Clash of Clans is a free–to–play online multiplayer battle game by Supercell. Although it's designed for Android or iOS, you can also download it to a PC if it has sufficient running power. It is aimed at ages 13+.

The object of the game is to build your village, design your base and defend your turf.

You can join players in a clan to fight others, or there is the option for single-player play, in which you have to attack a series of ‘goblin buildings’.

Players build their base – complete with buildings, supplies and weapons – and have to collect gold, elixir and Dark Elixir through gameplay to increase and maintain their defences against attack.

You can also collect gems  – an in-game currency – by successfully completing certain tasks, or buying them through in-app purchases.

Clash of Clans is a great strategy game that allows you to play either alone or with your friends. It’s creative and engaging.

In-game purchases

Although Clash of Clans is free to download, the game makes money via in-app purchases. Prices can range from  £3.99 to £79.99. With this in mind, it's important to take extra care if you have card details saved on any devices children could be using. 

There is also the option to disable in-app purchases through your phone, whether you have an Android or an Apple device. Instructions can be found in the Supercell support section.

Age restrictions

Although the game states it is for 13+, there is no age verification necessary to download the app. Regardless, the current age limits could mean that 14-year-olds could play with adults in an unmoderated environment with no reporting facilities within Clan Chat (more on this below). 

Global and Clan group chats

The chat option in Clash of Clans is called 'Clan Chat'.

There is an in-game Settings area accessible via the 'cog' icon that appears on the right-hand side of the screen once you start playing. Here, you can Filter Clan Chat, change swear words to asterisks, and set players who can join the chat to 'invite only' from 'anyone'. You can also mute players within the chat if they are causing problems. 

From a safety point of view, the game has no private chat facility. Players can only join and take part in group chats. However, that leaves open the possibility that children could be persuaded to chat privately away from the game on a different platform by a fellow clan member. With this in mind, it may be worth setting the chat to 'invite only'. 

Supercell states that they display regular warnings against sharing personal information and have a "constantly updated blacklist of offensive words and phrases that can be quickly found and removed from all areas of the game."

Even though it is possible to set up safety measures and restrict contact within the game itself, players can join forums outside the game which may be unmonitored or peer-monitored, and so reaction times to bad behaviour may vary. 

Reporting functions

If you want to report a player, there's a 'report' button on the Clan Chat menu. Try to include usernames and screenshots if you can as added proof. A player that has been reported will have to wait 24 hours before they will be allowed to rejoin the chat. If their request to rejoin is refused, they will have to wait another 24 hours before submitting another one. 

Supercell has now confirmed that players can, at times, receive permanent bans from the game, although this tends to be more related to cheating or fraudulent activity. Find more information about the reporting functions in Clash of Clans here. 

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This article was last updated on 29/09/23.

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