Explore a World Full of Friendly Monsters and Other Creatures
In
Monster Mingle, an app published by the same group that started the multi-touch revolution with their excellent and clever
Little Digits - Finger Counting, kids play with a monster whose appearance they can change on the fly. The monster follows the player's finger to explore a colorful world filled with singing creatures and islands that float in both water and air.
Mingle Those Monster Parts!
As the player and the monster discover this funky world, they run into clear bubbles filled with new body parts for the monster. Some contain parts that change the way the monster moves, such a wings, fins, and different kinds of legs; while others change the way they look, including adding horns, beaks, noses, mouths, arms, and multiple eyes. Some bubbles change the body type and color of your monster.
App Analysis
On the runway of children's apps vying for your kid's attention, Monster Mingle stands out for its inventive design that puts creativity at your child's fingertips.
The Monster Mingle world invites kids in with its use of vibrant colors and melodic sounds. If you touch a bush as you walk by, it might sing to you. Tapping almost anywhere elicits both a sound and an animation. Some of the creatures express themselves using gibberish, which has a charming inventiveness.
This app also excels in putting the monster's evolution in the hands of the player. The swapping out process is easy, and it allows kids to try on a new part for size. If they don't like what they see or how the monster moves, they can switch back to what they had before. The readily available bubbles filled with new body parts also serve to encourage kids' investigation of this world. Wonder what might be above you? Find some wings and start to fly. Fall into an ocean, and your monster's movements seem laborious? Locate some fins to streamline the movement through water. With 40 body parts to find, this is an app that will keep your kids coming back for more.
Best For
Because of its player-controlled open-ended play, Monster Mingle will appeal to a wide age-range of kids. Children as young as age three will find these friendly monsters appealing, while older children will be drawn to the scavenger hunt aspect of this fun, monster-filled world.
This Monster Mingle app review was written by Jinny Gudmundsen.
All tech products are judged on a five star scale by looking at the following factors: fun, education, ease of use, value, and technical.
