The online strategy game Clash of Clans has been around for a few years. The further development Clash Royale (since 2016) is also very popular with children and young people. The reason for this is certainly that the app costs nothing and that you can play against each other.
Clash of Clans and Clash Royale are so-called real-time multiplayer strategy games. So your child can play simultaneously with other players mobile and online via the app.
At Clash of Clans players work in clans. These are groups in which individual players team up and fight together against other groups. Clans must build their own village, train troops, and eventually compete with other clans to capture “resources.” These are, for example, gold, jewels and elixir. Through these resources, one’s clan can be better equipped and protected. These resources can also be purchased.
Clash Royale is the further development of Clash of Clans and has been on the market since 2016. Here the principles of strategy and trading cards are combined. Before each round, eight cards are selected from a deck, which must be used skillfully in the game. The cards include spells against the opponent. The winner is the player who has destroyed the most enemy main towers with his own units. One round lasts only three minutes. For winning rounds you get gold and chests, which gives you jewels or new cards.
The game principle is simple and already at the beginning you have good chances to win against “the computer”. These wins and rewards create incentives and motivate to keep playing. Clash Royale also provides a balanced mix of luck and tactics.
Even without using real money, you can have a lot of fun with Clash Royale and its predecessor Clash of Clans. Of course, the direct comparison when playing with “real” opponents is also exciting.
Especially among boys, the games are very popular.
Even though the individual game rounds are short, jewels and chests always create incentives to keep playing. Since it’s a real-time game, the game continues to evolve even when you’re not playing. This can also make some kids and teens want to play on and on.
Especially impatient players can progress faster in the game through in-app purchases. As a parent, you should keep this in mind or deactivate in-app purchases in the smartphone settings.
The ability to chat with fellow players within the game leads to risks such as cyberbullying and cybergrooming.
Combat elements are an important part of the games, for example, destroying other clans and their towers. However, due to the comic-like presentation, this is not very realistic for children.
Stiftung Warentest tested the two games in 2019 to see how suitable they are for children and rated them “unacceptable”. Content not suitable for children has been found: Right-wing clan pseudonyms and links to porn sites. However, violations can also not be reported directly. The games also score poorly in terms of in-app purchases and data protection. However, there are no advertisements in the game.
The provider provides a general parent guide in German for its game apps. This explains how to make settings to disable in-app purchases, for example. There are also explanations about chat security and privacy. However, especially when it comes to chat security, there is no blocking function. The provider only responds to offensive content.
Let your child explain the game and the fascination with it to you. Talk to him about what violence means in the game and in reality.
Agree on rules about playing time and duration. Use settings options to prevent unintentional in-app purchases and to limit the app’s usage time if necessary. However, remember to talk about it with your child beforehand. Also, consider disabling push notifications for the game so that your child is not constantly informed about what is happening in the game while they are not playing.
The chat function in the game is always public, i.e. all players can chat with each other. Therefore, you should definitely agree on conversation rules for the chat in advance. Above all, clarify that no private data such as clear names, cell phone numbers, etc. should be given out via the chat.
Ask about play experiences and be there if your child ever has an unpleasant experience.
You can find more information about the games here: http://www.klicksafe.de/service/aktuelles/news/detail/was-eltern-ueber-beliebte-online-strategiespiele-wie-clash-royale-wissen-sollten/
