10yo wants Brawl Stars game. Looks addictive and expensive, I'm thinking no?

[RedPandaClaws]

My DS10 in Y6 says every single child in his class is playing a game called Brawl Stars, and it is all they talk about. He want to join in. He says he will be excluded from all conversation if I don't let him.

He doesn't have a smartphone, so is wanting to play this on a chromebook at home.

I've had a play of the game and read a bit online, and it seems like this, is just a pile of trash game that heavily encourages you to spend real money for in game items in order to progress. Without spending money the game appears to be impossible/frustrating. It also pushes online group play and has unfiltered chat which I'm very wary of.

DS has a history of getting utterly obsessed by certain computer games, so I'm not feeling very positive. At least the previous obsessions were simple single player games that weren't trying to encourage endless spending and upgrades.

I'm thinking I'm going to say no, although DS will say I'm the worst parent in the world.

Anyone else got any experience of this game and the effect in their DC?

Let him play but make sure any payment info isn’t saved on the device. If he wants to use his pocket money, fine, but again don’t save your card info and tell him if he uses it on the game he won’t be able to spend it elsewhere. When it’s his own cash he will likely be more reluctant to spend it. In y6 he shouldn’t be allowed unlimited access to devices anyway, so just make it clear he’s only allowed to play for a certain amount of time after school once homework etc has been completed.

I will say that while there’s no gore within the game itself, you’re correct in that public group chats are allowed on it (as is the ability to play against strangers) and so your child will open himself up to possible grooming/ cyber bullying from those who may be older than him. You need to keep an eye on these chats if he does play and educate him about internet safety.

RE internet safety, it’s maybe worth telling him about the breck bednar story which originally started with online gaming.

Just set some clear rules with him, and then follow by them regardless.

E.g.

No open public chats.
No requirement to spend money on in-game purchases
No more than X time
No games with nudity, adult content, excessive blood/violence
No games that encourage gambling or have gambling mechanics

Write them down, agree to them. And then keep it simple. Does a game conform to the rules? Yes he can play. Does a game break the rules? No. Not allowed. Simple, no arguing back allowed etc. You set the rules, not his friends parents.

I know he will find it tough if his friends are playing games that break your rules - but honestly, so what? Better that then the addictive/gambling/predatory impacts that games can have on kids these days.

Then offer to buy him games that do fit your rules. Let him pick - take ownership, and choose games that are actually good for him.

Games are actually really good for children (in moderation) they are linked to better problem solving + logical reasoning, better dexterity, better quick decision making, and are a very good outlet for anger/competitiveness in boys. But you just need to set boundaries while he is young, and then let him have the independence to navigate within these boundaries.

We don't allow games with open chat features. It too hard for us to monitor so they just allowed them at this age. We talk about why. We also talk about finding other things that are interesting. Phases of game play change. It can feel isolating but focusing on the positives of the other things in your family you do instead is one way to lesson it.

Thanks for the replies. I actually very much enjoy computer games, and he already plays loads of different games. But I think the traditional console games where you can play as a family are a million times better than these shitty browser games designed to make you spend money to progress.

I like the idea of coming up with a set of rules for games he's allowed to play.

But why on earth would you let your 10yo child play a game if there is even the slightest chance of "opening him up to possible grooming / cyber bullying by those older than him"!!! Kids of that age just have no sense and would not be able navigate an environment like that.

I think older kids (10+) should be educated. Rather than banning them from chat rooms altogether, they need to be taught how to behave safely online, to tell you if something or someone makes them uncomfortable, and shown something like the break bednar story. There’s a video with actors that used to be shown round the schools. Banning them only makes more tantalising and they will access them somewhere else if not at home, and may not know how to keep themselves safe.

I mean that is a fair enough comment, it just feels like DS is still too young. I know I'm trying to hold back a flood and it will be inevitable that he ends up playing games like this eventually.
I just think with every year older before he starts - means a year wiser and a year more mature.

I understand your concern — Brawl Stars can be addictive and full of in-app purchases. If your DS just wants to enjoy all brawlers without the spending pressure, there’s Null’s Brawl, a private server version where everything is unlocked for free. It’s not the official game, but it removes the pay-to-win frustration.

I get your concern Brawl Stars can definitely feel addictive, especially with all the in-app purchases. If your son just wants to play casually and try out every brawler without the spending pressure, there’s Null’s Brawls New Version Alli & Trunk, a private server where everything is unlocked for free. it’s a fun way to enjoy the content without the pay-to-win aspect.

Just make sure he cant make purchases himself. DS plays it, he is 11. Its addictive, but we have a 1h per day screen rule. I set his ipad to lock after 1h and then thats it.
DH plays it too and i actually do too sometimes 🙈 Its really fun cuz you play in teams of 3, so i can play with them 😄
It can easily be played without paying, just takes a bit longer to level up the characters.
DS sometimes spends his birthday money on it, which i think is fair enough. DH first said its a waste to spend his money on it, especially since one day hes gonna quit. but if you think about it, when DS was younger he would spend his birthday money on toys he no longer uses now.. Or candy… Not really much better.

He can only buy stuff if we confirm it though, so we always talk it through with him first.
He has mowed my parents lawn weekly this summer for extra pocket money just to spend on it.

Oh and you can disable the chat, I think.
Then they can only send standard messages created by the game like “hi” or “gtg” or “play again?”

I understand your concern — Brawl Stars can feel quite addictive, especially with constant in-app purchases. If your son just wants to play casually and test every brawler without spending money, the new Null’s Brawl update Mina & Ziggy is a good option. It’s a private server where all brawlers and features are unlocked for free, making it a fun way to enjoy the game without the pay-to-win pressure.

My DS plays brawl stars, never spent any money on it. He knows very well that I will say no to any requests to spend money on games so he doesn't even ask. He's quite happy playing it without spending.

I’ve found when my son says “everyone is playing it” it’s certainly NOT everyone! But potentially his good friends are talking about it a lot. Once he wanted a game and we watched a YouTube play through of the game and that was enough for him to be able to join in playground chat about it - playground chat is just arguing about which character is best etc . He didn’t even want to play the game after that!

My DS (17!) plays it. It's 'all the rage', as my mum would say. It's the game I know where most people have it in common (ie. Not Fortnite, FIFA, Minecraft etc where some people play). Think it's because it's on the phone. He doesn't spend any money on it at all. He's working v hard on his A levels and it's his downtime.