Kidzworld got a chance to ask Free Realms’ producer Nick Parkinson some questions about the cool, free, online game!
Kidzworld: What is Free Realms? / What can kids do on Free Realms?
Free Realms is a whimsical virtual world full of family-friendly gameplay that has a little something for everyone. It is designed for anyone young at heart; tweens, teens and families can all be found having fun in the game. Since it is an online world, you get to meet and interact with lots of other cool people (in a safe and policed environment) and do a lot of fun things together. If you like racing, you can do it. If you like collecting pets and teaching them tricks, you can do it. If you like battling monsters, you can do that too. Free Realms is a place where no matter what kind of mood you’re in you can log in and find something fun to do, whether you have an hour to play or just a few minutes.
How can kids access Free Realms?
It’s super easy! Simply open up a web browser, go to
What sorts of characters can players explore Free Realms as?
You can play as either a human or a pixie (a tiny person that has wings and uses them to fly around). Once you’ve selected human or pixie, you can explore as any of the following jobs; Adventurer, Archer, Blacksmith, Brawler, Card Duelist, Chef, Demolition Derby Driver, Fisherman, Kart Driver, Medic, Miner, Ninja, Postman, Soccer Player, Warrior and Wizard. And the great part is, if you get tired of playing one you can switch instantly to any other job and try that out too!
How does Free Realms work in terms of social interaction with other
players? / Can players interact with other players in the game? How?
While in Free Realms, players can talk to, group up with and even duel other players. Depending on parental control settings, players can either use quick chat (pre-typed messages) or safe chat (filtered messages) to interact with other players. You can also group up to go adventuring (or fishing, or kart driving, or any number of fun activities!) with other players too. If you have fun playing with someone, you can add them to your friends list so that they are easier to find in the future.
What is the main environment in the game?
Players can currently explore the region known as Sacred Grove, the original home of the pixies. In this mystical land, players can visit the snowy resort village of Snowhill, warm up and splash in the ocean in Seaside, or brave ghosts and ghouls in the swamps of Blackspore. Every town in Sacred Grove has different people to talk to, games to play and battles to fight. Travel eastwards to Briarwood, where brave Chugawug soldiers are fending off creepy spiders and ferocious man-eating plants. Need to take a break from battle? Warp to Sanctuary, the capital city where the queen of all pixies lives. Sip on a pixachino coffee while shopping for new clothes or getting a makeover. Jump back into the fray by helping the weak or cleansing corruption from the land. If you prove that you're brave and capable, Queen Valerian may even publicly reward you!
How many levels of gameplay does the game include?
Every job can level all the way up to 20, although to get past level 5 in some jobs you do need to be a member. There are also lots of fun activities that are not level based that you can do over and over no matter who you are!
What is “Safe Chat?”
Safe Chat permits players to type their own messages which are sent through a "positive" filter before being transmitted to other players. Using a database of pre-approved words and phrases, this filter prohibits unapproved words and any combination of permissible words used in a way which would change their meaning(s). The database of pre-approved words and phrases will grow over time as new words and phrases are added.
What kinds of mini-games can you play and what do you earn for playing?
There are a bunch of great mini-games to play in Free Realms! Some are simple like checkers and chess, and some are more complicated like Demolition Derby (where you get to crash your car into other cars), fishing or the trading card game. Depending on what game you are playing, you can either get lots of coins to buy items with in-game or even great items themselves!
How do you advance in the game?
Advancing in Free Realms is pretty straight forward! If you want to gain a level in your fisherman job, simply go fishing. If you want to gain levels as a warrior, get your or sword and shield and go find some monsters to do battle with. The more you participate in whatever job you are trying to level in, the more experience points you will gain towards getting another level (and access to cool new abilities and items)!
What kind of system/programs do you need in order to play?
If you have an internet connection and a web browser, you should be all set! You will need to install a small program in order to run Free Realms the first time you play though. It’s super easy, the game just asks you to save a file after you create your character/account. It will automatically put it in the right place and take you right back to the game when it’s finished.
How much does it cost?
Free Realms is free! Because it’s a completely online game, you don’t need to buy any kind of software. You can simply visit the site, create a character, and start playing without spending a penny. Of course, you can always upgrade to member status for additional content and/or purchase in-game items, but it's totally up to you! You create your own experience and control how much you want to spend.
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