I have showed you the magical app kit known as Pixicade in a previous review. You can often find them at the front of Walmart stores or even online at Amazon. But they didn't stop there. They took game-making to a whole new level with Pixicade Pets! Now, your child can create pets in their own little universe. I'm going to show you how.
*Disclaimer: I was sent 2 kits in exchange for hosting a party and then sharing my honest review afterwards. I was not otherwise paid or endorsed. All opinions are mine or my party goers only.*
As a Mom, I hate screen time that has no purpose. My only guilty allowances in this has been a single app game, watching movies or playing on the Xbox. And those are strictly monitored, timed and screened by us parents. Pixicade is a whole different ballgame! I don't have to worry about what they are seeing. What they might be accessing. Or even who they are playing with. Call me overprotective, but I know what is out there plaguing the internet world. And I want safe options for my kids to enjoy. Pixicade was an introduction to my children in the world of video game creation. They were able to make their own games. Their friends can play and they can learn from it.
Fast forward, and now they can make a whole universe while having their very own created virtual pets. My kids know that pets in real life isn't happening until they move out! But virtual pets are absolutely allowed. Even better is that it has been STEAM certified! It can be a fun, but educational game that spans a variety of ages.
How do you start in the fun?
You need to get a kit. Like I said, Walmart or Amazon has them. While you can load the free app, it won't save your progress without the loading of your personal code which comes in the kit. Once you get your kit, you will need to install the app on your device. It was quick and easy to load on both my phone and on the tablet.
Creating an account comes next. Using your kids' info creates a safety net, with their settings for age restrictions built in. Hopefully the video I have uploaded walks you through, but if you have questions, let me know!
Things we enjoyed about this included....
You choose one personality as your main one, however, the game picks a second personality trait for you. We laughed at some of the choices. My character was a smarty pants by my choosing, but the game added sporty (so not like me!). My youngest chose playful and the game added clumsy (which would be more like her sisters character). Her sister chose adventurous and the game threw in chill, which my daughter commented was the complete opposite! It certainly makes for interesting pets.
Pets react to things done with and to them in the game. You are encouraged to play with your pet to boost their happiness level. But be careful! If you make them jump up and they fall onto their heads, they will cry. But if you play with them in good ways, they are happy. You know this by the emoji faces that pop up. This will raise or lower their happiness level accordingly.
Coins are available through random tapping around the worlds and in games. This is great because my kids loved adding things to their pets wardrobe, house and outside decor. But when you have 3 kids playing, coins can get depleted pretty quick.
Things we had trouble with were....
Feeding our pets was the hardest. What we noticed was that the first feeding was quick. But if we had to feed them more or wanted to feed the other pets, we had issues getting the food to pop up to them. Now, this could be the game or maybe it's my outdated tablet.
Another issue I had was the permission function. If the kids come to a certain function, they need parents permission granted. You enter the adults email address. I got an email that wanted to verify my age. There were two options in this. Charge my credit card .50 (which will eventually be returned to me) or enter my information. Normally, I'd say no way. I don't have a credit card. And I don't like sharing personal information online. However, since I'm reviewing the functions of the game, I went with personal information. What I found was that I don't exist. The information I entered (which only I should know best, right?) kept telling me I couldn't be verified as an adult. On a whim, I started using outdated information. Bingo! Turns out, they think I still have my previous last name. Something that changed over 5 years ago! So the company that does the verifying is incredibly out of date. That or I'm better at off-grid living than I thought...
However, fear not. If you ever get stuck in the game, they are incredibly open to getting you the support you need. After all, it was created by a husband and wife team. He programs and she is an art teacher!
It has been a lot of fun. We showed it off to our friends and the kids love being able to play. With Christmas coming on fast, it makes a great gift option too!
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