Parents' Guide to

Terraria

By Chris Morris, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 11+

Well-done Minecraft-like game, with action twist.

App iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Android, Kindle Fire Adventure Games
Terraria Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

  • Terraria App: Screenshot #1
  • Terraria App: Screenshot #2
  • Terraria App: Screenshot #3

Community Reviews

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age 9+

Based on 12 parent reviews

sethkk
sethkk Adult
June 14, 2021
age 8+

Do not believe some other reviews

Terraria was never meant for children as such, just for teens and adults. Also you CAN turn off violence in the settings as it is an issue with a lot of parents. Most parents are complaining about innuendos in item names but the game is very hard to beat for younger kids so if your kid can beat the game they are probably old enough to play anyway. The main innuendos people are talking about are Master Bait, Golden Shower, and Mourning wood. I don’t think the Golden Shower and Mourning Wood are that bad because even I couldn’t make out the innuendos (golden shower being urine, mourning wood being the nocturnal erections males can get in their sleep) Master Bait could be a problem but it is a rare item anyway. (My rating is 8 because I think the DIFFICULTY of the game is suitable for 8 year olds. The only thing that parents should be wary of are the innuendos which aren’t too bad IMO, or maybe because you can buy ale in the game but if it was my child I wouldn’t worry. I don’t have kids but I have been playing since I was a kid.
3 people found this helpful.
Msacco00
Msacco00 Adult
May 8, 2019
age 12+

Good and very creative game but crude adult elements

Outside of what people have already complained about, I just witnessed my son visiting a “nurse” to get healed, and he clicked through the messages with the nurse, but I definitely saw her say that she doesn’t give “happy endings” and there were other messages insinuating adult things as well, I can’t recall what they said. My 9 and 7 y/o play this and I need to dig further in and find out what else is hidden in here.

This title has:

Too much sex
1 person found this helpful.
See all 12 parent reviews

What’s It About?

In TERRARIA players are dropped into a randomly generated world, where they must mine for resources using the tools available to them and create structures, such as houses, and other equipment. Movement of the character and the character's tool or weapon is done via two virtual joysticks at the bottom corners of the screen, while a menu of tools sits in the upper-left corner. Players also will encounter monsters, which they can fight or flee from. Every time players start a new map, it's an entirely different game.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (12):
Kids say (49):

Minecraft has some serious competition: Terraria not only lets users indulge their inner builders, creating whatever their imaginations can dream up, but it makes use of those creations by having nonplayer characters live within them. A well-done action element lets players do more than spelunk and build, breaking up what can be a monotonous process to some people. The maps are huge, there are tons of items to craft, and defeating the bosses takes some thought. One potential drawback is that the controls might not be intuitive to kids who are unfamiliar with this type of game, and, although the open-ended nature of the game is endlessly enthralling to some, it might be overwhelming and confusing to others. If a kid is initially daunted but determined to play, there's a large community and lots of resources that can get a new player over the hump.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about creative energy and how to channel it. What can you create with the resources you mine in the game?

  • Talk about environmental impact and using resources wisely. What happens if you chop down that many trees in the real world?

  • Discuss the aspects of the game and game modes they like best. Do they like building things? Killing the bosses? Using player-vs.-player (PvP) mode?

App Details

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