Candy Crush Saga
King (Activision Blizzard)
Match-3 puzzle with endless levels — known for its life system that limits play and drives purchases.
Which child are you assessing?
OK with guidance
Strong addictive design keeps children playing longer + Aggressive dark patterns — clear parental rules needed.
What matters
Addictive design
Mechanics designed for prolonged use and return visits
In-app purchases
Purchases within the app possible (e.g. items, coins, subscriptions)
Tracking
Usage data is collected and shared
Ads
The app shows personalized advertising
Not present: Chat, User content, Violence, Stranger contact, Voice chat
How this game captures attention
These mechanics are no accident — they're intentional. No moral judgment, but important knowledge for you.
Daily Login Requirement (Streaks)
The game rewards daily logins — and punishes not logging in.
Why it works: The brain evaluates losses twice as heavily as gains (loss aversion). Klicksafe calls this FOMO — 'Fear of Missing Out': the constant pressure to always be there. Breaking a streak feels like real pain for children — that's intentional, not a side effect.
In diesem Alter beginnt das Gehirn Verluste besonders stark zu bewerten — Streaks erzeugen echten Stress.
Try it together: deliberately skip a day and discuss how it feels. Show: the game continues afterwards.
Leaderboards & Friend Comparisons
The game constantly shows who's better — friends, classmates, rankings.
Why it works: Social comparisons activate the same system as evolutionary status pressure. For school-age children, social rank is existentially important — the game knows this.
Ask: 'Do you look at the leaderboard often? How does that feel?' Explain: rankings measure playtime, not your worth as a person.
Sources: Klicksafe.de · Arte: Die Dopamin-Falle · All sources
Understanding store ratings
App Store (Apple)
4+
Google Play
Alle
Normalized risk score: 0 = lowest risk, 100 = highest risk. NUNIVIA weights App Store (55%) and Google Play (45%).
Why NUNIVIA rates additionally
Official labels (USK, PEGI) primarily refer to content such as violence or language. Purchase pressure, loot boxes, addictive mechanics and manipulative UI designs (dark patterns) have only been gradually included since 2023 — older ratings do not yet fully reflect this. NUNIVIA therefore additionally evaluates real everyday risks, including UI tricks such as countdown timers, virtual currencies, FOMO events and hidden decline options.
Assessment for game
The life system is classic monetisation: play is interrupted by waiting times, purchases bridge them. The Arte documentary 'The Dopamine Trap' dedicates an episode to Candy Crush — core thesis: the game is optimised for dopamine loops, not for fun. Klicksafe: lootbox-like mechanisms also recognisable in puzzle apps.
Why this score?
These 4 factors are behind the risk score above — they show where the risk comes from. Protection is inverted: higher = better.
Severity
How severe is the risk in the worst case?
Frequency
How often does the child encounter the risk while playing?
Manipulation pressure
How aggressively does the game push toward risky behavior?
Protection
How effective are the available protection measures?
Protection: Higher = better (more parental controls available). The other three: Higher = more guidance needed.
What you get after signing up
Companion guide
First steps + agreements for your home
Practical tips
What you should set up on the technical side
Conversation starters
Ready-made openers for difficult moments
Safe alternatives
Games with lower risk
Unlock companion guide & tips
Free — unlock once for all games.
War diese Einschätzung hilfreich?
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The NUNIVIA parent course shows step by step how to set rules that actually work — with an AI coach for your specific questions.
The NUNIVIA assessment is based on publicly available data and AI-supported analysis. It represents an editorial guide and does not replace professional media education advice. No liability accepted.
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