I’ve played a lot of games in my life: board, video, social… they provide entertainment.  It’s why I play! Games provide something to do to pass the time and relax.  I can’t tell you how adamant I was almost two years ago that I wouldn’t play “Facebook Games.”  Then I tried a few.  I had farms, restaurants, fish tanks, zoo animals, and so much more!  They grabbed my attention due to how easy they were (just click!), playing with my friends, and getting achievements.

But honestly? A bit mind numbing.  No intrinsic value.  Just pure entertainment.  These games were about competition to get the most money, the most friends playing, the biggest lot… but what about being rewarded for good deeds?

Have you heard of A Better World?

A Better World is a game on Facebook created by ToonUps.  ToonUps is a digital entertainment company that has worked on creating games with positive messages and encourage altruistic behaviors for the past ten years.  In their latest game, players are rewarded for doing good in the game world and the virtual world.

A Better World has over 120,000 players.  It’s designed to make people feel good about positive choices they make and support good deeds of others.  You can personalize your character and house, visit your neighbors, return lost items that you find, complete daily missions, and vote on the expressions of gratitude, hope, and good deeds of others.

The game offers more than 15 locations for community members to explore, including the:

• Department of Do Good – A place you can share real world good deeds you’ve performed and see what other members of the community have done
• Gratitude Grotto – A charming area where you can reveal what you are thankful for and express your support for messages left by others
• Sanctuary of Hope – A building where you can communicate your hopes and dreams and send encouragement to other players
• Arcade – A play area with uplifting mini-games to enjoy alone or with friends
• A new feature is the Better Pets Pet Shop, filled with adorable puppies, cute kittens or even a magical unicorn

ToonUps hopes A Better World’s original approach could usher in a new genre of “dogood gaming.” Research shows that being encouraged to think about things they are thankful for and doing activities that provide encouragement to others improves their mental, emotional and spiritual well being.

The gameplay is very much like any other Facebook game in terms of how you level up and acquire items.  I loved the pet shop, but of course it requires real money (in the form of Facebook credits) to purchase them.  I wish I could buy at least the cats and dogs with in game money and maybe had the exotic ones for credits.

While it was interesting reading what other people put in as their hopes, gratitude, and good deeds, many were generic.  I like that other players (like myself) vote on them.  Especially for the registering of good deeds done in the real world.  You can later collect rewards based on how much other citizens voted for it.  I felt kind of bad turning some down, but they were too vague or really didn’t fit.

I think this would be an appropriate game to let older children play with if they are wanting to play games online.  However, it did not grab my attention as a game I’ll play long term.  It has a great message, but it takes too long to complete missions and level up.  And, that is still the game play model.

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FTC Disclosure: I was given the opportunity to share my thoughts and opinions on A Better World. I received a gift card as a thank you for my participation. All thoughts and opinions are my own.  The thoughts, experiences, and opinions included are entirely my own and may differ from that of others. I am not liable for any issues you may incur from use of said product(s). Images used are owned by me or provided with the company’s permission unless otherwise sourced. See full disclosure information. If you have any questions you can contact me or leave a comment.

About Darcy

Darcy Zalewski is a married, stay-at-home mom who is discovering her greener side, starting with advocating for cloth diapering. When she's not changing diapers or singing the Itsy Bitsy Spider, she can be found at Tales From the Nursery, where she shares tales of motherhood as well as product reviews, or at ShePromotes, a resource for blogger support.

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