aquapark.io - VooDoo

This review of aquapark.io was completed by the Australian Council on Children and the Media (ACCM) on 17 October 2019.

About the app

This section contains details about the app provided by an ACCM Reviewer.

ACCM review

This review of aquapark.io contains the following information:

• The level to which the game was reviewed
• App description
• Reviewers comments
• In App purchasing
• Online information
• Gambling
• Advertising and product placement
• Gender stereotypes and sexual references
• Coarse language
• Game playing behaviour which may be of concern to some parents
• Other

The level to which the game was reviewed

City Slide – 3rd level

App description

Fast and fun, aquapark.io is a simple and entertaining game requiring the player to create and name an avatar, then direct their ride down various waterslides and try to beat all the other competitors and win the race. Using a finger on the screen to direct the avatar the player must develop strategies about how to avoid the barricades, catch the speed arrows or jump ahead on the slide at the risk of falling off. The player can also bump other sliders into barricades or off the slide. As a side achievement a tally is made of all the eliminated sliders.

The player earns coins based on the position they finish the race in, and these can earn them a chance to upgrade and change their avatar’s skin. In the developer’s description it was suggested that new levels could also be bought but the reviewer saw no evidence of this.

Requiring some fine motor dexterity, the player needs to modify their finger placement on the screen to direct the avatar forward slowly or fast, sideways and to jump or bump. Strategy is exercised when deciding to aim for speed arrows or bump other sliders into barricades and choosing to jump or knock out other competitors.

In the free version there are many avenues for the designer to present ads and a few avenues for in-app purchases. The bought game still has access to ads if a ‘revive for a video’ option is selected.

Reviewers comments

The app uses simple, colourful artwork with appealing cartoon avatars. Each is named with a national affiliation creating a more personal feel to the ‘kill’ and win aspect of the game. Scoring the avatar’s accumulated losses as ‘kills’ is a bit gruesome.

Also, in the bought version there is still access to video ad’s via the ‘revive for a video’ option.

On the menu there is a ‘No Ad’s’ icon that leads to a page where the app can be purchased for $4.49. If ‘purchase’ is selected the player is required to provide their Apple ID as with other online purchases.

The app appears to still be under construction which may explain why the developer lists on their site that further coins can be purchased (see In-app purchases), however, the reviewer could not find any link to pages offering the sale of the virtue coins.

In App purchasing

There is In-App purchasing in this game, examples include: 

• Game without ads is $4.49 – one button push on menu screen. Will easily charge the devices Apple account. Once the ‘No Ads’ button is pushed the request to charge the device account persistently pops up about 5 times.
• The following prices are listed on the App Store advertisement for this game, however, in the free and bought versions I could not find any way to access the following purchases: 10000 coins - $4.49; 6000 coins - $2.99; 2500 coins - $1.49

If the option to buy virtual coins does eventually get installed these coins could be spent almost immediately depending on the level the player was on.

Online information

There is some online connectivity, such as:

• ‘No Ads’ icon on the menu page immediately takes the player to a screen that can access the Apple ID. Hit another button, enter your Apple password and the game is paid for and the ad-less version becomes available.
• The Voodoo Privacy Policy is available on their website voodoo.io. This policy is not specific to Aquapark.io but implies that IDFA publicity identifiers will be sourced from the player’s device. Data about how the player interacts with the app will also be collected as well as the player’s geographical position. They use cookies to link to advertising partners who are extensively listed in the policy.

If the Internet is disabled the player can play the game ad-free and without accidental connectivity concerns. Therefore, 9-12 year olds may find this game entertaining with parental guidance.

Gambling

At the time of review, the reviewer found no simulated gambling content. If you discover simulated gambling content in this app, please contact us with the details so we can update our review.

Advertising and product placement

There is advertising in this free version of the game, including: 

• banner ads at base of screen. Flashing and visually demanding.
• video ads play between each water slide in the game (the reviewer had one self-load in the Apple Store, automatically removing the reviewer from the game).
• on the menu page there is an inset window advertising games from the same developer. If the icon is selected the player is taken directly to the App Store advertisement for the game.
• When a character does not complete a course, they are offered the option to revive the character by selecting ‘Revive for a video’. They then get taken to a video ad where the player is locked into watching the whole ad without a close option.

The game play is short (eg 30 seconds) and the ads match this time fairly equally so there is a lot of ad watching involved. The reviewer found, however, that if the device on which the game was played was disconnected from the Internet the game continued ad free.

As mentioned, in the bought version the player can still end up watching ads if they select the ‘Revive for a video’ button, however, the banners, between ads and inset window are removed.

Gender stereotypes and sexual references

None noted.

Coarse language

None noted.

Game playing behaviour which may be of concern to some parents

Please see reviewer’s comments above.

Other

Phone crashed a lot during the ads.

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