What it is
Whiteout Survival is free to download. You build a settlement in the snow, join a state full of other players, and then meet a shop that sells packs far above the price of a normal game. The timers, the “chief” growing up, and the alliance chat are all there to keep you opening it.
What it costs if a card is saved: large packs, not just a 99p continue. What it costs if you refuse: nothing, and the game will nag. This is one to decline for a child. If an older teen already has it, the card still comes off.
What to look out for
- Packs priced like a console game, sometimes more.
- Alliance chat with strangers.
- A hero or a furnace upgrade used as pressure to pay.
- Ads for this game that do not look like the spending inside it.
Ways to stay safe
These steps are for Whiteout Survival. The house rules still apply on every app.
- Do not put your card details on their device. Not in the App Store, Google Play, the game, or PayPal. If you choose to pay, type the card in yourself for that purchase, then remove it.
- For children, remove it. The free part is the advert for the packs.
- If it stays for an older teen, card off the device and in-app purchases off.
- Alliance chat is a room of strangers. Treat it that way.
In the news
Published reports you can read yourself. A headline is the proof, not a set of instructions, and this page does not repeat graphic detail.
- Games that sell random prizes are getting higher age ratings This BBC report is about higher age ratings for games that sell random prizes or push daily play. Whiteout Survival is free to open and then sells expensive packs. The report does not name it.
A way to start the conversation
You can say: "This one is free so that it can ask for a lot of money later. We are not putting my card anywhere near it. If the alliance wants you in another chat, the answer is no."
Video
Parent briefing
A short video for this guide can be added by an editor. Until then, the written briefing above is the one to use.