Episode App Review

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What is Episode?

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Episode is an interactive storytelling app where users read animated stories and make choices that affect what happens next. Think of it as a Netflix drama, a video game, and a romance novel all rolled together.

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Instead of just watching characters, your child controls the main character. They choose omg different outfits, responses to dialogue, who to date, how conflicts are handled, and personality traits. Plus, most of the stories are not written by the company, they’re written by other users.

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The app is owned by Episode Interactive, a mobile gaming company, and it’s extremely popular with tweens and teens. With 2.8M Ratings on the Apple App Store and 100M+ downloads on the Google Play Store. Episode requires users to say they are at least 13 years old to play. But here’s the part many parents don’t realize:

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So, Episode is less like a game and more like a dating drama simulator. Which doesn’t automatically mean it’s bad; it just means that Episode contains more risks than parents might initially assume.

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How Does Episode Work?

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Episode contains thousands of animated stories broken into chapters (called “episodes”).

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Players:

1. Pick a story
2. Design their character
3. Make choices during scenes
4. Watch consequences play out

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Choices matter. For example:

• Kiss or reject someone
• Sneak out or stay home
• Start drama or avoid it
• Choose a romantic partner

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Stories are unlocked using tickets (passes), and certain “better” choices cost gems, which can be earned or purchased with real money.

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Some stories are created by the company, but the majority are user-generated content. Whenever people are able to create content in games, risks go up. 

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The app even lets users:

• write their own stories
• publish them
• build a following

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So your child isn’t just consuming content, but rather, they’re inside a social storytelling platform. Again, that doesn’t mean it’s always something awful or harmful. However, many times, the stories contain situations and themes that are far too mature for the 13+ age rating (see screenshot below).

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What Do Parents Need to Know About Episode?

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Many stories include:

• dating and relationship drama
• sexual innuendo
• partying and alcohol references
• appearance and popularity themes

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Nothing is graphically explicit, but the themes are mature.

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Episode Focuses on Romance

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A large portion of Episode stories revolve around relationships, with gameplay often rewarding:

• flirting
• jealousy
• social status
• physical appearance

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Some kids may start to treat the app as a relationship simulator.

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Episode Contains User Generated Content

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Because anyone can publish a story, risk greatly increases. Whenever other people are able to add their own content into an app, parents should take extra caution. Episode has guidelines, but moderation isn’t perfect.

Premium Choices in Episode Cost Money

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“Premium” choices cost gems which must be purchased using real money.

For example:

• Wear the cute outfit → costs gems
• Be nice → free
• Be rude → free

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How to Make Episode Safer:

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Regardless of the app, three actions mitigate the risks we’ve shared. We teach these actions in our parent presentations:

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1. Require approval for all app downloads.
2. Follow the 7-Day Rule
3. Enable in-app controls and settings

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We explain each of them briefly below. If you’ve already set up approvals for downloads and have used the app, please skip to the In-App Controls & Settings.

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Require Approval for App Downloads

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You can control app stores by requiring permission for apps to be downloaded. This is ensures your child doesn’t have access to an app without your knowledge. Here are the steps (for Apple and Android users):

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For Apple Devices:

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To require permission to download an app, you’ll need to set up Screen Time and Family Sharing (Apple’s Parental Controls). We explain this process step-by-step in our Complete iOS Guide (click here).  

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Once Screen Time and Family Sharing are established, here’s how to require permission to download apps on an Apple device:

1. Go to your Settings app.
2. Select your Family.
3. Select the person you want to apply this setting to.
4. Scroll down to “Ask to Buy” and enable.

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For Android Devices:

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You’ll have to use Family Link (Android’s parental controls) to ensure you retain control over what apps are downloaded. We explain this process step-by-step in our Android Guide (click here).

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Once Family Link is established, here’s how to require permission to download apps on an Android device:

1. Go to the Family Link App
2. Select the person you want to apply this setting to.
3. Select “Google Play Store”
4. Select “Purchases & download approval” and set it to “All Content.”

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Follow the 7-Day Rule

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This is our tried-and-true method of determining whether a specific app is safe for your specific child.

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Before you let your child use it, download the app and use it for 7 days.

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Create an account with your child’s age and gender and use it for 7 days. Play through a few levels, review the ads, see if anyone can chat with you, and poke around like a curious child.

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After a week, ask yourself, “Do I want my child to experience what I did?”  Even if you decide to allow them to download the app, now you have a basis for curious conversations about the app when you check in.

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Enable In-App Controls & Settings

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There are no parental controls or any meaningful content settings. Best to follow the suggestions above to determine if the app is suitable for your child. See our Bottom Line below for our final thoughts and recommendations for families.

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Bottom Line: Is Episode Safe for Kids?

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We don’t recommend this for elementary and middle school students. For high school, be sure to try it out yourself (7 Day Rule!) before allowing it. 

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While Episode isn’t dangerous in the traditional sense, as there are no predators or public chat, it still carries an emotional and social risk.

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The app teaches relationship norms through fictional scenarios, and younger kids often absorb those messages and mix them with reality. 

While it looks like just a cartoon game, it functions more like an interactive teen drama show. If your child isn’t ready for shows about relationships and the mature themes that often follow (sex, drugs, parties, etc.), then they probably aren’t ready for Episode.

What if I have more questions? How can I stay up to date?

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Two actions you can take!

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1. Subscribe to our tech trends newsletter, the PYE Download. About every 3 weeks, we’ll share what’s new, what the PYE team is up to, and a message from Chris.
2. Ask your questions in our private parent community called The Table! It’s not another Facebook group. No ads, no algorithms, no asterisks. Just honest, critical conversations and deep learning! For parents who want to “go slow” together. Become a member today!

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