Pig Eat Ball
By Michael Lafferty,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Gross Pac-Man take is too repetitive to be fun for long.
A Lot or a Little?
What you will—and won't—find in this game.
Where to Play
Videos and Photos
Pig Eat Ball
Community Reviews
There aren't any parent reviews yet. Be the first to review this title.
What’s It About?
In PIG EAT BALL, King Cake has decided it's time for his daughter, Princess Bow, to get married. He devises a competition of games, with the winner earning the right to marry his piglet daughter. But for her part, Princess Bow doesn't agree with her father's decision, and disguises herself to enter the games. But there's more going on than just a marriage plot. It's up to Princess Bow to discover what's threatening life to her prospective suitors. The game features time-based games spread out over five worlds with a number of levels per world. Scoring top times earns pearls, which in turn, help to unlock new areas.
Is It Any Good?
Take the lure of a classic arcade game, but add gross elements to time-based repetitive gameplay and the result fails to have long-term gaming appeal. Pig Eat Ball uses elements of Pac-Man, right down to the pixelated graphics. It then takes unique characters and asks players to navigate maps that have a lot of variety but are essentially wash-rinse-repeat gameplay. The goal is to score fast times and collect pearls to move along through the worlds. The only variation here is to replay levels and record a faster time. The story offers a mild reason to keep plunging forward, but it's not a big factor driving the gameplay. Even the addition of creating levels adds a nice element, but can't override the general repetitiveness of play.
The main concern is that the "barfing" (and there are ways to tone that down in the settings with three settings from low amounts to 'barf-fest') sends the wrong message to younger players. Want to lose weight? Barf. Can't fit through doorways, or maybe not fit into those favored jeans? Barf. This isn't a very good message to send. Plus, the online link to an unmoderated Discord chat server allows players to talk with others without restrictions, which should raise flags for parents of younger gamers. Pig Eat Ball is a minor diversion but simply doesn't have the elements to create either a friendly gaming environment or compelling game play.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the appropriateness of using a pig overeating and then barfing to fit through doorways. What behaviors might it endorse? Will players think it is Ok to barf to help lose weight?
What game elements create fun? What would make a level challenging? How can players use the skills of creating levels in other areas of their life?
Game Details
- Platforms: Mac, PlayStation 4, Windows, Xbox One
- Pricing structure: Paid
- Available online?: Available online
- Publisher: Mommy's Best Games
- Release date: September 26, 2018
- Genre: Arcade
- Topics: Princesses, Fairies, Mermaids, and More, Adventures
- ESRB rating: E10+ for Fantasy Violence, Crude Humor, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco
- Last updated: December 14, 2018
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 Play
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