ANIMAL JAM
BRAWL STARS
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PEGI RATING: 7+
WHAT IS IT? Brawl Stars is a multiplayer online battle arena and third-person hero shooter video game. Battles have different game modes such as team brawls, solo survival, and capture-the-flag–style competitions. The game features colourful graphics, real-time combat, and in-game rewards. Players can team up with friends or match with strangers. WHAT WE SAY: Treat with caution. ✅ POSITIVE THEMES
KEY CONCERNS: 🔞 Access to Inappropriate Content Animal Jam is designed for children and uses strong filtering to block explicit language and mature topics. However, players may still encounter suggestive roleplay, inappropriate usernames, or subtle manipulation especially in user-created dens or public areas when chat settings are not restricted. 🔐 Privacy Concerns Usernames are visible to others, and players can customise avatars and dens. While no personal info is required, users may try to share social media handles, locations, or photos using clever wording or abbreviations. 🎮 Game Concerns The game focuses on education, creativity, and animal conservation. However, the social nature of the game means some children may become more focused on popularity, rare item trading, or roleplay drama than the intended learning content. Certain in-game trends or cliques can cause stress or exclusion. 📢 Lack of Advert Moderation While most advertisements are child-friendly, promotional pop-ups and in-game banners may still encourage membership upgrades or cosmetic purchases. Some ads may appear too frequently, pushing children toward paid content. Third-party ad exposure is limited but possible in related apps or external links. 💸 In-App Purchases Animal Jam offers a free version, but features are limited without a paid membership. Players are encouraged to buy rare items, currency, or customizations. Children may feel pressure to spend money to keep up with peers or access exclusive content. Parental approval can be required through app store settings. 📺 Live Streaming Risks Animal Jam itself doesn’t support live streaming, but children may stream gameplay on YouTube or Twitch or watch others doing so. This can expose them to unfiltered commentary, older audiences, or unsafe content—especially if they engage in live chats or comment sections. 💬 Direct Messaging Animal Jam does not support private messaging in the traditional sense, but players can send messages through Jam-a-Grams (customizable postcards). While heavily filtered, they can still be used to send repeated messages, passive-aggressive notes, or unwanted attention, especially in ongoing friend disputes. 🧑💻 Online Predators & Grooming Although heavily moderated, predators may attempt to contact children through innocent-looking accounts and long-term relationship building. Roleplay environments are particularly susceptible to this kind of trust-based grooming. Parents should ensure chat settings are limited and check friend lists regularly. 🔓 Scams & Account Theft Item trading and rare giveaways are frequent and can lead to scams, especially for younger players unfamiliar with safe trading practices. 🧠 Addiction & Mental Health Animal Jam encourages daily play through login streaks, events, and limited-time offers. Children may become overly invested in maintaining progress or obtaining rare items, leading to stress, anxiety, or screen-time struggles. |
🛡️SAFETY TIPS:
📲Understand the game Familiarise yourself with the games features and how they work. Knowing how the app works will help you guide your child effectively. 👨👧Parental supervision Check their interactions and adjust privacy settings accordingly. 💸Limit In-App Purchases Set spending limits or disable in-app purchases on your device to avoid accidental or excessive spending. 🚨Avoid Unofficial Downloads Stick to downloading the game from official sources (like the App Store or Google Play) to avoid malware, data breaches, or compromised versions. 📢Underage Accounts This game might have an age restriction but it lacks a proper age verification process. Therefore, there’s little stopping users from faking their dates of birth or creating bogus profiles and targeting children and young people. 👥Manage friend requests Teach your child only to accept friend requests from people they know in real life. 📷 Cover the Webcam When Not in Use Physically cover your camera when you're not ready to go live. Always be mindful of what’s visible in your background—it can reveal location clues. 🧠 Trust Your Instincts If something feels uncomfortable, it is uncomfortable. Leave the chat immediately and don’t engage with users who seem suspicious, aggressive, or inappropriate. 🖥️ Place Devices in Shared Spaces Keep internet-connected devices in living rooms or kitchens, not bedrooms. This makes risky behaviour less likely and easier to notice. 🙋♀️Conversations: Have open discussions with children and young people about the topics associated with online use - bullying, grooming, sexual and criminal exploitation, body image, as well as accessing support and how to report. 🚨 Know the Signs of Trouble Watch for behaviour changes—like anxiety, secrecy, mood swings, or suddenly deleting apps. These can signal something inappropriate happened online. 
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