Herotopia was a virtual world full of superheroes and villains that represent the players and the environment. This is an MMORPG, and it is the product collaboration between Herotainment, the company envisioned the idea and Jagex, the company that developed the idea.

Herotainment

Herotainment LLC is a New York, USA based company founded in 2010 that developed a concept for the game Herotopia. The main investor was Peter Cuneo, and the first release saw air in 2011. The founders of the concept and game are a husband and wife team, Wade and Caryn Teman, who sought a way to educate children against the dangers of bullying. The company has a professional adviser, Dr. Joel Haber, aka “The Bully Coach,” who writes a Bully Blog on the site.

The company is small, more of a holding concept company since it outsourced the technology issues to Jagex. The companies contact info is:

  • e-mail: wade@herotainment.com
  • Phone Number: 646.807.4550

Jagex

Jagex is a UK based developer and technology publisher that is based in Cambridge, UK. The company is the developer of Runescape and specializes in Java gaming platforms. As of 2016, Jagex is owned by Shanghai Zhongji Enterprise Group.

The Game

Herotopia focuses on a group of superheroes that are at constant battle with the Bully Bunch. The bully bunch is a group of villains that like to cause damaging pranks, and it is up to the superheroes to stop the Bully Bunch from succeeding.

Players take on an avatar with special powers; they cannot change their avatar or powers after they have chosen them. The gameplay is a puzzle solution-based game, where the players move around the world trying to understand clues leading them to the Bully Bunch.

The game’s core is to educate children on the issues of bullying and aims to teach the players about different cultures, languages, reading skills, and geography. The map of Herotopia is the world.

 

How to Play

This is a community game, where each superhero represents a real player. The drop-down menu gives you preset text messages to send during gameplay, this is a great security feature and does not allow for pedophiles to take advantage of the game by pretending to be a child and communicating without any barriers.

Players get missions, which teleport their superheroes around the world to solve problems that are set by the Bully Bunch. The missions go side by side with games, so you don’t actually need to be on a mission to enjoy playing any one of the 25 games and educational puzzles set in the platform.

One of the benefits of the game is the Topia Tokens, which are the internal currency that players can use to buy all kinds of interesting stuff in their online shop to customize their hideout.

Hideout

Yes, just like Superman and Batman, these kids have a hideout, and these come in all kinds of themes, for instance, here are some possible hideouts to choose and then decorate:

Baseball

What could be better for that sport minded player, a great hideout where they can practice ball as well as get ready for the next mission.

Rock Star

Obviously, if you love music and dance, this would be your preferred hideout. A great place to just simmer in the sounds of whatever turns you on.

Candylicious

What can be better for those sweet-toothed players that need a lollypop to make every thought extra zingy with power and consideration?

Tropical

Obviously, you love the sea, coconuts, palm trees and the occasional crustacean, and you are old enough you can enter the waters without a rubber ring.

Apart from hideouts, there are all kinds of accessories that players can adorn their heroes and houses and this is a great show off a statement in group and team playing.

Cost

The game is free, but for an extra $5.95 you can give your child access to many aspects of the game that will give them a lot of “credit” among their peers. If you don’t like handling small monthly subscriptions, there is a $29.95 for six months or $57.95 for a year all-access pass option. This pass provides the child with another few interesting features; one is you adopt an endangered orangutan as a pet. Now, with that orangutan taken care of, you also get enhanced superpowers and super-vehicles learning condition.

Message

This game delivers a very strong and focused anti-bullying message and is aimed at all the youngsters aged 6 to 12 that face bullying at home, neighborhood and at school

My take

Not many games have a great central theme that is dedicated to fair play and social networks. Herotopia not only delivers a clear anti-bullying message, but it also delivers a clever educational environment with games, and missions that open up a child’s mind to the wonders of the world. With so many different cultures, languages and countries to visit and learn about, this is a great concept education and safe game.

What is also great about Herotopia is that it is not a psychologically addictive game, the designers are not out to make children play it for hours. Missions take around 20 minutes to half an hour, and this is about the same time it takes for the player to enjoy a few more games on the platform. Obviously, parents must still provide limits to children playing times, something that Herotopia is not about to do, not any other game platform.