Free Realms

Play Safe in Free Realms

by Mike Smith

What's the big deal about Free Realms? Find out what makes this teen-friendly, colorful online world different than all the rest.

According to the developers, Free Realms is suitable for kids as young as 8 to play. But how can you be sure your child isn't being exposed to bad language or other inappropriate content while they're online? Fortunately, Free Realms has solutions to this problem inside the game itself.

Children under 13 can play Free Realms together with older players, but they're restricted both in what they can see and what they can say. Rather than a chat-box, the underage set can only communicate via a set of preset phrases with a point-and-click interface.

More to the point, they can only see chat from other players who opt to use the preset phrases, even if those players are older than 13. Even if inappropriate talk happens to be flying around, under 13s won't know it's there. Under 13s also can't view posts made by regular users on the game's forums, although parents can turn that restriction off if they want.

It's also worth noting that Free Realms doesn't features the dark themes of more mature online games. Rather than underground palaces filled with undead monsters or vast mountain fortresses, its cities tend more towards carnival, beach, or ski-resort atmospheres. Combat is blood-free (check out one of our videos for a taster) and although it's violent, it's more Tom & Jerry than Itchy & Scratchy.

But for all that the Free Realms developers have done to ensure the world's an age-appropriate play experience, if you really want to know what they're up to, there's no substitute for actually joining in. As the name suggests, basic-level Free Realms accounts are free. So there's nothing stopping you jumping into the game and enjoying a quest or two with your child.