CityVille

LQ: 9.1

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Brain grade: 9.5
Fun score: 8.6

CityVille - Educational Game Review
Game Type: ESRB Rating: N/A Platform/Console: LWK Recommended Age: 7+ Thinking Skills Used: , , Academic Skills Used:

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CityVille gives the player the opportunity to design and run her very own city as Mayor. Beginning with a virtually empty city, she has complete control over the building and organization of the land. Maintaining the happiness of the population, which involves providing adequate housing, community buildings, and businesses, and much more, is essential in order for the city to thrive. The player can constantly expand her city by adding more businesses, homes, and even establishing franchises in neighboring cites. She will need the help of her neighbors, however, for handling items such as zoning permits and energy. CityVille’s content and basic reading requirements are appropriate for players seven and older.


THIS GAME IS GOOD FOR KIDS WHO NEED HELP WITH:

Organization

Arranging and coordinating materials in order to complete a task.

In CityVille, the player starts out small but continually expands the city's boundaries. As she does this, it's important for her to consider how to logically lay out sections of the town. For example, placing businesses such as toy stores, clothing stores, and burger joints in the same area will allow her to more easily collect profits and supply good shipments. By organizing siimilar buildings near one another, she will not have to search and click all over the city to accomplish the tasks relating to them, saving time and effort.

Things can also get crowded very quickly and easily, so the player must be careful to avoid placing anything in a hidden, neglected, or hard-to-see area. Creating designated areas for specific buildings will greatly improve the ease at which she progresses.

Self-Awareness

Understanding our own actions, thoughts, and feelings.

The player needs the help of friends in order to move up in CityVille. For example, she cannot increase her maximum population without adding community buildings. However, she is required to hire a specific number of employees for each type of building. To do this, she sends help requests that her friends must accept. She must consider the needs of her neighbors when playing, though, which means also helping others and accepting their requests. Her friends will take notice if she never reciprocates the help and will eventually choose to not be neighbors anymore. When she can think past her own feelings and consider those of her friends, she will be able to hold on to thankful and supportive neighbors that will help her succeed in CityVille.

Planning

Developing a systematic approach for setting and achieving goals.

Cities are expensive investments and even in the virtual world of CityVille, money does not grow on trees. When the player takes the time to recognize the need to purchase an expensive building, whether to grow her city or accomplish an in-game goal, she must plan ahead and save enough money to afford it. This means reserving her coins and refraining from making unnecessary purchases. Keeping track of the many factors that dictate the happiness of the population also requires foresight, as the player must continually maintain quality housing, provide entertainment, build utilities, and expand transit in order to keep inhabitants satisfied.

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