My Little Pony: Harmony Quest
By Christy Matte,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Repetition, required purchases best put out to pasture.
A Lot or a Little?
What you will—and won't—find in this app.
Where to Download
Videos and Photos
My Little Pony: Harmony Quest
Community Reviews
Based on 4 parent reviews
Required Purchases
Report this review
Horrible
Report this review
What’s It About?
Queen Chrysalis and her Changeling minions descend on Ponyville in MY LITTLE PONY: HARMONY QUEST. They capture ponies in cocoons and smash a magical stained glass window. They also steal the Elements of Harmony, shatter them, and scatter them over Equestria. Six ponies are charged with saving the kingdom. The free app includes Pinky Pie, Twilight Sparkle, and Apple Jack. To complete the mission, kids must purchase Rarity, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash. For each piece of the window or Element of Harmony, kids chase a Changeling, clearing obstacles and fighting the Changelings as they progress. Sometimes they break a cocoon to set a pony free. Each level requires two or more ponies. Once kids complete a number of levels, they'll get missions involving four ponies in areas of the map that are not unlocked, so they'll have to quit playing or buy more content to continue.
Is It Any Good?
Though this brand usually features some positive messages, this is a repetitive, somewhat violent experience that requires little thought or skill and can't be completed without in-app purchases. Kids are given a mind-numbing chase through Equestria, tapping on a button to run, tapping on other buttons to bypass obstacles, and often flinging rocks and other objects at enemies. About 25 percent of the way into the experience, kids are no longer able progress through the story without in-app purchases, making this a demo app masquerading as a free app. Young kids who are big fans may just enjoy seeing their favorite characters, but older kids and adults will quickly see through the magic. Users have few opportunities to make decisions, no customization, and no way to make the experience their own. Parents may want to bypass this one for better offerings by the brand.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about violence in games. Why do the ponies throw things at the Changelings? What else could they do other than use violence?
Discuss your rules around in-app purchases. Is it OK to buy more content to complete the missions? If so, how much is OK to spend?
How do you like this app as compared to other apps you could play? If you had/have limited screen time, would you pick this app over other apps on your device? Why, or why not?
App Details
- Devices: iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad
- Pricing structure: Free to try (In-app purchases necessary to complete game: $4.99/each for 3 ponies/worlds, or all 3 for $9.99)
- Release date: June 21, 2016
- Category: Kids' Games
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy, Princesses, Fairies, Mermaids, and More, Horses and Farm Animals
- Version: 1.1
- Minimum software requirements: iOS 7.0
- Last updated: October 18, 2019
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.
Suggest an Update
Where to Download
Our Editors Recommend
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate