The Silent Age is a challenging point-and-click role-playing game that uses puzzles, beautiful graphics, and an eerie soundtrack to engage users. However, it uses unnecessary violence and gloominess and has limited educational value. The first episode is free and the upgrade is for the second episode. The game is set in 1972 where the user becomes Joe, the protagonist, who must travel in time to save Earth. Joe is a janitor who mops up a trail of blood and discovers a dying man who has come from the future. He must find the man’s younger self of 1972 to prevent the end of the world. The puzzles involve traveling back and forth from the present and 1972 to unlock doors, escape police custody, and break and climb through windows. As with other role playing games, this app can foster problem solving skills as Joe confronts obstacles and makes decisions to save Earth, but parents should not consider this a valuable educational app. In addition, the juvenile humor, mild violence, and dark, gloomy presentation make it a questionable choice, particularly for younger users. *Note: This app was originally reviewed for iPhone/iPad. Some differences might apply. Amazon rating: Guidance Suggested.

• Appropriate for a broad age range to use and enjoy
• Subject matter and problems are relevant, interesting and authentic to students
• Visually appealing to children in the target age range
• Provides virtual rewards or incentives after meeting specified goals or objectives
• Provides a "break activity" between academic problem sets
• Offers ongoing, progressive challenge
• Overall - Enjoyable. Given the option, students would choose this option

• Has a free or trial version
• Provides teaching guidance for adults to support the child and set appropriate goals
• Provides an age-appropriate tutorial/first time users can work independently
• Student should be able to use independently after first use
• Has a multi-player option to foster in-person collaboration or cooperation
• Multiple users can save a profile
• Student graduates to the next level or topic only after meeting a benchmark
• Can play without sound and not distract others
• Students can save work between sessions
• Can effectively understand and monitor student's progress (email report or in product)
• Provides options to play in languages other than English/Good for ELL
• Presents information in multiple formats (voice over, pictures and text, etc.)
• Overall - Easy to use

• Anxiety
• Themes that might disturb sensitive students (death, blood, slime)
• Attention
• Promotes purchases or upgrades to students
• Has auditory distractions that cannot be silenced (background music, players shout answers, etc.)
• Reading Comprehension
• Reading Fluency
• Self-regulation
• Promotes purchases or upgrades to students
• Themes that might disturb sensitive students (death, blood, slime)
• Verbal Reasoning
• Working Memory
• Requires scanning in multiple places for words, objects or numbers