Parents' Guide to

Virtual Villagers: A New Home

By Jinny Gudmundsen, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 8+

A simple simulation that teaches life lessons.

Game Windows 2006
Virtual Villagers: A New Home Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

age 8+

Based on 2 parent reviews

age 9+

And hey, there's a version on the App Store- for free!

Baby making is the only thing I am concerned with. Otherwise, fine app. And yes, skeletons litter the ground then graves are made They say: "Here lies Nizas..."

This title has:

Great role models
Easy to play/use
age 6+

This title has:

Educational value
Great messages
Great role models

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (2):
Kids say (1):

What makes the streamlined simulation Virtual Villagers unique is that it runs in real time: Even when you quit playing for the day, your villagers keep living unless you choose to "pause" the game. This isn't a game that you play all at once. Instead, you fiddle with it for about 10 minutes at a time, then let the villagers get on with their lives until the next time you want to peek in. Managing this virtual world isn't difficult; it just takes patience.

By playing Virtual Villagers, kids will think about life in terms of what's necessary to survive. They'll learn that people need shelter, food, healing, and the ability to reproduce. And to better their lot, they need to be creative and scientific. It's a perspective that many young people may not have thought about before playing this game.

Game Details

  • Platform: Windows
  • Available online?: Not available online
  • Publisher: Last Day of Work
  • Release date: September 22, 2006
  • Genre: Simulation
  • ESRB rating: NR
  • Last updated: November 4, 2015

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