Hatchi – a retro virtual pet requires players to care for and raise a digital pet. Basic reasoning skills are required to play. Parental guidance is recommended for children aged 5 – 12 due to social media connectivity and in-app purchasing.
No gambling content found in the levels played
This review of Hatchi – a retro virtual pet was completed by the Australian Council on Children and the Media (ACCM) on 29 November 2018.
This section contains details about the app provided by an ACCM Reviewer.
Name of app: | Hatchi – a retro virtual pet |
Developed by: | Portable Pixels Ltd |
Platform reviewed: | Apple App Store |
Cost: | Free |
Developer's suggested age: | none |
ACCM suggested age: | Parental guidance ages 5 – 12 due to social media connectivity and in-app purchasing. |
Gambling content advice: | No gambling content found in the levels played |
This review of Hatchi – a retro virtual pet contains the following information:
Game played for one week.
This game is essentially a digital version of the Tamagotchi (a Japanese word meaning: “Egg” – as the hardware version was this shape). The game begins with the player required to crack an egg (by tapping) which releases a baby Hatchi monster. The game assigns either male or female gender to the hatchling and asks you to create a name. The player is required to take care of the monster by pressing a range of options on the bottom of screen (related to: Hunger, Hygiene, Smarts and Activity). These options help you to care for your monster’s levels of energy and happiness. The pet continues to “exist” when the game is unattended, so players may return to an unhappy pet if he’s hungry, tired or needs cleaning. The aim of the game is to keep your monster alive and happy, whilst raising it to adulthood.
This game has no banner or pop-up ads, no gambling elements and no questionable themes unhealthy for young minds. However, the game is quite limited in scope – unless players spend real money to unlock features (and this game has a lot of in-app purchases for this). It also connects to Facebook, Twitter and the Game Centre (all require passwords). On a more positive note, it does convey the importance of looking after something with regular attendance, the importance of combining both exercise and learning to work towards growth and happiness. Having said this, if your monster is left unattended for too long – it will die. In this case, players are given the option to either revive the current monster for 4000 coins (5000 coins costs $2.99) or to reset your Hatchi and start again. This would not be an uncommon situation, and many children would be likely to want to save their current monster.
5000 Coins = $2.99
15,000 Coins = $5.99
50,000 Coins = $14.99
150,000 Coins = $32.99
450,000 Coins = $79.99
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.
None noted.
The game only gives you options for a boy or a girl. This isn’t so much a problem for younger players, but for adolescents that may be questioning their gender orientation, or believe that they don’t fit into this dichotomy, it may cause some issues.
None noted.
See Reviewer's comments.
N/A.
You can contact us if you have suggestions of other children's apps to review.
Tip: Leave out the first A, An or The
Selecting an age will provide a list of apps with content suitable for this age group. Children may also enjoy apps selected via a lower age.
Top 50 Children's Android Apps in Australia - AppCensus Privacy Check. See full details on the Apps can Trap page
Content is age appropriate for children this age
Some content may not be appropriate for children this age. Parental guidance recommended
Content is not age appropriate for children this age
These icons signal the use and/or transmission of your personal data. (Please note, not all apps on our website have been checked)
Most games contain elements of risk, chance and knowledge, that is why they are fun to play. There is growing concern about the impacts of simulated gambling games on the health and wellbeing of children. That's why we are identifying games that contain gambling elements on our site. These icons signal simulated gambling activity and where none was noted.
Simulated casino style gambling. Not suitable for minors
Contains some elements of gambling. Some content is not recommended for minors. Parental guidance recommended
No gambling content found in the levels played
Children and Media Australia (CMA) is a registered business name of the Australian Council on Children and the Media (ACCM).
CMA provides reviews, research and advocacy to help children thrive in a digital world.
ACCM is national, not-for-profit and reliant on community support. You can help.
ABN: 16 005 214 531