The game app "Brawl Stars" is popular with children. For young gamers, online play poses some risks, such as in-app purchases, loot boxes and contact with strangers. There is a large community on YouTube for the online game, sharing Let’s Plays and discussing updates to the "Brawl Stars" game world. LOOK! Explains what the game, popular with kids, is all about and what parents can watch out for.
In the online game "Brawl Stars", players can compete against each other in various modes, either alone or in teams. The graphics of the game are colorful and appeal to younger players with their cartoon look. The game characters ("Brawlers") differ in appearance as well as in their strengths and weapons.
This is how "Brawl Stars" is played
"Brawl Stars" offers various game modes, which are unlocked gradually. In it, players fight each other alone or in teams with the specific weapons of the game characters and super attacks that are charged by hitting the opponents. The game rounds only last a few minutes each.
The "Jewel Hunt" mode is available right from the start. Here, gamers compete against each other in teams of three. The goal is to be the first team to collect ten jewels and defend them from the opposing players. Other modes are "Vault heist" and "Showdown". In "Vault Heist", teams have to protect their own vault according to the "Capture the Flag" principle known from other games, or rather. conquer the enemy. In "Showdown" players fight alone or in teams of two in a battle royale setting everyone against everyone. Whoever is the last one left, alone or as a team, wins. The game mode is reminiscent of the game "Fortnite", which is also trendy among adolescents.
"Brawl Stars" poses risks for children
The fast rounds in "Brawl Stars", the funny representation of the game world and characters as well as the reward system make the game interesting for kids. To ensure that the fun of the game is not spoiled, there are a few things parents can keep in mind.
Paid content
For winning rounds, players receive rewards, for example in the form of coins or jewels. Rewards are used to buy "brawl boxes," which can contain upgrades for the game’s characters, coins or new, stronger brawlers. It is not apparent to players what the boxes contain. Critics see the surprise boxes ("loot boxes") as a form of gambling that children are not yet able to understand. It is particularly critical if the loot boxes can be purchased with real money via in-app purchases, as is the case with "Brawl Stars". Progress in the game can be slow unless additional content is purchased. The temptation to speed up progress through in-app purchases is therefore great.
It’s important that parents explain to their children the provider’s economic interests behind in-app purchases. Young players also need to understand that there are real costs associated with buying virtual currencies. Of course, a budget can be mutually agreed upon for in-app purchases that can be used weekly or monthly for the game. Parents also have the option to make in-app purchases via the device’s settings or. of the App Store. Instructions can be found in the articles on security settings for Apple smartphones and Android devices.
Use times
The short rounds are practical for a quick game in between, but can tempt you to pick up your smartphone again and again and end up playing longer than you want to. This also animates game incentives like stronger brawlers or improvements. First, the in-game digital currency must be acquired through round victories in order to upgrade the game piece or exchange it for a stronger one. If "Brawls Stars" is played in a team, there is a certain pressure to play together as often as possible and to improve the team performance.
If parents and children agree on binding times of use right from the start, this can help avoid conflicts. In turn-based games like "Brawl Stars" it also makes sense to agree on a number of turns. Children find it easier to leave a game after a certain number of rounds than in the middle of the game after the time of use has expired.