Clockwork Tales - Artifex Mundi/ Big Fish Games

This review of Clockwork Tales was completed by the Australian Council on Children and the Media (ACCM) on 29 April 2014.

About the app

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

ACCM review

This review of Clockwork Tales 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

All of the free app – the subsequent chapters that must be paid for were not reviewed.

App description

This game is a steam punk style adventure game where the player must solve puzzles and find hidden objects in order to save Doctor Ink.

Reviewers comments

Clockwork Tales is a point and click adventure game. The game starts with a video depicting Evangeline’s journey to meet with Doctor Ink. The pretence of the game is that mysterious earthquakes have been occurring in the town of Hochwald and Doctor Ink believes that a threatening man named Barber has something to do with it. After the video, the player takes on the character of Evangeline, who is a spy who is in town to help her mentor discover the cause of these disturbances. Soon after the game begins Doctor Ink is kidnapped (see the violence section for more detail) and the player must find hidden items, solve clues and complete puzzles in order to try and resume him. Such puzzles include finding the missing parts of Ink’s metal bird. To find clues, the player can also click on characters in the story and they will give you bits of information to help you solve the puzzles.

A large part of this game involves looking for hidden objects. Therefore, this game can help children develop their search and find skills. Also, the puzzle aspect of the game can help develop their problem solving and strategic thinking skills.

In App purchasing

At the end of the game the player is prompted to buy the next chapters of the game, which costs $3.79. The free part of the game ends on a cliff hanger, therefore this may cause tension if the player is not allowed to pay to continue playing the game.

Online information

This game does not connect to online communities.

Gambling

No gambling content found during the review.

Advertising and product placement

The main menu of the app advertises other games from the same developer.

Gender stereotypes and sexual references

N/A.

Coarse language

N/A.

Game playing behaviour which may be of concern to some parents

The character you are playing as is a spy, therefore, much of the game includes lying and deception. For example, some parts of the game include picking locks and wearing disguises to break into secure locations.

Other

N/A.

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