The Club Penguin Game - for parents

"Mom, can I get a membership to Club Penguin?" If you have a kid anywhere from 6 to 14, you may have had this request. I had no idea what my 7-year-old daughter was talking about when she asked me. She's never deviates from her 3 staple Web sites. Apparently, her 13-year-old cousin had told her all about it and Club Penguin was all I heard for 2 weeks. She even got her 9-year-old brother excited. Finally, I set aside some time her and her cousin to show me around this Club Penguin game so I could consider a membership.

It is a virtual world for kids. If you are familiar with games like The Sims or virtual worlds like Second Life, you know what I mean. If you don't, a virtual world is a computer game or Web site where you take on a different persona and live out another life. Club Penguin is meant targeted to 8 to 14-year-olds, so they get to live a life as a penguin.

When you start, you choose a name for your penguin-self and a color, if you like, because in the digital world not all penguins have to be black and white. The games starts you off in the new world with your very own, simple house--I mean igloo--and then you're off to live your penguin life.

You can then waddle around and explore the icy wonderland. There are many places to visit like the ski slope, the boat dock, shops in town, a beach and many other places. In these places, there are many things to do. Your penguin can party, join group dances in the street (a la Fame), chat with other penguins, and participate in periodic treasure hunts. You can even get a pet called a Puffle. And to keep your penguin up-to-date, the Penguin Times newspaper sometimes offers polls or announces new features in Club Penguin.

Also, within these places in Club Penguin are several games to play and new ones are introduced periodically. Some are multi-player games like Sled Racing or single-player challenges like Puffle Round-Up. Besides just being fun for your penguin, you earn coins depending how you do in these activities and games. Which leads to another aspect of this penguin-world.

Games to Play With Other Penguins

• Find Four (found at the Ski Lodge and Ski Attic) - the same basic rules as Connect Four, place pieces in different rows trying to get four pieces in a row
• Mancala (located in the Book Room) - a two-player game just like Mancala
• Sled Racing (find this on the Ski Mountain) - 2 or 4 penguins race downhill on sleds avoiding obstacles and trying for the jumps for more speed. The four different hills are Bunny Hill, Express, Penguin Run, and Ridge Run.

Multi-player games reward players with up to 30 coins per game.

Games to Play By Yourself

• Aqua Grabber (found on the Iceberg) New as of Feb 2008 - Rockhopper the Penguin's ship is smashed to smitherens on the bottom of the sea. You take a mini-sub down and get the pieces from the bottom with a claw.
• Barrier (found in the Dance Lounge) - like the old Asteroids arcade game (for those of you around in the 80's) where you use your ship to shoot all passing targets
• Bean Counters (in the Coffee Shop) - unload a truck of coffee beans, without carrying too many beans or catching anything else besides beans.
• Cart Surfer (in the Mine) - surf and perform tricks inside a mine cart without crashing
• Catchin' Waves (see the Cove) - surf the waves, perform tricks, and avoid obstacles in Survival Mode, or just practice in Freestyle
• Hydro Hopper/Ballistic Biscuit (check out The Dock) - waterski and pick up life rings while jumping or avoiding obstacles in the water
• Ice Fishing (Ski Lodge) - catch fish and avoid obstacles in the water which may cut your fishing line. At the end of the game, if you catch Mullet (a large red fish) you get a bonus
• Jet Pack Adventure (Lighthouse Beacon) - use a jetpack to fly in the air without hitting anything or running out of fuel. You get to keep all the coins you collect
• Puffle Round-Up (Pet Shop) - round up all the puffles you see into a pen
• Pizzatron 3000 (Pizza Parlor) - you get to make regular or dessert pizzas with specified varying sets of toppings
• Thin Ice (Dance Lounge) - guide a black puffle on fire to safety through the ice to the goal. The more tiles you go over, the more coins you get.

Single-player games generally earn more coins than multi-player coins, usually about 10% of the final score.

Games With No Coins

• Ice Hockey (Ice Rink) - hit a puck by walking over it into one of the two goals
• Snowball Fights (Snow Fort) - throw snowballs between the two Snow Forts toward the other team

Free games for paying and non-paying members.

As I mentioned, new penguins all get their very own igloo when starting. All penguins and igloos are plain at first, but as you accumulate coins from various games, you can buy nicer clothes and get a fresh new 'do for your penguin. You can also or buy furniture and home improvements for your igloo. Each month, a new catalog of outfits and igloo upgrades is introduced. One month an Ice Castle igloo upgrade was offered in the catalog for 5,100 coins.

Thus, there is constant competition among the penguins to have the coolest igloo and the latest fashions. In fact, for those kids too impatient to play a game to earn coins, can buy virtual coins with real money.

The consumerism aspect of Club Penguin tends to be controversial. Personally, our children already barraged with enticements to "buy". As a parent, you go with the philosophy you already use. For me, I see my kids learning their own lessons on spending, earning, and budgeting, but the minute they ask to buy coins with their allowance, we'll have to pull back.

The paid membership is $5.95 a month. You can get a discount if you pay for several months at a time (29.95 for 6 months). You can pay with a credit or debit card and get immediate access, or mail in a check or money order.

You have to decide whether it's worth it. You child is probably on the side of "heck yea!" However, you have to recognize that Club Penguin games and other virtual reality games for kids--and adults--are going to be hot for some time to come.