Parents' Guide to Hungry Shark World

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Common Sense Media Review

By Neilie Johnson , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 14+

Fun but bloody feeding frenzy has more screams than science.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 14+?

Any Positive Content?

Parent and Kid Reviews

age 12+

Based on 5 parent reviews

age 9+

Based on 13 kid reviews

Kids say the game is enjoyable and addictive, boasting impressive graphics and gameplay, but it also features significant cartoon violence including eating humans, which causes clouds of blood. Concerns regarding consumerism and appropriate age ratings arise, with some users believing it may not be suitable for younger children despite its appeal.

  • fun gameplay
  • cartoon violence
  • age suitability
  • consumerism concerns
  • addictive nature
Summarized with AI

Privacy Rating Warning

  • Personal information is sold or rented to third parties.
  • Personal information is shared for third-party marketing.
  • Personalised advertising is displayed.
  • Data are collected by third-parties for their own purposes.
  • User's information is used to track and target advertisements on other third-party websites or services.
  • Data profiles are created and used for personalised advertisements.

What's It About?

HUNGRY SHARK WORLD doesn't have much of a narrative; it simply gives you control of a hungry shark and lets you eat everything in sight. The idea is to eat nonstop, avoiding bigger predators and harmful objects, thus growing as big as possible and taking on bigger prey. Steer your shark via the touchscreen and use occasional boosts to swim around various oceans looking for food. Schools of fish, crabs, turtles, and swimsuit-wearing tourists are all fair game. Without a steady stream of food, you die. Without spending real money on upgrades, it takes quite a bit of gameplay and ad watching to advance your shark to the next level.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say ( 5 ):
Kids say ( 13 ):

Though it takes time to get the hang of steering your starter shark, once you do the fun really kicks in. The two virtual thumbstick controls are mostly pretty good (you can get hung up in some places), and the movements of the AI fish are just random enough to look real without it being impossible to catch them. Early on, the life meter counts down very quickly, and schools of tiny fish are just not enough to keep your shark alive. Survival depends -- at first -- on eating humans. Yes, hapless swimsuit-wearing tourists must be mercilessly devoured in a cloud of blood if you want to get anywhere, and although the cartoony graphics mitigate this some, it's still disturbing. On the other hand, players not phased by dead-eyed fish with rows of razor-sharp teeth eating people are in for a lot of fun. It's cool to level your shark, not to mention buy upgrades for it with gold you've earned by eating. It's also fun earning the experience needed to unlock bigger sharks and different ocean maps. Of course, if you're not the patient type, unlocks are easily purchased. Aquatic phobias aside, this is one underwater eating contest that's well worth entering.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about violence in video games. Is having your shark eat a swimmer in this game different from a shooting game? Why, or why not?

  • Discuss the bad reputation sharks get from the media and find out how often people really get bitten. Are sharks really man-eaters, or do they serve another purpose?

  • Think about the different sharks. How many kinds of sharks can you name?

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