A Lot or a Little?
What you will—and won't—find in this app.
-
Ease of Play
a little
A brief tutorial is available, but it doesn't go into enough detail about what the gameplay rules are or what the ultimate goal might be.
-
Violence & Scariness
none
Kids can add swords as an accessory to their outfit, but they aren't used in play.
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.
Get started
-
Language
very little
Users can chat with each other, and messages are unmoderated, which could expose them to inappropriate content. But the functionality is spotty -- the messages often just disappear -- so users may not see comments for long.
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.
Get started
-
Products & Purchases
some
Players can purchase packs of gems, the app's currency, which they can also win playing games, that range from $1.99 to $19.99. The game does tend to burn through in-game provided currency and energy quickly, funneling you towards purchases for progress. Players will also see commercials occasionally, particulary when transitioning between areas or when trying to earn some currency.
-
Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Gacha Life is a life simulation app for iOS and Android devices. The game doesn't involve gory violence, or much other inappropriate content -- although if users can get the chat function to work, they may see some swearing. But some players have been using the skit builder to create inappropriate content that isn't included in the app itself and posting videos of these skits online. Be cautious of what you search for around Gacha Life online, particularly on YouTube. Figuring out what to do when you're cruising around in the app can be a little confusing, especially since the included tutorial is so limited that it's almost impossible to tell what you're supposed to do; it's also easy to run out of stamina and the app currency you need to get more of it without paying for more, which can slow things down. Players will also see ads; they aren't nonstop, and many are fairly short, but they play every now and again when you're switching from one section of the app to another. Read the developer's privacy policy for details on how your (or your kids') information is collected, used, and shared, and any choices you may have in the matter, and note that privacy policies and terms of service frequently change.
Where to Download
Community Reviews
See all
- Parents say (121)
- Kids say (628)
age 11+
Based on 121 parent reviews
rmcdonald Parent of 11 and 16-year-old
November 11, 2020
age 18+
Gacha Life is a vile perversion of all things innocent
Its not the game that is the problem, its the tens of thousands of Youtube video's which tell stories that involves all manner of traumatizing, sexual and adult content. Save yourself and your family a world of pain and don't go near this game or allow your children to watch Gacha Life on Youtube. My child is literately addicted to the videos which has prompted me to install Web Safety by Diladele. Unless of course you want to expose your child to cutting/self-harm/mutilation, torture, demons that will infect their dreams and completely non age appropriate sex acts.
Gigachad1023 Parent of 7 and 8-year-old
April 18, 2022
age 14+
Block the app before your children gets a hold of it. (until theyre 14+)
The game is good but I think the people that should be playing it should at least be 14+ because if your not mature enough you'll probably end up being one of those "content creators" that creates video relating to p*rn, "heats", Zoophile and many more stuff, If you started playing it at 14+ you will not fall to the trap because you have actual sense on what's good and what's not.
Rate app
See all 121 parent reviews
Privacy Rating Warning
Privacy Rating
Our expert evaluators create our privacy ratings. The ratings are designed to help you understand how apps use your data for commercial purposes.
Pass
Meets our minimum requirements for privacy and security practices.
Warning
Does not meet our recommendations for privacy and security practices.
Fail
Does not have a privacy policy and should not be used.
Privacy Rating
Our expert evaluators create our privacy ratings. The ratings are designed to help you understand how apps use your data for commercial purposes.
Pass
Meets our minimum requirements for privacy and security practices.
Warning
Does not meet our recommendations for privacy and security practices.
Fail
Does not have a privacy policy and should not be used.
- Unclear whether personal information is sold or rented to third parties.
- Personal information is shared for third-party marketing.
- Personalised advertising is displayed.
- Unclear whether data are collected by third-parties for their own purposes.
- Unclear whether this product uses a user's information to track and target advertisem*nts on other third-party websites or services.
- Unclear whether this product creates and uses data profiles for personalised advertisem*nts.
What’s It About?
Kids can dress characters up and visit different scenes in GACHA LIFE. They can play eight games and earn gems, create brief character skits in Studio Mode, and chat with other players. In Life Mode, kids can establish friendships by letting game characters speak to them. When kids' stamina gets low, they need to spend gems they've earned to get Gacha -- basically, gifts such as an animal, shirt, or other items -- that gives them energy to keep playing, and they can give the gifts to other characters to help advance their friendship level.
Is It Any Good?
Our review:
Parents say (121):
Kids say (628):
Kids who love outfitting an avatar should enjoy that portion of this multi-activity app, but the other aspects, including its reliance on energy for characters, can be very confusing. Gacha Life's skit builder offers a fun way to create simple animated features, because players can creatively express themselves with its customizable scenes. But parents and kids should be careful, because some players have been using the skit builder to create inappropriate content that isn't included in the app itself and posting videos of these skits online. Be cautious of what you search for around Gacha Life online, particularly on YouTube. Some of its games are also fun -- for instance, players catch chicken nuggets that are falling from the sky in one. But many others run very fast and/or are almost laughably short. A game that involves giving rabbits that pop out of a hole candy can last literally 10 seconds. In addition, while it's fairly easy to figure out how to walk around the different worlds, it's unclear what you're supposed to do in each location, or how to advance to higher levels. Essentially, users want to speak with, then give gifts to characters to increase their friendship level. But each action costs stamina points, so as you're moving forward with friendships, which presumably helps you go farther, you're also losing energy. If you haven't paid attention to what your new friends are saying, the point loss when you're quizzed about these characters might not be worth it.
Worse, you'll repeatedly run out of stamina, have to go purchase new Gacha and gifts to give away, and when you inevitably run out of energy again, you need to play games, watch an ad, or buy gems (with real-world money) to keep working toward the next friendship level. It seems to be an excuse to make you switch screens and watch an ad, which slows down gameplay to the point it's hard to imagine happily waiting around and being interested in playing for long.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about focusing on things other than appearance. What other qualities or traits are important? Why do you think there's less of a focus on inner beauty instead of outward appearance?
Do apps, shows, and other experiences that emphasize buying things make you feel like happiness is linked to spending money? What are some fun things you can do for free?
App Details
- Devices: iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Android
- Pricing structure: Free
- Release date: February 11, 2019
- Category: Simulation Games
- Publisher: Lunime
- Version: 4.0
- Minimum software requirements: Requires 4.0 and up or iOS 8.0 or later.
- Last updated: July 11, 2020
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.
Gacha Life
Suggest an Update
Your privacy is important to us. We won't share this comment without your permission. If you chose to provide an email address, it will only be used to contact you about your comment. See our privacy policy.
Where to Download
Our Editors Recommend
-
High School Story
age 14+
-
-
A Mighty Girl
age 8+
-
Women Who Changed the World
age 9+
See all
Simulation Games and Apps
See all
Best of The Sims
See all recommended app lists
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate
