Supersecret

Supersecret is a new virtual world for tweens in which you play games for points and bling - blah blah - but you also "age up": from 10 to 16 virtual years old. That's pretty unusual and probably very appealing to tweens desperate to get on with being teens. I'm wandering around, and it's initially fairly normal otherwise: 2.5d flash-based fantasy world, with the standard "beach" and "dorm" type zones to hang out in.

The age restriction stuff is curious: on signup, you're asked for your real age (I lied) and a parent's email (I put mine in). Even though I signed up as a 12 year old, I'm playing as a 10 year old - the starting age - and I can't free chat until I'm "12". Eminently crackable, this, so I suppose it's a cultural rule - and a carrot to get kids to play to virtual age 12 quickly - rather than any kind of actual safety mechanism.

The starter games themselves are pretty simple - and classically "addictive". I popped ballons for a bit, Peggle-style. Quite mindlessly fun, in that passing-time kind of way. It earned me some "Spenders" and some "Age Points".

So I bought my real hair.

My newest mission - no offense to SuperSecret - is to seek out virtual worlds for kids and teens that have a deeper and more intellectual raison d'etre than Play Games To Buy Hair With. Maybe Supersecret has more depth than I'm giving it credit for after such a cursory glance - they reference World of Warcraft as a competitor in the Virtual Worlds News piece, so they're aware of the alternatives 12 year olds have, after all - but I couldn't see it immediately. And who says WoW is more than A Game To Buy Hair with, anyway?

It's that middle-ground sweet spot between levelling-for-the-hell-of-it (or mindless fun), and something-genuinely-useful (or purely educational), that's probably a winner in my book. I wonder where it exists already.

Comments

[Kim]

Curious that they have freechat at 12. Seems that many sites would be scared off of it even for that age.

I like the real-world-relevance of age-related role play. I could see that being hugely compelling for a nervous 12 year old, and maybe even a little beneficial for the self-esteem.

Would love to see missions tie in to real-world things like in Akoha, though it's hard to imagine what a very "13-year-old-like" mission would be that didn't apply to a 14-year old. Maybe it's just "maturish things to do". Like read a book, or volunteer time or something.

(On Akoha: I'm playing it, and its so promising, but so short of the mark on a number of fronts. Frustrating)

[chris]

How about DigitalDollhouse?

http://www.digitaldollhouse.com/

I recently met the founders and they really did seem to want to give young girls something actually beautiful to play with and doesn't go down the horrid IMVU / Bratz direction which is seemingly all people think that young girls want these days.

I'm not one of the founders btw :)

Chris
www.kill5.com

[Jenna]

I've done a lot of research into virtual worlds for kids and I'm pretty enamored with Club Penguin. I don't know if I would call it educational but it certainly is a safe, fun environment for young children.

www.clubpenguin.com

They also had a Coins for Change campaign in December of last year where kids donated their in-game money to determine how Club Penguin would donate $1.5 mil to charity. Pretty cool! Check it out here:

http://www.clubpenguin.com/parents/coins_for_change_08.htm

[Han]

There's wemakestories.com by Puffin - online tools to make and print your own pop-up, audio and comic books. It's a paid service for schools and individuals, but it's pretty cheap. There's a walkthrough on youtube, here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QfcIlnnQFVc

[Lola]

Where are the accessorires for the snowman?

[Nur Shamsiah Aziezah]

I want to play this game?But,I have already play the supersecret game. At Supersecret.com

But,this one I want to try to play the game?

[fashioneesta]

the old supersecret is best the new one sucks

[UNKNOWN]

IF YOU WANT SOMETHIN LIKE THE OLD SUPERSECERT MIYAMACKENZIE IS WHERE TO GO THEY HAVE THE SAME CHARCATERS AND EVERYTHING

[kheanna]

i hate the new supersecret

[olivia tynan]

I cant get on it cause there's a stupid one called jump start and there's another super secret

[olivia tynan]

miyameckenzie?

[olivia tynan]

the old super secret is the best the new one sucks why did they call the new super secret super secret?

[olivia tynan]

oh would some one come on i need a chat with them

[livvy]

i need to talk to the boss on the new super secret ive don it lots of times

[talusa]

i miss all that it took me ages to get my mom to give me membership but now they have changed it

[ulyo]

if your missing the song in the start of the game "i had a dream it was a good dream " it's called "buy a dog".

[Kerri]

i miss the old supper secret!!!!!!!

[feafefg]

the new super secret it's a piece of crap, i hated, i miss the old supersecret so much :(

[poo]

Hey ppl dont worry i have a game like old supersecret miyamackenzie.com go on it its a copy of old supersecret ;)

[jade]

i really don't like the new super secret

[SanaaG.]

They could have really kept it like it was....like SERIOUSLY! they should have made a poll and asked us if we wanted it to change.

[philipa]

i hate the new supersecret its suck the old one was totally better cuz it was more about friendship in for young people now its just stupid if u dont change it back ur gone to lose some players me in my friends.