Common Sense Media Review
By Amanda Bindel
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Appeasing grumpy cat is fun, but expect in-app purchases.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 6+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Download
Videos and Photos
Garfield - Living Large!
What's It About?
Garfield is grumpy, but he has some ideas of what will make him happy. If kids give him what he's thinking of, his happy meter goes up. If not, he stays grumpy. Kids can take him through different rooms in his house, feeding him in the kitchen, grooming him in the bathroom, dressing him in his room, and playing with him in the living room. They can take his picture with different background scenes and with different friends, too.
Is It Any Good?
The free version includes some of the toys, which are enough to make Garfield happy, but unlocking the grooming, feeding, photo-taking, and dressing-up packs, as well as more toys, requires an in-app purchase. Watching Garfield's responses when he gets what he wants is fun, but watching when he doesn't get what he wants is even more fun. The in-app purchase packs can get quite pricey, and, although all the interactions are fun to watch, they're not likely to amuse kids for very long after they've seen them once or twice. The overall message of giving someone anything they want just to make them happy is questionable. That, with the pricey in-app purchases and advertising, puts GARFIELD - LIVING LARGE! in the midrange on the grumpy-happy meter.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Ask kids what they think of Garfield's attitude when he doesn't get what he wants.
Should people (or cats) get whatever they want to be happy?
App Details
- Devices : iPhone , iPod Touch , iPad
- Pricing structure : Free to try (In-app purchases unlock different play packs, ranging from $2.99 to $4.99 to unlock one category (like food or toys) or $7.99 to unlock everything.)
- Release date : May 10, 2014
- Genre : Entertainment
- Topics : Book Characters , Animals
- Publisher : Budge Studios
- Version : 1.2
- Minimum software requirements : iOS 5.0 or later
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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