Clicker Heroes - R2 Games

This review of Clicker Heroes was completed by the Australian Council on Children and the Media (ACCM) on 12 September 2015.

About the app

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

ACCM review

This review of Clicker Heroes 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

The app was reviewed to level 10.

App description

Clicker Heroes is a role playing game based on attacking various monsters, and upgrading the heroes that kill them. The objective of the game is for players to defeat a range of creatures within each level, by repeatedly tapping their image – this earns players more points, which in turn allows them to purchase heroes that will do more damage when players tap the screen to attack. The skills required to play this app involve mostly motor skills and problem solving.

Reviewers comments

When the app is first opened, players are taken to an overhead view of a small patch of grass floating in the air, which has a small green creature on it. If they repeatedly tap the monster, it gradually explodes (animated violence) and another smaller monster appears in its place – players also receive one gold coin for this. Players can continue to do this, and thus browse through a range of different creatures they must attack and defeat. Each time players tap the screen, the creatures lose points from their health bar (which is positioned at the bottom of the screen). After players have done this to ten monsters, they unlock a new level where the creatures require more taps to reduce their health bar completely. As players continue to level up, the creatures presented also become more visually complex and aesthetic.

Players are able to ‘hire helpers’ for several coins – these are hero characters that will assist players in doing more damage per tap. It is also possible to level-up these heroes, by using in-game gold coins to make them do increased amounts of damage. As players progress through the levels, there are time limits on the fights players must win (e.g. boss battles) – as a result, players must go back to the previous level, farm more gold and enlist more support from higher-level heroes before tackling the more difficult monsters. With the higher-level heroes, players will be able to have their heroes destroy enemies for them at a fairly rapid pace – they do not need to continually tap, but may do this if they wish to speed up the process.

When players obtain Achievements, they are given ruby gems as a reward. These can then be used to gain treasures, do double damage, move up to higher levels more quickly, etc. These gems are the in-app purchase within the game. Players can purchase extra rubies in packages of 200 for $2.58, 550 for $6.48, 1150 for $12.94, 2400 for $25.89, 6250 for $64.89, and 14000 for $129.55.

Players have the option of viewing their statistics, which includes things such as ‘Tap damage’, ‘most taps per second’, ‘monster kills’, ‘highest zone ever’, etc. It is also possible for players to view and attempt to complete a list of Achievements within the game. This includes things such as ‘Tap 1000 times’, ‘Beat zone 10’, ‘Hoard 500k gold’, etc.

In App purchasing

When players obtain Achievements, they are given ruby gems as a reward. These can then be used to gain treasures, do double damage, move up to higher levels, etc. These gems are the in-app purchase within the game. Players can purchase extra rubies in packages of 200 for $2.58, 550 for $6.48, 1150 for $12.94, 2400 for $25.89, 6250 for $64.89, and 14000 for $129.55.

Online information

Players have the option to invite friends to play, by signing in via a Facebook account.

Gambling

No gambling content was found during this review.

Advertising and product placement

Players can select an option to watch video advertisements in order to ‘gain 100+ gold bonus for the next four hours’. The ads are full-screen video advertisements for apps such as ‘Empire: Four Kingdoms’. Players are also able to view video advertisements in order to receive red rubies – these ads are full-screen, and cannot be closed until they have been played to completion. Apps such as ‘Minions Paradise’ are presented.

Gender stereotypes and sexual references

N/A.

Coarse language

N/A.

Game playing behaviour which may be of concern to some parents

No game playing behaviour which may be of concern was found during this review.

Other

N/A.

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