Common Sense Media Review
By Ashley Moulton
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Kids jump into video game world to practice life skills.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 4+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Skillsville
What's the Story?
In SKILLSVILLE, best friends Cora (voiced by Nissae Isen), Dev (Elishia Perosa), and Rae (Jessy Yates) live in the same apartment building. Cora's mom is a video game designer, and the friends love playing her virtual reality game, Skillsville. When they enter the game world, they transform into super-powered avatars: ParCora, Devosaurus, and Racer Rae. Each time they enter the video game, they try out a new job like farmer or mail carrier. The game (voiced by Jamie Watson) challenges them to complete different tasks. To win the games, they use different problem-solving strategies like pausing, asking questions, and getting organized. After they complete the challenges in the game, they transport back to the real world, where they apply the same skills they practiced in the game.
Is It Any Good?
The concept of Skillsville is super clever, and young gamers will love how the characters get magically transported into a video game. The show does a fantastic job at breaking down Executive Function skills, the kind of nebulous "soft skills" that help people succeed in school, jobs, and life. Kid viewers can learn strategies to help them apply these concepts in real life.
While the educational aspects are great, the show is a smidge dry and maybe a bit too learning-focused. Because so much of each episode is spent inside the video game, viewers might have a harder time connecting to the characters and their real-life selves. Skillsville is a solid show, but kids may prefer watching something with a pinch more fun.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how the friends on Skillsville use teamwork. How do they work together to solve problems and achieve their goals?
Have you ever used virtual reality? What was your experience?
TV Details
- Premiere date : March 3, 2025
- Cast : Elishia Perosa , Jamie Watson , Nissae Isen , Jessy Yates
- Network : PBS Kids
- Genre : Educational
- Topics : Activism ( Civic engagement , Gender equality , Racial justice ) , Arts , Cooking , Friendship
- Character Strengths : Teamwork
- TV rating :
- Last updated : September 8, 2025
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