Parents' Guide to

Tiny Tower

By Chris Morris, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 8+

Adorable sim playable without in-app buys -- with patience.

App iPhone , iPod Touch , iPad , Android Free Simulation Games
Tiny Tower Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

  • Tiny Tower App: Screenshot #1
  • Tiny Tower App: Screenshot #2
  • Tiny Tower App: Screenshot #3

Community Reviews

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age 5+

Based on 1 parent review

Abigail1975000
Abigail1975000 Adult
July 15, 2012
age 5+

Tiny Tower

It does not promote the in app purchase (but it is available) and since the money process isn't super speedy it is one of those games you'll have to leave and come back to later. It has ads (what free game doesn't?) but they are much more minimal than most games. Tiny Tower is a fun iPhone/iPad/iPod touch game for adults as well as kids!

This title has:

Too much consumerism
See all 1 parent review

Privacy Rating Warning

  • Personal information is not sold or rented to third parties.
  • Unclear whether personal information are shared for third-party marketing.
  • Unclear whether this product displays personalised advertising.
  • 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.
  • Unclear whether this product creates and uses data profiles for personalised advertisements.
Learn more about our privacy ratings

What’s It About?

Players build a skyscraper over time that includes restaurants, retail stores, apartments and more. Stocking stores and adding floors costs in-game cash as well as time. To "hurry" along construction or a shipment, premium currency is used, which is much more valuable -- but also quite rare.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1 ):
Kids say (5 ):

TINY TOWER is a darned cute game. Mixing old school pixilated art and smart gameplay mechanics, it is a very enjoyable simulation game that brings the original SimTower game to mind. The game smartly balances tending to the needs of its "Bitizens" and the economic aspects. But by utilizing the in-app purchase model, it hits problems.

While nothing goes haywire with the game if you choose not to spend real-world cash to buy in-game bux, the game will progress slowly, as finances don't build up quickly naturally. It's still possible to enjoy the game without spending real-world cash, but you'll need to be patient -- plan to close the app and come back to it when you get an alert.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Talk with your kid about Tower Bux. Early in the game, it's easy to run through Bux quickly. What's your stance on using real money to buy Bux?

  • Encourage kids to go beyond basic gameplay to improve the efficiency of their tower. They can group and order floors, color-code characters' clothing, and assign more Bitizens to their dream jobs.

App Details

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