Parents' Guide to

Sackboy: A Big Adventure

By Paul Semel, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 8+

Accessible platformer is fun but lacks challenge.

Sackboy: A Big Adventure Poster

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

age 7+

Based on 2 parent reviews

age 7+

Not the best of the Little Big Planet series, but stil a great game for kids

Parents need to know that this spinoff/sequel to the popular and smart game known as Little Big Planet doesn't have much mature content, but still might be scary for little kids. This game is just about as violent as games in the mario franchise. You will jump on some enemies' heads and they simply dissapear. The main villain might scare some little kids. He is a jester puppet guy who wants to fill the world with nightmares and chaos. I had lots of fun playing this game and I am an adult. This game can be fun for everyone.
age 6+

Amazing game!

Great game for kids! Get this game, has near to no violence.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (2 ):
Kids say (7 ):

While fans of his other games will lament that this isn't as challenging or full of chances to be creative, it's still a relatively entertaining opportunity to run, jump, and mix it up. In Sackboy: A Big Adventure, the adorable hero of the LittleBigPlanet games has to save the day when his fellow sackfolk are kidnapped by the evil Vex. Though rather than hire mercenaries and launch a daring but dangerous rescue, our hero instead has to find some special resources, something he does by exploring the world. Hence why he spends all his time running, jumping, and solving puzzles that will open doors to other areas. He even occasionally punches some animals in the face. And while you can't make your own levels to share with your friends, the levels do get rather clever and creative (as does Sackboy's closet full of outfits).

That said, the lack of customization and creation isn't the only thing that might disappoint fans of Sackboy's previous games. Getting around, for instance, is decidedly less about split-second timing and jumping the way LittleBigPlanet was. Instead, it's more about exploring and figuring out what things do. Which isn't to say this doesn't get hazardous at times, because it does. It's that the dangerous parts are rather infrequent, and usually just involve misjudging a jump and falling off the world. On PC, while the game supports a large number of computer setups, the game suffers from a large amount of slowdown and stuttering play that can make you misjudge certain areas or sequences. On top of this, there aren't a lot of people playing the game, so if you're looking for co-op, you'll be waiting for a while. While this isn't as challenging as what he's had to deal with before, which will bother serious LittleBigPlanet fans, people just looking for a casual hang with an old pal will enjoy the soft, fluffy fun of Sackboy: A Big Adventure.

Game Details

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.

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