Leveling is also a breeze, because once you've won a battle, you can "insta-win" it as long as you have enough energy and insta-win tickets. The energy mechanic can, of course, limit your free play, but that might not be an issue, considering the app's inherent repetition. Its three single-player modes play more or less identically, and player-vs.-player (PvP) does little to differentiate itself. Because of this, after a few hours, Garbage Pail Kids: The Game becomes less a fun strategy game and more a tedious slog to collect all the cards. If your sense of nostalgia (and your love of gross-out jokes) compels you to endure this, you could find some satisfaction from going through the process. But otherwise, you might find yourself wanting to toss this app in the trash.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how nostalgia drives marketing. What movies/TV shows/games do you or your kids like because they remind you of the past?

  • Why do kids go for potty humor and booger jokes? Is it a good idea to encourage that kind of humor?

  • Do your kids have a favorite character who's not a typical hero or not a hero at all? (For example, Severus Snape, Jack Skellington, or Gru.)

App Details

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