Parents' Guide to

Inside Out Thought Bubbles

By Patricia Monticello Kievlan, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 8+

In-app purchases dominate amusing strategy game.

Inside Out Thought Bubbles Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

age 4+

Based on 1 parent review

age 4+

Privacy Rating Warning

  • Personal information is not sold or rented to third parties.
  • Unclear whether personal information are 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.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (1 ):
Kids say: Not yet rated

Though Inside Out Thought Bubbles is based on the movie, it doesn't really reflect the movie's themes. It's really more of a pinball-style match-3 game with characters from the movie. The one small tie-in to the movie's theme is that different emotions are appropriate in different situations: Sometimes Joy's power-up move is the best approach to beating a level, and sometimes Sadness has the best strategy. The dominant theme, though, is the need for gems; without them, you can't use most of the targeting and shortcut tools that help you advance through the levels. Some easier levels don't require much strategy, but you'll find yourself stuck with limited options when you reach a tougher challenge. If you lose a level, you'll lose a life. You can buy more (at prices that range from $0.99 to $49.99) or you can wait (between six and 25 minutes) for a new life to become available. As it is, some levels are all but unbeatable without the benefit of these pay-to-play power-ups. Overall, it's a fun game that would be most fun and accessible with unlimited funds available.

App Details

  • Devices: iPhone , iPod Touch , iPad , Android , Kindle Fire
  • Skills: Thinking & Reasoning : deduction, hypothesis-testing, problem solving, strategy, Emotional Development : identifying emotions
  • Pricing structure: Free (Users can play for free and earn "Gems" (the in-game currency) to purchase lives and power-ups. Users can also buy this access by purchasing "Gem Packs," which range in price from $1.29 to $64.99.)
  • Release date: May 28, 2015
  • Category: Puzzle Games
  • Publisher: Disney
  • Version: 1.3
  • Minimum software requirements: Requires iOS 7.0 or later. Requires Android 4.0.3 and up.
  • Last updated: January 23, 2019

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