Top 5 Reasons Your Child Should Play Fantage: Numbers 5 through 3
What is Fantage?
Fantage is a browser-based online game and virtual world designed for children and tweens. The game first went live in 2008, and has grown to over 3 million members in less than two years. It is free to play with an optional subscription model. Fantage can be found at www.fantage.com.
5: No Download or Credit Card Needed
Fantage is a completely browser-based game, run with Adobe Flash. There is absolutely zero downloading necessary to play - each area and game loads dynamically within the browser itself. No need to worry about hard drive space, installation, or possible infected files.
Better yet, Fantage is free to play. Virtually every game and area is open to free players. While there is an optional subscription package at $5.99 a month, that package enables the sharing of medals and the ability to earn and use members-only items. The subscription is well worth the cost, especially considering the other great reasons why children should be playing Fantage.
4: Enthusiastic Staff
The staff of Fantage is very enthusiastic about their game, and they care about and listen to their players. In a recent interview I had with Peter Bae, co-founder of Fantage, the excitement he had about the world of Fantage was palpable. There’s no doubt that the small staff behind Fantage is happy for its success, and is eager for it to grow further.
Fantage listens to its players’ voices, too. When players show that they enjoy something, the team responds by supporting that, even implementing their ideas into the game - such as the Top Model Fashion Show, which originally began as a player activity. Fantage also holds several creativity contests and showcases its players’ artwork and creative expressions about the game.
3: Safe and Friendly
Fantage not only complies with COPPA rules, but also includes the following rules that are enforced for all players:
- Users cannot ask and/ or mention personal information, such as real names, phone numbers, and home address (street address).
- Any language implying sexual or violent content is not permitted.
- Teasing other users with conversation or avatar actions is not permitted.
- Any other behaviors which we deem inappropriate and detrimental to maintaining out safe environment are not permitted.
Safety is taken very seriously at Fantage. Parents can opt for their children to receive (and send) no chat at all, or use pre-written safe chat, instead of allowing a free chat experience. Players who do use free chat are held to strict rules and a thorough chat filter that blocks not only curse words but even numbers and words that contain other questionable words for children (such as “hello.”) Staff regularly monitor live chat and chat logs and issue warnings, suspensions, and complete bans for players who do not abide by chat courtesy rules.
That said, Fantage is a wonderfully warm, welcoming place. The staff, and the players, are very friendly and helpful. There is a real, vibrant community among the players built out of respect and kindness.
More Reasons to Love Fantage
We’ve looked at three of five reasons that your children should be playing Fantage. Now, let’s turn to the top two reasons, the real beauty behind this fantastic world.
2: Non-Violent Gaming
Fantage is a non-violent world. That’s right - your children’s characters will never be punching, kicking, using weapons, killing, or knocking out creatures. There’s no combat, at all! The same can’t be said for other children’s online games such as Free Realms.
Instead, children are sent on peaceful missions (quests) which consist of puzzle solving and mini-games to do good deeds for the Fantage world. There are over 30 mini-games available for children to play. Many games are based on gaming classics like Bejeweled or Snake. All games have been toned down to be easier for their audience, but are fun enough to play that even adults can sit down and enjoy them.
In fact, this very non-violent tone leads to the number one reason your children should be playing Fantage…
1: Conveys a Positive Message
One of the goals of Fantage is to give children a positive message. All missions have virtues or morals to them, without being preachy. Missions can encourage players to be caretakers of nature, to be good Samaratins, to be tolerant, and to be kind. It isn’t just about stopping the bad guys, it’s about helping the every day people around you and preventing others from harm.
Children are encouraged to make friends along the way, and not just with NPCs. Community is a huge focus of Fantage, which strives to provide a safe place for children to make online friends. One of the simple things that children do when playing Fantage is share stickers with each other. Every player has a sticker album, and players will collect stickers and help share them with friends and strangers alike - no strings attached.
In a time when violence seems the norm, it almost seems impossible to believe that such a safe, happy, friendly place exists on the Internet for children. Yet Fantage is that place, and deserves at least a visit by your children - and you.
