Common Sense Media Review
By Carolyn Koh
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Light fair-building simulation is fun and free on Facebook.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Play
Videos and Photos
Ravenwood Fair
What's It About?
RAVENWOOD FAIR by LOLApps is all about building and maintaining a Renaissance fair-themed fairground. Built like a children's fantasy storybook with dressed animal and insect characters, you clear the scary woods and build games, food stalls, buildings, and decorations, then you keep them stocked while clearing away the encroaching forest.
Occasionally, something in the forest scares a visitor and you comfort them. Scary monsters like a wooden \"Domovoi\" also emerge as you clear the woods and these have to be \"bashed\" for greater rewards. As you continue to clear the forest and place attractions, you increase the \"Fun\" level and earn more money and experience. Visiting friends is also part of the game, as are completing quests. Interaction not only yields rewards but is also fun as characters, buildings, and games are animated, and some also have music themes.
Is It Any Good?
Among Facebook games, Ravenwood Fair stands out in its setting, ease of play, and generous resources. Actions in the game result in various rewards such as money, experience points, and resources, including energy, which is required for each action. What makes Ravenwood Fair a better game is not just the beautiful setting that appeals to teens, but also that resources are more abundant. Fewer items are gated, and resources can be purchased at small increments, as little as one Facebook credit at a time, so parents can use the purchase of items as an economy lesson.
Energy builds back up over time and can also be bought with in-game resources so a teen can actually get a good bit of game time before running out of energy. The social aspect of Ravenwood Fair is found in the giving of gifts and visiting each other's Fairs to assist in maintenance or to just play the games, as both actions and visits are rewarded. Added to all that, the sounds and music that accompany actions and short voice-overs bring this game to a cut above the others.
Online interaction: One of the few social games that doesn't require you to have a great number of other Facebook friends playing the game to advance; it does, however, encourage friends to help each other by gifting resources needed to advance in the game.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about online safety. How many friends do you need to help you play this game? Do you have to befriend strangers?
Families can also talk about consumerism and buying things as opposed to working for them. You'll get those resources by chopping trees or your friends can send you a gift. Why do you have to pay for them?
Game Details
- Platform : Facebook
- Pricing structure :
- Available online? : Available online
- Publisher : LOLapps
- Release date : October 20, 2010
- Genre : Simulation
- ESRB rating :
- Last updated : February 15, 2023
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