Glow Bugs
Kids guide ladybug in simple yet entertaining freemium app.
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Glow Bugs
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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 Glow Bugs is a freemium game where kids play a ladybug that wanders through the night. In her travels, she picks up fluorescent aphids to get more speed and must avoid other obstacles to stay alive. Kids navigate the game by tilting their device to direct the ladybug and touching the screen to have her fly. Although Glow Bugs is free to download, it encourages kids to make in-app purchases for the in-game currency, aphids.
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What’s It About?
Kids select from three levels: Tutorial, Wave 01, or Wave 10. Wave 10 begins at a more advanced level and requires players to trade in 250 aphids to play. As soon the game begins, the ladybug is on her way to collect a countless number of aphids and fly over rocks (and water puddles). She can also activate dormant daisies to spin out into the night. However, kids need to be wary of the water puddles that the ladybug can drown in and other insects that come across her path that can zap her of her powers and potentially lead to her death.
Is It Any Good?
GLOW BUGS is designed for kids to have fun. The ads and push to purchase more aphids can get tedious after a while. But for a free game, it'll keep kids entertained as they play to improve. Kids will most likely try to accumulate as many aphids as possible for a free upgrade to increase their powers such as invincibility, bullet range, etc., and attempt to get around the app's push to buy more aphids in the store.
App Details
- Devices: iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad
- Subjects: Hobbies: collecting
- Skills: Tech Skills: using and applying technology, Self-Direction: work to achieve goals
- Pricing structure: Free
- Release date: July 9, 2012
- Category: Action Games
- Topics: Bugs
- Publisher: Backflip Studios
- Version: 1.0.1
- Minimum software requirements: iOS 4.1 or later
- Last updated: August 19, 2016
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