Parents' Guide to

Spyder

By Chad Sapieha, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 8+

Retro spy adventure skips violence for puzzles.

Game Apple Arcade 2020
Spyder Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

There aren't any parent reviews yet. Be the first to review this title.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

Apple Arcade games don't come much prettier than this one. Spyder's lush 3D environments are loaded with detailed period-specific furniture, technology, and knickknacks that Agent 8 gets up close and personal with as he moves about, investigates, and interacts with the world. The visual presentation is nearly on par with that of many big-budget console adventures. But if you're playing using touch controls, you'll likely find it a little more frustrating than something like Super Mario 3D World. The camera automatically repositions itself to keep up with Agent 8's movement as he climbs over obstacles and up walls, but not always the way you'd expect, which can result in an inability to anticipate nearby dangers. It's annoying, and it verges on aggravating at times.

Outside of the controls and camera, there's a lot to like about Spyder. Exploring the world can be a blast as you learn to think of nearly all surfaces -- below, beside, and above you -- as places to which you can easily climb. And using Agent 8's tiny but surprisingly powerful legs to manipulate levers, keys, and buttons makes for some satisfying interactions. The designers have clearly thought long and hard about what it would be like for a spider to control, say, a scrolling mouse ball, using its legs to spin it and delicately maneuver a pointer into position on a screen. Again, though, the controls can be a bit finicky. Feel free to give Spyder a shot using the basic touch interface, but you'll likely experience a lot more fun and less aggravation if you happen to have a Bluetooth gamepad you can connect for improved control.

Game Details

  • Platform: Apple Arcade
  • Pricing structure: Free (Free to play with a subscription to Apple Arcade ($5/month).)
  • Available online?: Available online
  • Publisher: Sumo Digital
  • Release date: March 20, 2020
  • Genre: Puzzle
  • Topics: Robots
  • ESRB rating: NR for No Descriptions
  • Last updated: April 9, 2020

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