SmallWorlds Website Poster Image

SmallWorlds

age 15+
(i)

 

Engaging virtual world for teens and adults.
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Popular with kids

What parents need to know

Positive messages

As in most virtual worlds, there are a few bad apples, but the community is generally respectful and friendly. Teens could feel rejected if other users ignore them. Although the avatar options are racially and ethnically diverse, there's only one body type: skinny.

Violence
Not applicable
Sex

The site forbids "profane" and "pornographic" behavior. Avatar bodies aren't sexualized, and the clothing choices are modest. Still, keeping the site clean depends on the vigilance of moderators and other users.

Language

The site prohibits profanity -- and the chat feature censors it -- but some users get around it with words like "a$$."

Consumerism

Users can earn tokens to buy goods and services. The site plans to introduce a premium membership fee, as well as a second type of virtual currency that can be purchased with real money.

Drinking, drugs, & smoking

Nightclubs serve up coffee and root beer.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this browser-based virtual world attracts both teens and adults. The site prohibits profanity and obscene content, and there's very little to be found that violates these standards; by and large, the current community is dedicated to good, clean fun. There's no charge to sign up, but a premium membership is in the works, along with other commercial endeavors.

What's it about?

SMALLWORLDS.COM adds a new element to the usual chat-and-shop experience of many virtual worlds: missions. Once users create an avatar from a diverse palette of options, they're introduced to the mechanics of their universe via a series of missions. These increasingly complex tasks encourage users to interact with their environment, from acquiring furniture to training a pet. Locations have objects to examine or use, some of which can be integrated with other Web sites -- for example, you can display a Flickr photo in a picture frame or watch a YouTube video on your TV.

Is it any good?

QUALITY

Even in its early stages, SmallWorlds.com is extremely sophisticated and rich in detail, yet user friendly. The beginner missions serve as a handy interactive orientation, teaching players how to zoom, rotate, sit down, use objects, and so on. Helpful tips from moderators and forum users make challenging tasks fun rather than frustrating. Best of all, more advanced users can create their own missions for other players to take on, making this virtual world a truly creative, collaborative endeavor.

Families can talk about...

  • Families can talk about what's safe to discuss online and what's not. How do you know whether you can trust someone enough to make them a "friend" and share personal information? Some of the missions encourage users to interact with each other, so families can talk about how this kind of interaction compares with offline socializing. Families can also discuss what's a reasonable amount of time to spend on this site, since it's very easy to get carried away.

Website details

Genre:Virtual Worlds
Pricing structure:Free

This review of SmallWorlds was written by

Susan Yudt
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are conducted by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
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Parent Written byconcernedmomoftwo June 26, 2014
age 13+

Disgusted!

Smallworlds.com is a virtual game based around 13 years of age and older, complete with cyber bullying, virtual sex, swearing and violence. Moderation are not official employees of Outsmart and are handpicked average players. Moderation abuses players IP addresses in order to spy on playing accounts, chat conversations and transactions for their own amusement. Smallworlds.com is unsafe and unsecure. Since the cyber bullying, virtual sex, swearing and violence has got so severe, they now place an official Outsmart Staff member in a known popular space called Town Center. I have witnessed this particular Staff member belittle their very own paying customers and players who are most likely teenagers. Below are screenshots. I do not, nor will I ever, recommend this game to any parent let alone any human being. Just say NO to Smallworlds.com! Screen 1: http://i57.tinypic.com/2jbjgiu.png Screen 2: http://i59.tinypic.com/517qme.png
What other families should know
Too much violence
Too much sex
Too much swearing
Safety and privacy concerns
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Parent of a 12 year old Written byStexan March 18, 2009
age 17+

SmallWorlds NOT for Kids

Who are we kidding? If you want a safe web site for your child to play games on, go to Disney. Smallworlds is not a safe website for children of any age. I've been on the website with more than one avatar and if I am not being bombarded by some 14 year old asking if I want to be their girlfriend of boyfriend (depending on what avatar I'm playing) someone else walks in the room with an Avatar whose name is Sexy Panther. SmallWorlds moderators are usually 14 year olds in my experience and are not all that helpful. Their response to being harassed by anyone is to block them and or lock your room. There are many adults on SmallWorlds, most of the people I've run across are between the ages of 17-45. I won't allow my 12 year old play this game and I wouldn't allow him to play it if he was 15 years old unless I was sitting right next to him. Some rooms might not allow the use of swear words or any other type of inappropriate language but there is NO sensorship of email whatsoever. I've repeatedly asked Smallworlds to make a over 18 portion and an under 18 portion but I am sure they won't. I've even come across men posing as teens trying to pick up young girls, reported them and seen them banned for a day or two, but nothing prevents them from creating another Avatar or 10. This site scares me in regards to SmallWorlds attitude about harassment especially when it comes to sexual harassment. There is no way to prove or disprove your age on SmallWorlds and until they come out with a way to enfore AGE proof and be able to recognize it on the avatar itself, my child won't play. For the person who wrote the clothes are sexless, I've seen avatars that look like whores or worse with mid-driff tops and mini-skirts and more make up than a clown. I've seen avatars that look better than people, who cares if they aren't anatomical...ask anyone on there and they'll tell you that there are some sexy avatars on SmallWorlds. This place IS NOT suitable for CHILDREN or UNSUPERVISED.
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Parent Written byRandom Guest August 15, 2015
age 13+

CrapWorlds

SmallWorlds is a virtual game for ages 13+. There is no age verification so basically anyone can play. If you're a parent, this game is unsuitable for kids under 18. As an adult player, I have never met any genuine adults out of 4,500 online players. And let's face it, 4,500 daily players sucks for a worldwide game. The game includes foul language, harrassment, bullying, cyber sex, pedophiles, a Moderation who steals from players and has access to players accounts just for snooping purposes, and bugs and glitches galore in which Outsmart (SWHQ) is too lazy to fix. The kids act like, well, kids. The adults are wishful thinkers who pretend like they're back in high school with their gossip and bullying. I'm an adult, and wasted 7 years on this crap. I quit cold turkey 2 weeks ago and experienced gaming withdrawal. It's my fault for being sucked into this pile of trash. If you want a real escape from the stress of everyday life, get off your butt and get outside and go for walk or spend the weekend at a wilderness retreat. Do something! Don't waste your life on virtual games, let alone THIS game. By the way, anytime Outsmart releases a new product on SmallWorlds, the product is misleading and faulty. Sometimes they don't even bother to fix it. It's the same as buying something at the store, bringing it home and it doesn't work. Only in the REAL world, we can return it and get it fixed, replaced or refunded. SmallWorlds does neither. So if you purchase any of their products and it doesn't work? You're screwed. Their Testing Team is worthless. Just like their game.
What other families should know
Too much violence
Too much sex
Too much swearing
Too much consumerism
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
Safety and privacy concerns
Was this review useful?
Flag as inappropriate 

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