Parents' Guide to The Sims FreePlay

App iPhone , iPod Touch , iPad , Android , Kindle Fire Free Simulation Games
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Common Sense Media Review

Mark Raby By Mark Raby , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 15+

Freemium sim both enjoyable and playable without spending.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 15+?

Any Positive Content?

  • The Sims FreePlay App: Screenshot #1
  • The Sims FreePlay App: Screenshot #2
  • The Sims FreePlay App: Screenshot #3

Parent and Kid Reviews

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age 12+

Based on 33 parent reviews

 

 

See all 33 parent reviews
age 11+

Based on 90 kid reviews

Kids say that while the game offers fun and educational elements, it contains mature themes that may not be suitable for younger players. Many reviews highlight the game's addictive nature and the necessity of in-app purchases, with concerns about the appropriateness of romantic interactions and pixelated nudity present in the gameplay.

  • addictive
  • in-app purchases
  • mature themes
  • suitable for older kids
  • educational elements
  • time-consuming
Summarized with AI
 

 

See all 90 kid reviews

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.
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What's It About?

Players choose from a relatively narrow list of personalities to create their Sim, then launch into a series of well-guided goals to earn simoleons, life and experience points, and increase the value of their town. Sims have six basic needs: hunger, bladder, energy, hygiene, social, and fun. To develop "highly inspired" sims, players must meet these needs. The app gives players free simoleons to buy basic things (toilets), but there are numerous opportunities to buy more with real money.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say ( 33 ):
Kids say ( 90 ):

THE SIMS FREEPLAY is a great transition of the ever-popular Sims franchise to the portable world of mobile devices. It is a "freemium" app, which usually means players need to pour in a lot of real money after they've become hooked, but this game actually provides a vast, expansive experience for players without needing to spend a single penny. Although it is only a fraction of the size of its high-end PC game counterparts, this app manages to capture the same level of endless features and options for which the series has become so renowned. The touch-screen control takes a bit of getting used to and the responsiveness is not always perfect, but as far as apps that players can really sink their teeth into, this one ranks at just about the very top.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Help your kids research basic human needs. How does our environment change what we need to survive? What do we need to live in the desert? The Arctic? On the moon?

  • If your kids enjoy creating sim cities, introduce them to the fields of architecture or civic planning.

App Details

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